With only his guitar and a plane ticket in tow, young Ralph (Day), leaves the family farm in search of bigger things. But the young musician’s starry eyed dreams of a bright future are thrown into chaos when he crosses path with an unstable drug thief, Boyd (Roxburgh) and his beautiful young girlfriend, Patsy (Otto).
The chance meeting soon leads Ralph on an unexpected journey with new possibilities at every turn. One route leads Ralph being framed for drug trafficking, while another shows the future Ralph always dreamed of for himself fortune, fame and Patsy Cline.
Originally released way back in 1997, this charming Aussie road movie finally finds itself on DVD and holds up surprisingly well. The DVD transfer is far from glorious, but any grain and wear only adds to the films rustic charm. With the spirit of the Deep South running through its veins, this meandering tale throughout the rain parched outback of Australia has all the hallmarks of a good old American tale.
Matt Day offers up an instantly endearing central figure as Ralph. As the hapless drifter caught between a rock and a hard place he’s wet behind the ears, dripping with naïvity but bursting at the seams with impossible dreams. Miranda Otto also turns in a fine performance as Patsy, the doe eyed beauty who captures Ralph’s heart and stirs up passions. But it’s Richard Roxburgh who’ll impress you the most, granting his potentially one dimensional Boyd more layers than an onion. At times, you can almost hear his scales shifting, but then there’s surprising moments of genuine warmth and compassion that’ll have you reassessing your ever-changing impressions.
Elsewhere, the supporting talent is almost unanimously deserving of praise. Each little bit part and supporting turn is worthy of merit, with memorable characters to be found at every turn of this dust stained, sun scorched road trip. An early scene involving Ralph’s parents bidding their offspring farewell as he flies the nest are particularly memorable, with some genuinely funny dialogue injecting new life into a potentially exhausted set-up.
That’s another thing about Doing Time for Patsy Cline; it’s very, very funny. By no means a laugh a minute riot, this charming story instead relies a flow of genuine warmth throughout. Now and again, there’s a genuinely thrilling exchange that’ll have you snickering, but for the most part it’ll drag you in thanks to a real and beating heart at its centre.
Overall Verdict: The tired trail of the road movie gets a real boost with this charming Aussie drama. With solid performances all round, a sharp and funny script and some smart direction throughout; Doing Time for Patsy Cline is one definitely worth seeking out.
Special Features:
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Reviewer: David Steele