The Dressmaker

Name: The Dressmaker
Genre: Drama
Released: September 23, 2016
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 47
Cast: Hugo Weaving, Judy Davis, Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth

2016

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Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critics

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Ratings

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The Dressmaker: Gertrude Arrives At The Ball

Movie Details & Credits

| Release Date: September 23, 2016

Starring: Hugo Weaving, Judy Davis, Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth

Summary: After years working as a dressmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet) returns home to a town in the Australian outback to reconcile with her eccentric mother Molly (Judy Davis). She also falls in love with the pure-hearted Teddy (Liam Hemsworth), and armed with her sewing machine and haute couture style,After years working as a dressmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet) returns home to a town in the Australian outback to reconcile with her eccentric mother Molly (Judy Davis). She also falls in love with the pure-hearted Teddy (Liam Hemsworth), and armed with her sewing machine and haute couture style, Tilly transforms the women of the town, exacting sweet revenge on those who did her wrong.… Expand

Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 119 min

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Awards & Rankings

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Critic Reviews

Austin Chronicle - Kimberley Jones

Sep 28, 2016

The Dressmaker’s twists are best experienced blind, and its treats are modest but genuine. Read full review

Boston Globe - Tom Russo

Sep 22, 2016

Aussie Rosalie Ham’s quirky gothic novel is too tonally erratic to be completely satisfying. But we do get two Kates for the price of one, in a sense, as this crazy quilt of a movie allows her to play both entertainingly vampy and vulnerable. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Jon Frosch

Sep 15, 2015

The film boasts enough manic energy and straight-up weirdness to keep you entertained before overstaying its welcome in the final act. Read full review

Hitfix - Gregory Ellwood

Sep 15, 2015

Its admittedly interesting source material, but the movie’s tone is all over the place and not in a good way. Read full review

The New York Times - A.O. Scott

Sep 22, 2016

Unfortunately, and despite its promising start, The Dressmaker doesn’t move much beyond the level of well-costumed playacting. Read full review

IndieWire - Kate Erbland

Sep 15, 2015

Fine performances by Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth and Judy Davis help matters a bit, but the final product is so oddly cobbled together that the entire thing should be left hanging on the rack. Read full review

New York Post - Kyle Smith

Sep 22, 2016

"The Titanic" is now the second-biggest disaster Kate Winslet has ever been associated with. Her new one, The Dressmaker, is like some hellborn alloy of film noir, campy melodrama, “High Plains Drifter” and the Darwin Awards for people who die in moronic accidents. Read full review

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User Reviews

LeZee

Oct 13, 2016

Home is where the vengeance is.

A stylish Aussie revenge-comedy that is adapted from a novel of the same name. Just superbly built screenplay on a tragedy that occurred some time back, but the movie reveals it only in the third act. About a woman who arrives in a small town where she wasHome is where the vengeance is.

A stylish Aussie revenge-comedy that is adapted from a novel of the same name. Just superbly built screenplay on a tragedy that occurred some time back, but the movie reveals it only in the third act. About a woman who arrives in a small town where she was born and slowly gains popularity among the young women who seeks her stunning costumes to impress their counterparts. The town divides over her return, but why all the hate is the mystery that the movie going to solve for us in its entire narration.

The location and the settings were fantastic and it brought a western feel because of the Australians hot and humid weather. Kate Winslate was very good, her role simply reminded me Juliette Binoche from 'Chocolat'. I have heard people saying it was emotional, but I did not find it like that. Instead, I had fun watching it, not like I had the open laughs, but felt joy and satisfaction for the time I spent for it. My initial thought was it could be overrated, but after watching it proved I was wrong. This is one of the best Aussie movie I have seen in the recent years.

8/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

foxgrove

Sep 25, 2016

Odd, funny, sexy and romantic. This is a real curio of a black comedy that has a perfectly cast Kate Winslet returning to the small Australian town of Dungaten after being banished as a young girl for a murder she may, or may not, have committed. The town’s people constitute a strange andOdd, funny, sexy and romantic. This is a real curio of a black comedy that has a perfectly cast Kate Winslet returning to the small Australian town of Dungaten after being banished as a young girl for a murder she may, or may not, have committed. The town’s people constitute a strange and eclectic bunch. Amongst the saner residents are Liam Hemsworth as the obvious handsome suitor and Hugo weaving as the police officer with a secret, also responsible for sending Winslet’s character away. Best of all is scene stealer Judy Davis as mad Molly, Winslet’s mother with a secret or two of her own. She is great, tossing off witty or acidic throwaways with consummate ease. The film is genuinely funny and taps into the black humour wonderfully, a rare achievement in itself. The costumes and music are divine and the general tone of the film hits its mark. Unfortunately, it does go on a tad too long which is detrimental to the overall impact.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

sanyrub

Oct 10, 2016

How does this get only a 5 from critics and audiences in this site? It is a funny, emotional, odd and very enjoyable film with some first rate actors who nail it (especially Kate Winslet and the one playing her mother in the film). A character´s movie that will probably surprise you. It isHow does this get only a 5 from critics and audiences in this site? It is a funny, emotional, odd and very enjoyable film with some first rate actors who nail it (especially Kate Winslet and the one playing her mother in the film). A character´s movie that will probably surprise you. It is a little bit flat when it comes to the mystery subplot. But it serves its purpose. The best part is the sarcastic way of depicting characters. Recommendable.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

GreatMartin

Sep 30, 2016

Judy Davis, as ‘Mad Molly’, almost, at first funnily then smartly, steals the movie right from under everyone’s noses but then gorgeous Liam Hemsworth lets all his masculinity, and bare chest, out and noses are forgotten. The only one who can upstage them, and anyone else on screen, is KateJudy Davis, as ‘Mad Molly’, almost, at first funnily then smartly, steals the movie right from under everyone’s noses but then gorgeous Liam Hemsworth lets all his masculinity, and bare chest, out and noses are forgotten. The only one who can upstage them, and anyone else on screen, is Kate Winslet, Mad Molly’s daughter, arriving in this isolated town with the first words heard being “I’m back you bastards!”

“The Dressmaker” takes place in 1951 and is constantly swinging back and forth from comedy to drama to satire to melodrama, a tale of revenge, murder, paternity, brutality just as Kate Winslet is Susan Hayward from “Back Street” in one scene and then within another scene she is both Mary Astor from ‘The Maltese Falcon” to Rita Hayworth in Gilda and that’s only in the first 10 minutes of the film.

There doesn’t seem to be a ‘normal’ person in Dungater from the local policeman who is a secret course dresser, played by Hugo Weaving, to the town councilor, played by Shane Bourne, who goes to any woman he can get but has a deeper secret. Oh and talking about women this one town has a representation of every woman you can think of with most types of men, too.

The story starts off as a simple one with Tilly, Kate Winslet, having been exiled from the town 25 years previously when a schoolmate, Stewart Pettyman, played by Rory Potter, the son of Evan Pettyman, played by Shane Bourne and Marigold Pettyman, played by Alison Whyte, when he dies with a cracked head and she is the only one to witness it. Tilly doesn’t remember anything about what happened and after spending the years traveling to Spain, England, France and becoming a dressmaker she returns to take care of her mother and try to find out what happened that day.

“The Dressmaker” is all over the place with a lot of evil and a lot of laughs competing, especially in the second half, but many fine performances and very easy to follow with all that is going on though occasionally the Australian outback accent might be a little hard to understand.

There is a scene worth the price of admission alone where Davis, Winslet and Hemsworth are in a movie house watching Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” and you will never be able to watch that film without hearing Davis’s comments in your head.

In many ways “The Dressmaker” is like one of those films ‘they don’t make anymore’ like they did in the 1950s but it will definitely be seen as a guilty pleasure, as I did, and enjoyed every minute but not admit it!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

smiyamot

Dec 30, 2016

Don't know what to make of this movie. Seemed like a stylishly made movie, but the story was murky and not really clear on it's path. Maybe it was about life, and life doesn't always follow a straight path, but movies should.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Oct 9, 2016

Kate Winslet plays a woman who returns to her small Australian hometown to reconcile her unfortunate past. Bringing her Paris couture skills back home results in an amusing, but somewhat unrealistic infusion of high fashion in the locals. While she tries to reconcile with her mother (JudyKate Winslet plays a woman who returns to her small Australian hometown to reconcile her unfortunate past. Bringing her Paris couture skills back home results in an amusing, but somewhat unrealistic infusion of high fashion in the locals. While she tries to reconcile with her mother (Judy Davis) and get to the bottom of her trauma, she's wooed by the local hunk (Liam Hemsworth). There are elements of quirky comedy that sometimes work and sometimes seem forced. More unusual is the especially grim final hour, which upends most of the film's mischievous promise. The dresses are beautiful and the performances are solid, but be prepared to be taken in a dark direction before it's over.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DavidTejada

Sep 23, 2016

Dressmaker is such a disappointing movie, even if you were expecting something delighting from the character who brought Titanic, her development was OK. But that doesn't mean that was pretty nor good. The story just tells the feelings of a traumatized women who arrived at his nativeDressmaker is such a disappointing movie, even if you were expecting something delighting from the character who brought Titanic, her development was OK. But that doesn't mean that was pretty nor good. The story just tells the feelings of a traumatized women who arrived at his native village. IS THAT ALL?!? And her "tragic story". The "romance" and the decent design of the costumes could probably be the arguments of the movie to say it was "excellent". In fact the whole movie is a waste of time, sure you better see something else.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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