Description: Though she followed it with a string of brilliant films, Jane Campion will always be remembered for the shock and delight of her stunning debut feature, Sweetie. Campion focuses her askew, discerning lens on the hazardous relationship between the buttoned-down, superstitious Kay and her rampaging, devil-may-care sister, 'Sweetie,' and by extension, their entire family’s profoundly rotten roots. A feast of distinctly framed photography and captivating, idiosyncratic characters, Sweetie heralded the emergence of this enormously gifted director as well as the breakthrough of Australian cinema, which would take international film by storm in the Nineties.
Amazon.com: Chock full of director Jane Campion's trademark sensitivity, her debut, Sweetie, is slyly emotional without sentimentality. In this family drama, Kay (Karen Colston) stars as a prudish, confused loner, who chooses her mate, Louis (Tom Lycos), based on the shape of the mole on his face. As a couple, they lack passion, due to Kay's fear of the erotic. Once her mentally ill sister, Dawn, a.k.a. Sweetie (Genevieve Lemon) comes to visit, the viewer understands that Kay's temperance has evolved out of her wish to tame her wild sister. As Kay's parents weather turbulence, and after Sweetie suffers a tragic fate, Kay's happiness becomes less and less tangible, until she realizes the basic human need for love. Campion embellishes this story of disconnection with camera shots that feel lonesome; a scene in which Kay and Louis swim is shot from across the body of water, at the water's eye level. An old-fashioned setting, at least in Kay's home, mocks the idea of a functional nuclear family. On every level, Sweetie is crafted by its tone, one of melancholy infused with hope, making it not only Campion's best film, but also a clear selection for the Criterion Collection. --Trinie Dalton
Sweetie is the type of comedy I would write if I wrote comedies-- relentlessly black, full of subversive moments, and deeply, deeply twisted. Barrel of monkeys? I scoff at your fun!
Kay (Karen Colston) is rather mousy, introverted, and not terribly happy in her relationship with Louis (Tom Lycos), whom she lands after consulting a fortune-teller. Not the best start to a relationship, one would think (and one would be right). Still, Kay and Louis are content, in their own miserable way, until Sweetie shows up. Sweetie (Genevieve Lemon) is Kay's younger sister, and she's well, I believe the technical term is "crazy as a loon". No one but Kay, however, seems capable of seeing this; her parents just see her as slightly eccentric, though still their darling baby daughter. Louis is oddly entranced by her. Gordon (Jon Darling), ... Read More
Rating: - Thanks Again, Criterion!
Once again, the Criterion Collection's given us a marvelous DVD transfer of a wonderful film that had rather fallen through the cracks -- in this case, Jane Campion's haunting feature debut, SWEETIE. Odd and intensely personal, the picture's full of striking images (particularly brilliant use of color in the set design), camera angles that are unusual without feeling forced, subversive comic writing, a wonderful soundtrack and, not least, fearless performances from a talented cast. This is the kind of movie that has such strong interior logic, the audience willingly follows where it leads, no matter how bizarre or unexpected the destination proves to be. I'd vividly remembered many scenes of SWEETIE since seeing it theatrically in its original release; experiencing Campion's vision again today is just as strong. The usual superior Criterion touches -- fascinating commentary and student works from this director, ... Read More
Rating: - A story about a mentally ill woman
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
Sweetie, written and directed by award winning filmmaker, Jane Campion best known for the film "The Piano" is the story about a young couple in a distant relationship. One day the womans mentally ill sister Dawn "Sweetie" breaks into their house and lives with them. She is not on her medication and creates havoc. When her father visits after his wife leaves him, he tries to calm her but is unsuccessful.
It is never mentioned what kind of illness Dawn has. I thought the film was too graphic and recommend eaisliy offended people not watch it.
The DVD has some great special features. There is a theatrical trailer, behind the scenes photos, audio commentary by director Jane Campion and director of photography, Sally Bongers and screenwriter Gerard Lee. There are interviews with lead actresses, Genevieve Lemon and ... Read More
Rating: - She's Not As Sweet As Her Name Might Suggest
"Sweetie" is here! A Criterion treatment! The first time I saw "Sweetie" was purely by accident. It was before Jane Campion went on to make better known, bigger budget films--this film was her feature debut in Australia. And while I respect many of her works including "The Piano" and "An Angel At My Table", I don't have the passion for them that I do for this oddball of a movie. Part of the joy of seeing "Sweetie" for the first time was having no expectations. The film surprised me in every regard--it's wickedly funny, yet horrifying and moving at the same time. A few years ago, I found it again and I made my friends watch it, too. I was concerned it might not hold up to memory, but that feeling was short-lived as soon as the wondrous Genevieve Lemon came onscreen as Sweetie.
"Sweetie" is a film that really explores the notion of family. As the titular character, Sweetie is a powerful presence whose ... Read More
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- A story about a mentally ill woman
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