The Dish
|
Our Price: $58.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $17.05 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Dish
Movie Review: Superb!
Summary: 5 Stars
Easily my favourite Aussie movie.
The original score, soundtrack and cast performances are all outstanding, and the final scenes, where the Dish finally picks up the TV signal from the moon and starts transmitting, brings a tear my eye every time.
The humour is very Australian. Having read a few other reviews on this site, I see that our American cousins have a bit of trouble with it, but that is understandable - Aussie humour is very subtle and understated.
"Halt, who goes there..." shouts the security guard... a few seconds pause and "Bhaaaaaa..." replies the sheep - it cracks me up every time I see that.
And another...
"How do you think they go to the toilet up there?" asks one bloke. "Don't know, maybe they hold on to it..." says a second bloke. A third bloke looks at the rock-cake he is eating and says "Maybe they should try eatin' one of these... it'll block 'em up for a week..." - classic!
One minor disappointment is that, having bought a copy of The Dish from Amazon, I see that the US DVD release is slightly different from the Australian release. The US release doesn't have many special features - the Aussie version is packed with extra actual footage and documentaries - but most upsetting was that the US version has two scenes removed, both involving the mayor's daughter.
In the "party" scene, the radical daughter is talking to another guest (an old man with a grey beard) and she is criticising the US for waisting money on the space program. Both scenes are actually very funny, but I suppose the US distributors didn't like the idea of having any scenes where Americans are criticised... a pity realy, as removing those scenes does detract from the whole experience.
Anyway, believe me, you will love this film.
Movie Review: A Wonderful Dish, Well Served
Summary: 5 Stars
If the Right Stuff was the epic story of the Space Program on a grand scale, then The Dish is the reduction of the story of the Apollo 11 landing to a very human scale. It centers around the role that a radio telescope in Australia played in receiving and relaying the actual television pictures from Apollo 11 to the Earth, and on the few people who actually struggled to get it done. In a very quiet but moving way, it portrays how Apollo 11 did 'come in peace for all mankind', unifying humanity in a positive way as no other event in my lifetime. Sam Neil is absolutely at the peak of his fine acting abilities as the telescope's director, combining his dedication to the mission with a bittersweet sadness at the loss of his wife, and is supported by excellent performances by the cast. The directing and editing are so subtle as to make one forget it is a dramatization, and involve us in all these frail heroes. There is the initial misunderstanding and distrust between the NASA controller and the telescopes three primary Australian crew, and the artful way that Sam Neil's character overcomes it could serve as a leadership and crisis managment primer in any college curriculum.
Inevitable political grandstanding of the event and the small city of Parkes' role in it are sent up in gentle humor. One of the most elegant aspect's of this lovely "small" movie is that all of the characters are so deftly made real, and there are no shoddy charicatures.
This is a great tribute to Australian film making. If you are looking for a movie that will rejuvinate your faith in humans' ability to work together, this is it.
The visual and sound quality of the DVD are very fine, with a trailer and limited cast information as the only special features.
Movie Review: Comedic Gem!
Summary: 5 Stars
This film, although critically aclaimed, does not (yet?) have the following it deserves! Based on actual events, and very suitable for family viewing (even educational!), THE DISH is a warmhearted look at how a small town in Australia deals with having a world-wide spotlight focused on it while dealing with technical upheavals.
The event is America's first lunar landing. The satellite dish of the title is located in the middle of a sheep paddock in rural Australia, and is the only one of a handful of facilities capable of relaying video footage from the moon. Admittedly, this sounds pretty small now, but in 1969, this was heady stuff. The DISH personnel, the townspeople, the VIPs who flooded in for the occasion are all wonderfully represented.
Sam Neill heads a cast of character actors all of whom turn in perfect performances. Patrick Warburton, known as Agent T in Men in Black II - among other roles, is terrific as the NASA 'expert' regarded by the locals as a stuffed shirt. And the scenes of the crew playing cricket are priceless.
I rented THE DISH for two reasons: I well remember the moon landing, and I enjoy watching Sam Neill work. I was very pleased on both counts. It may remain a 'best kept secret' in an age when films seem to be bent on outdoing each other with action, gore, and special effects. I sincerely hope not - this is worth watching more than once.
Overall, the film - which does have a few tense moments - is a gem that depicts ordinary people reacting to some very extraordinary circumstances. It's gentle comedy makes its point. Low key? Yes. Boring? NO! It's nice to see the good guys finish FIRST!
Movie Review: Delightful story that puts things in perspective
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie turned out to be an unexpected pleasure that put a local dish issue into perspective and caused me to buy the movie to share with neighbors. I live in a country neighborhood where no broadband or cable service is available. We have a covenant related to satellite dish visibility, but since it is a densely wooded neighborhood, residents may have limited options for dish placement, which can make tempers flair. The opening scene of this movie is pure delight as an aged Sam Neill walks down a tree lined country lane not unlike ours to revisit the spot of his past achievement and we are greeted with the most shockingly huge satellite dish most of us will ever see. It was a sensational opening and it immediately made our local dish concern seem small by comparison.
The story of the film is a fictionalized true story about a quiet little Australian town, completely unused to the limelight, finding themselves a critical part of the Apollo 11 moon landing event because of their dish, and thanks to them we all saw the 'small step for man'. What a charming way to remind us of all the regular people that make up these larger than life events. They do their best, they make mistakes, they hold their collective breath hoping things work out and they learn to take themselves a little less seriously. What a great lesson.
I found it a feel-good, uplifting movie especially good for the holiday season. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: A Perfect Little Film
Summary: 5 Stars
Most of us who were over 5 years old at the time, remember where they were when Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. This monumentally emotional moment for mankind, albeit thoroughly superfluous scientific achievement, is the background for this beautifully constructed film. The thing that makes this film so special is the fact that there isn't a character that appears on screen that you don't care about, regardless how small the role. That takes true writing and directing talent!
The entire small town of Parks, New South Wales, Australia is all atwitter, because their radio observatory dish has been chosen to be NASA's official link to the Apollo 11 mission in the southern hemisphere. The mayor's wife comments, while serving her joint of lamb, that man being moments away from landing on the moon makes their problems seem mundane... That's the beauty of the film, you care so much about these people; their problems are anything but mundane - you cheer-on the techno-nerd asking the town beauty to go out with him; you ache inside because the head of the observatory lost his wife a year ago and she can't be there to revel in his glory; you love the fact that the out-of-place NASA official is the only one who realizes that all the mayor's rebellious teenage daughter really needs to chill-out is an ounce of respect.
This is the best kind of feel-good film. An absolute jewel that you'll want to watch more than just once.