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| THE INCREDIBLE
JOURNEY OF MARY BRYANT |
Distributor:
Visual Entertainment Group
Certificate: M
Available to buy
Director: Peter Andrikidis
Extras: Yes
ANYONE
IN IT WE KNOW?
Romola
Garai, Alex O'Lachlan, Jack Davenport, Stephan Curry, Tony Martin, David
Field, Garry McDonald and Sam Neill
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WHAT’S
IT ABOUT THEN?
With
its budget hitting some $15
million dollars The Incredible
Journey of Mary Bryant is a true
epic in every sense of the word
and in the classic vein of such
legendary mini series as Against
The Wind and Sara Dane. Romala
Garai plays the title of Mary
Bryant, a young woman who has to
fight for her freedom of not
just herself but her young
family in the earliest days of
Australian history.
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Stunning
to look at and a great story Mary Bryant was seen on Channel Ten earlier
this year and definitely deserved its AFI Award for best telefeature or
mini series (the series was also nominated for six other AFI's), hugely
emotional the story charts Mary's tale from being sentenced in England
to transportation to Australia through incredible hardships (Mary gives
birth whilst on board the boat having been raped in prison) to marriage
and more children before an escape plan sends her bound to hang on a
ship back to England. Heart racing stuff and even more so knowing that
its all true, Mary Bryant is a well known figure from the days of the
first fleet, not just in Australia but also back in England where the
public outcry about her story was major.
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It's
certainly stunning to look at, director
Peter Andrikidis capturing the
period to perfection, Romola Garai occasionally seems a little too soft
in her looks but overall does a brilliant job bringing Mary to life,
Jack Davenport seems to be making a habit of playing staid captains these
days but as always he has a touch of quality about him, the strongest
scenes in the production coming when his relationship with Mary moves to
something more intimate (despite the fact that he is part of her escape
plans!); Sam Neill also crops up as Governor Arthur Phillip who is at
odds with Captain Clarke's reformist ideas.
Strong,
hugely watchable and in the best of classic Australian TV, the kind of
mini series we seem to excel, The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant is
first rate.
ANY
SPECIAL FEATURES?
This
two disc features an illuminating commentary from director Andrikidis.
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