Brilliant Lies Movie Review

Richard Franklin's Brilliant Lies is talky and stage-bound, feeling much longer than its 93-minute running time. Susy Conner (Strictly Ballroom's Gia Carides) is a definite target of Gary Fitzgerald's (Anthony LaPaglia) sexual harassment, or is she? She asks sister Katie (Gia's real-life sister, Zoe) to back up her version of events, but Katie recalls that some of the events Susy describes actually happened to them both as children abused by their father, Brian (Ray Barrett). The script buys into most of the commonly accepted myths about harassment allegations: that mercenary women lie, that child molesters grow old and can be let off the hook for the sake of family harmony, that no one is truly innocent so everyone is somewhat guilty, and a lot of other rubbish that a good cast can't redeem. (Cast Note: Gia Carides and Anthony LaPaglia are real-life husband and wife.)

1996 93m/C AU Gia Carides, Anthony LaPaglia, Zoe Carides, Ray Barrett, Michael Veitch, Neil Melville, Catherine Wilkin, Grant Tilly; D: Richard Franklin; W: Richard Franklin, Peter Fitzpatrick; C: Geoff Burton; M: Nevida Tyson-Chew. Nominations: Australian Film Institute ‘95: Best Actress (Carides), Best Supporting Actor (Barrett), Best Supporting Actress (Carides). VHS