‘Sleeping Beauty’ DVD Review

Director: Julia Leigh

Cast: Emily Browning, Rachael Blake, Ewen Leslie

Plot: Struggling university Lucy holds a variety of jobs to get by – waitress, escort, even a lab rat. When she is offered large sums to enter into drug induced comas to provide company to wealthy old men she leaps at the chance.

Review: Anyone with ties to the Australian film industry has at one time or another looked at what is happening on screen and muttered to themselves “what the hell are they thinking?” Sometimes the funding goes to oddest projects, something that will celebrate Australia’s ‘true-blue’ spirit (The Castle), doubles as a tourist promotion (Australia) or somehow turn the desolate wasteland down-under into a cultural hub. This movie fits into the latter category with such determination that it almost gives itself a stress fracture.

Not that it isn’t a well shot film. The cinematography is quite remarkable and gives an artistically minded viewer will find plenty to enjoy in a careful study of the frame. Having quietly introduced the protagonist with a wonderfully subdued performance from Emily Browning – an actress who always seems on the cusp of making the A-List. The story is slow burn with the introduction of Lucy and her new job as a lingerie clad server at events for the wealthy generates a sense of intrigue as the audience waits to see where things are going.

The answer is, sadly, nowhere interesting. Lucy continues to struggle with a snippy landlord and a drug addled best friend but without any emotional investment in the characters none of it ever resonates with the viewer. When Lucy moves into the unusual job of drugging herself into a stupor so she can be fondled by old men things become downright disgusting to watch. Anyone who has rented the DVD for the sole purpose of seeing the unique young beauty Emily Browning naked will also have to stomach a foul, fully nude old man jamming his hand into her mouth while licking her face.

To fully credit Emily Browning she does put in a fantastic performance shown through an impassive face. Given what she gets subjected to during the ‘sleeping’ scenes, she is either actually drugged out of the mind or is the world champion at Musical Statues.

By the end of the movie, in spite of the artistry, you are left unsatisfied by the story and character arc, nauseated by the scenes and downright confused about what they were trying to accomplish.

Score: THREE outta TEN