Hannah Zhou

Intriguing plot and characters but an abrupt change of style/tone The plot of the movie is highly unpredictable and clever in certain aspects. The dialogue between the characters was witty and entertaining. I liked Hugo Weaving's character: the cross-dressing sergeant. He had one of the more dynamic evolutions, with a humorous redemption scene. It was suspenseful in uncovering the truth about the death of Stewart Pettyman. On another note, the relationship between Kate Winslet's character, Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage, and Liam Hemsworth's character, Teddy, was shaped pretty well. It was not rushed and was drawn out throughout the movie. However, it didn't evolve that much on Teddy's side. His character seemed to like Tilly for her looks more than her personality. It was mainly Tilly finally giving in to Teddy's seductions. But Tilly's relationship with her mother, played by Judy Davis, was compelling. They both had lost connection with each other, but by the end of the movie, they finally found each other and became each other's supporters. Although the movie had a good start, it turned from a more light-hearted drama to a dark tragedy a little abruptly. In the 2nd half of the movie suddenly everyone was dying, and there was not for a clear reason. My heart was filled with remorse when one of the major characters died. However, I initially did not believe that the character had died because of the light-hearted tone of 1st half of the movie. Overall, this is an entertaining movie, but prepare yourself for some death.