Courbyne Bufford

The Dressmaker, a period piece that at times made you forget and often question the times which you were engaging with. Set in rural Australia, Winslet plays a seamstress who comes back to her town of Gungatar to visit her ailing , if not a little batty mother in a quest to not only reconnect but to also wreck havoc on the adults who were responsible for not only her exile but also the mistreatment and shaming of her mother. With beautiful costumery, The Dressmaker is visually stunning if not a little confusing at times. As Tilly Dunnage (Winslet) sets out to right some wrongs and find the truth, she at times seems to be wanting to earn the approval of those around her by making clothes for them and changing the spirit of the town. Tilly throughout the movie is pursued by a childhood friend Teddy who seeks to win Tilly’s heart, take her away from the town and all it’s horrible judgment and never return. The movie comes to a head as Tilly all at once learns the truth about the past and loses not one but two loved ones somewhat too abruptly. In the end the truth is found out by all and Tilly walks away from the rubble of Gungatar feeling finally vindicated after taking away what mattered most to the town and its people: a false sense of class and prestige, relationships and homes. The Dressmaker wand an entertaining movie filled with interesting character developments which were at time shallow. What it gives in terms of romance, it just as quickly takes it away with no build up or reason leaving the audience to look on in frustration circa Nicholas Sparks style. That being said, Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth’ chemistry is endearing and at times reps the movie going and the audience wanting more.