It has always perplexed me why this film remains largely unheard of, whilst other, lesser Australian productions before it (e.g. "Strictly Ballroom", "Muriel's Wedding") went on to gain lasting international acclaim. The basic plot of "Thank god he met Lizzie" is deceptively simple - Guy (Richard Roxburgh) meets Lizzie (Cate Blanchett); they have a whirlwind romance and are married within six months, two people seemingly made for each other. But nothing in this film is as straightforward as it first seems, and - as the wedding night slowly unfolds - we learn that Guy has had a past relationship in his life with Jenny (Frances O'Connor) that haunts him still. As we discover more and more about Guy, Lizzie and Jenny, this film looks at what it means to be happy - and asks whether we can ever recognise happiness until it's gone.
The three leads, O'Connor, Roxburgh and Blanchett all give strong and credible performances. Roxburgh and O'Connor especially create an amazing dramatic tension as their relationship unfolds in flashbacks, and credit must be given to O'Connor for her reading of Jenny, a character who gradually moves from simple naivety to heartbreaking sensibility. The other minor characters are perhaps a who's who of Australian cinema in the '90s, but there a few if any stock caricatures here, and all provide strong support. The direction by first-time director Cherie Nowlan is brilliant, making subtle use of hand-held camera work for the most intimate moments of Guy and Jenny's failed relationship in a way that is astonishingly sympathetic and tender.
This is a film that is at times humorous, at times thoughtful, at times shocking but always powerful. Nothing is quite resolved until the final lines, and there is a poignancy that envelopes it which lasts long after the final scene has faded away. Highly recommended.
