My Brilliant Career Blu-ray offers solid video and audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
Judy Davis made her international breakthrough debut as Sybylla Melvyn, a free-spirited young
writer who refuses to conform to society's expectations of how a 'proper woman' should live her
life. Sam Neill co-stars as the wealthy suitor who tries to win her restless heart.
There's nothing quite like a well-made coming-of-age period film. The grandeur of the manmade
locales, the natural countryside wonders often surrounding them, and a diverse collection of
characters all modeling beautifully-realized costumes make for scene-chewing imagery at every
turn and often captivating glimpses into life, traditions, and mannerisms of an era long
since faded into the dusty pages of history. My Brilliant Career -- a 1979 Australian
picture, winner of a plethora of awards, and a 1981 Oscar nominee for Best Costume Design --
follows
the formula of a young woman in constant battle with the set ways of her world, but the film
reinforces its themes not through the veil of an aristocratic, stuffy setting but rather in the midst
of the dusty Australian Outback. Its protagonist eschews not only the sweeping
traditions meant to give purpose to her life but in reality only allow it to waste away, but she
rejects the very notion of true love that is often the catalyst for women in such stories to seek a
better life defined by freedom of choice rather than convenient or arranged couplings. In a way,
My Brilliant Career is itself a rebel amongst its peers, a film that features a superficially
similar story and structure but deeper under the veil appears a picture at odds with the very
notion of true love that defines most others of its kind.
Wastin' away again in Caddagat-a-ville.
A rebel for her time, a woman yearning to immerse herself in the arts rather settle down with a
well-to-do husband or live a life of servitude for the benefit of her family (she sees them as one
and the same), Sybylla Melvyn (Judy Davis A Passage to India)
has become nothing but a burden on her set-in-tradition mother. When she's rescued by an
invitation to come stay with her grandmother at Caddagat, she joyfully accepts the escape but
soon finds herself in a similar predicament where her life revolves around courting male visitors
and efforts to improve upon the ladylike demeanor she obviously lacks. Her gentleman caller, Mr.
Frank Hawdon (Robert Grubb) -- who openly speaks of Sybylla's plain looks -- finds his advances
rejected time and again; Sybylla has no interest in the man or his wealth, but instead wishes
only to continue to pursue her own dreams and in her own time. That's all thrown into chaos
when she meets Harry Beecham (Sam Neil, Event Horizon), a
handsome gentleman that catches her eye but is kept at arm's length through the command of
Sybylla's hardened heart and stalwart insistence on doing only what she wants and when she
wants to do it. Will Harry's presence have any effect on Sybylla's ways, or will she ultimately find
herself in a far worse position than married to a well-to-do gentleman?
The pressing question throughout My Brilliant Career is, "what is true love?" For Sybylla,
it isn't a man with a fortune to his name or a bunch of flowers in his hand, but rather personal
independence, freedom from outdated tradition, and an open road through which only she can
navigate. My Brilliant Career is a traditional story of a rebel, though it takes on a
different flavor than most through both its setting and the protagonist's absolute rejection of
romance and marriage as defined both by the modern world at large and days of old where
feelings of the heart were but an afterthought, a bonus to the perks of arranged marriages.
Indeed, Sybylla is described as possessing a "wildness of spirit," which in turn-of-the-century
Australia meant a rejection of tradition in favor of such outlandish pursuits as literature and the
arts. It's her wild spirit that plays central to the theme of the film. Despite her family's best
efforts, Sybylla cannot be transformed into a proper woman with an herbal face mask, a
manicure, and the proper clothing. Sybylla has evolved past the superficial; it's her heart and
soul, not her plain looks, which keep her from living a more traditional life. She cannot help but
to
reject all the world says she should be, and in one of the film's pivotal scenes -- after she's been
groomed, dressed, and courted by Mr. Hawdon -- she celebrates in a sudden downpour that
washes
it all away.
My Brilliant Career may remind genre aficionados of the recent Anne Hathaway film Becoming Jane, the
tale of a budding novelist caught up in tradition and romance in high society England, but the
similarities begin and end with the "aspiring novelist" angle. My Brilliant Career may not
enjoy the same high production values and glossy sheen of Becoming Jane, but it's
arguably a
superior picture considering its somewhat melancholic tone and focus on more real and accessible
characters that live not in England's finest but in the poorer regions of the Outback. My
Brilliant Career makes it simple to relate to its protagonist, both because of what she wants
and who she is. Frankly, she's a nobody, a woman out of time and caught in the inescapable
clutches of a world she flatly rejects but cannot escape, whether she lives with her mother or
grandmother. Likewise, the film's visual tone and somewhat slow pace reflect the doldrums of a
woman struggling to break free from tradition; Director Gillian Armstrong allows the film to
play for the camera rather than vice-versa, employing something of a minimalist technique in
both visuals and sound to reinforce the film's notion of a seemingly futile rebellion against the
ways of the world. Both the setting and seamless performances from its leads -- including a
breakout role from Judy Davis whose participation did indeed mark the beginning of her very own
"brilliant career" -- do all the heavy lifting in bringing a superficially simple yet thematically
complex picture to wonderful life.
My Brilliant Career features another quality 1080p transfer from Blue Underground.
Framed at 1.78:1, My Brilliant Career will likely disappoint viewers that disdain copious
amounts of grain; several scenes are swirling in a heavy field that lend to the image a raw
appearance, though through the majority of the picture it diminishes greatly, revealing a practically
clear and crisp high definition image. Detail is rich and handsome throughout. What's on display
here is not as pristine as what might be expected of a new release fresh from the local multiplex
and a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but the Australian Outback as seen in My
Brilliant Career sports a nice collection of images; the dusty and dirt-laden plains, wooden and
weathered fence posts and planks, tall grasses around Caddagat, straw hats, and other niceties
allow the transfer to come to sparkling life. Colors are stable and nicely rendered throughout, but
blacks tend to devour everything in their path. The image is generally sharp with only a few shots
going the slightest bit soft. Flesh tones appear nicely preserved, and aside from a few errant
speckles scattered about the film, My Brilliant Career makes for a nice, if not slightly
rough-around-the-edges, 1080p experience of a classic 30-year-old film.
My Brilliant Career arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. This isn't
exactly the sort of movie that's going to dazzle listeners with a full array of surround and subwoofer
activity, but the 7.1 track is a nice touch and does make for a more active and pleasant experience
than would a one- or two-channel presentation which would have suited the material just fine. The
lossless mix does do a fine job of immersing the listener in several scenes throughout; whether
heavy blowing winds or the soft, inviting keystrokes of a piano flowing through the soundstage
(even if it is focused up the middle), the track does all it can to open up the film and invite listeners
to soak up plenty of nuanced niceties that add to the atmosphere of the film. Elsewhere, the subtle
yet pleasant sounds of chirping birds, trotting horses, and a gently flowing stream lend a relaxing
tone to the film and are nicely realized on Blu-ray. Nevertheless, My Brilliant Career is a
dialogue-driven picture at its core, and save for a few words and phrases that might not
immediately stand out under thick accents or in the context of local colloquialisms, the spoken word
is generally clear and intelligible throughout. All said, My Brilliant Career covers all the sonic
bases and makes for a pleasing listen considering the general feel of the picture.
My Brilliant Career scripts several extras, the collection headlined by a commentary track
with Director Gillian Armstrong. She covers a wide array of topics, including the low budget, the
state of Australian filmmaking at the time of production, Judy Davis' performance and casting,
shooting locations, adapting the script from the Miles Franklin novel of the same name, production
design and shooting
techniques, and much more. Interview with Director Gillian Armstrong (480p, 8:15) and
Interview with Producer Margaret Fink (480p, 8:31) feature the cast members briefly
recalling
their experiences in working on the film and their thoughts on the story and its themes.
Cannes Film Festival Premiere Featuring Star Judy Davis, Director Gillian Armstrong, and
Producer Margaret Fink (480p, 2:21) is a vintage piece that briefly looks at the film's
importance as an Australian finalist for the Palme d'Or and contains brief interview clips with the
star, director, and producer. The Miles Franklin Story (480p, 4:04) provides a brief history
of the author whose story influenced the film. Also included is the film's U.S. and Australian trailers
(480p, 1:45 & 3:00, respectively).
A different and superior take on a timeless story of rebellion against tradition, My Brilliant
Career marks not only a milestone in Australian cinema and a wonderfully realized film that
captures the very essence of what it means to reject set ways in favor of one's own pursuits, but it
also represents Actress Judy Davis' breakthrough picture that would place her on a path that would
indeed lead her to her own brilliant career as a praised and noted actress. This Blue Underground
release is certainly not of the same style as the studio's traditional Horror output, but the same
quality found in their previous Blu-ray releases is also evident here. My Brilliant Career
features a strong technical presentation and a decent assortment of extras. Though not a film for
all tastes, particularly those that are generally in-line with the typical Blue Underground release,
My Brilliant Career nevertheless comes recommended.
Blue Underground has announced that they will bring the Australian drama 'My Brilliant Career' to Blu-ray on November 24th. Starring Oscar-nominee Judy Davis, this film will be presented in 1.78:1 1080p VC-1 video accompanied by a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound ...
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