User reviews

Who knew Hannibal Lector could be so subtly funny and filled with pathos. Hopkns turns in a marvelous role of the efficiency consultant who thinks nothing of recommending that half a work force be fired for better profits. Then he visits a down and out shoe company and meets his match in the Mendelshohn and Kurts characters and the rest of their workmates. Indeed, Kurts steals the film as the owner who lives back then and hopes that his efficiency expert can get him and his factory into the modern era, but does not expect it to be as brutal and painful as it is.

Kudos to all. If you want a droll comedy that gives remarkable insight into the human dilemma, rent this. You will not regret it. In closing, pay close attention to how Hopkins portrays a plethora of emotions with only his facial and non verbal reactions. He is a genius!

The Efficiency Expert is a very average film, and had much potential. However, it did not meet up to what it could have been. A feel good comedy, which stirs a warm feeling in the beginning, but rather boring as it progresses. Several well known actors star in this film, Anthony Hopkins, Russell Crowe, Ben Mendelson, and Toni Collette, which is possibly enough to stir an interest in this movie. But it can be assured, your attention may drift, and it would not be worth your time.

It's not that difficult to understand because it is Australian, but just hard to keep your eyes open. Using several tropes and following two characters, it was easy to follow but rather a bore. The acting was good, the dialogue was fine. However, it was hard to take a liking to any of the main characters, Mr Wallace or Carey, the visual aesthetic was nothing special, and the plot was remarkably weak. The meaning of the film, is relevant in society, but it did not have impact. The tropes on love and decisions made the film predictable.

The film had potential, but could have been a lot stronger. I would not recommend to anyone unless someone has some time and are okay with being bored a little, or is eager to see a average Aussie movie with some familiar names.

I'd praise this film as one of the better efforts of the Australian film industry, if it wasn't abundantly clear that it depends on the subtle, low key acting of Anthony Hopkins to anchor it in anything like plausibility. Everyone else in it is a bit too broad in their character depictions, and generally speaking the smaller their part, the broader their acting. The burgeoning talent of Russell Crowe and Toni Collette is evident however, and these early roles are ones they never need to be ashamed of. The Australianness of the factory employees may be somewhat exaggerated, and their business conduct pretty disgraceful, but the film does succeed in depicting them as rather loveable. There is a tension between the need of businesses to make money to be sustainable, and the reality that they are a big part of people's lives. In the end the tension is unresolved. Does anyone really think it is feasible for Ball's to turn around and make a profit? It is and is likely to remain a sheltered workshop, while the money lasts. I enjoyed the film, particularly the 60s setting. I really don't think that there were long upright handlebar bikes like Carey's around then, though. Boys rode bikes with the handlebars spiraled downward.

This film shows us a slice of Australian work life as globalisation takes over. The workers in a small shoe factory, having grown up with the "job for life" paradigm, are examined by an efficiency expert called in by the boss, a man who wants to "modernise" without cutting staff.

Many well-known Australian actors appear in this film. It is a gentle and sympathetic look at the effects of economic change. The film also has comic moments where adolescent boys try to ask out a good-looking girl without much success.

This film is not a "must-see", but it passes the time acceptably.

The Welsh actor, Anthony Hopkins, stars in "Spotswood" ("The Efficiency Expert"), a film set in the suburbs of Melbourne. In addition, a couple Aussie actors in the film later went on to great fame in Hollywood (Toni Collette and Russell Crowe).

A moccasin factory owner has engaged an efficiency expert, Errol Wallace (Hopkins), to evaluate his facility and make suggestions as to modernizing and making the place more productive. Errol is surprised to see LOTS of employees wasting time and an odd family-like atmosphere....and I don't mean 'family-like' in a good way. This is because everything is so lax and inefficient. However, before he can even release the results of his study, rumors of massive layoffs create a very tense atmosphere. What's next? See the story for yourself.

This is a gentle, deliberately paced film. Now to some, you might read this as 'boring'...but it certainly isn't. Instead, it's a sweet little story...especially once Errol sees something he didn't see the first time he looked at the factory. Nice acting, nice story.

I enjoyed this largely for the locations. The story is a bit contrived to be a kind of Ealing comedy of the 90s, but the actors handle it with energy and humor.

Spotswood, also known as The Efficiency Expert, stars Anthony Hopkins in the lead role, as a systems analyst (efficiency expert), who generally comes into a company and recommends various re-organization of various production procedures and other issues.

As the film so graphically shows, there is more than one way to increase productivity. Job losses may or may not be absolutely necessary to achieve superior economic performance.

There are more humane methods of re-enderizing a company that is struggling in the competitive arena than just reducing the work force. New product lines, better market placement, and re-inventing older products are among new methods that retain full employment of existing personnel. It sometimes even creates new jobs and eventual expansion. Ms Rigg gives an excellent performance, and a young Russel Crowe shows why he would go on to be a star in the near future. The film is amusing, but seems to be a bit too pat and cute at times. However, the principle of dealing with existing work forces in a more humane manner is the principle that saves the film.

I don't remember the last time I couldn't bear to watch a film the whole way through. Normally I give the director the benefit of the doubt and stick with an unpromising movie to see if it least has a decent ending, but this film was just so utterly dull that I just couldn't bring myself to watch any more. Lackluster acting - even from Anthony Hopkins (what was he thinking?) - uninspired direction, and a script lacking just about everything, especially humor. I cannot recommend this movie at all.

This movie is very uneven. Parts of it are clear and entertaining. Other scenes are confusing, or a bit too hostile, or a bit too stupid.

There is a sentimentality which permeates most of the scenes about the Ball shoe factory. This helps one get through silly situations, and ones which seem to make no sense.

If 15 minutes were expertly cut out of this thing, it would be a lot more watchable, and interesting. I am sure that if I was Australian, I might understand more of what was happening (and why). So, if you are down under, I can heartily endorse this to you.

I was attracted to watch this because of the cast: Anthony Hopkins, Toni Collette, among others. The only character I believed was Toni Collette, but this could well be because I don't get the Aussie way-of-life.

The Australians have always been great with these kind of movies, feel good comedies. Probably more so than the Americans ever have been, and in part, I think it is because any sort of conflict never really appears as such. Somehow, even when things go wrong, the effect is so neutral, or at least not so bad, that you know things are going to work out. Cosi and The Castle are two recent examples that I can think of. And, funny enough, these are movies that Toni Collette usually shows up in.

This is the story of a British efficiency expert (Anthony Hopkins) hired by an Australian shoe maker (Alwyn Kurts) to assess the progress of his Mocassin factory. What initially appears to be a standard job, turns out to be a lesson in compassion and common sense as the efficiency expert befriends the people who have worked nearly thirty years in the factory.

Our subtext is that of a love story when a young man named Carey (Ben Mendelsohn) is eager to date the boss's rather arrogant daughter, Cheryl (Rebecca Riggs), who is not interested, and is in fact, involved with a sleazy coworker (a very young Russel Crowe). Although, it is one of those stories where it is obvious that the fellow is overlooking the perfect girl for him (Toni Collette, who Mendelsohn also co-stars with in 'Cosi').

It is a sweet comedy, and one you'll likely enjoy if you have been satisfied with other recent Australian feel-good comedies. It's quite a nice, funny little film with great performances all around.

SPOTSWOOD, which, in American release, is called THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT, is a rewarding movie for those who pay attention. I've watched it three times in the last three nights and liked it more each time. Briefly, Anthony Hopkins plays one of these guys who goes from company to company telling management how costs can be cut. It being Anthony Hopkins, you know he's going to look calm and cool while hating what he's doing. (Think of MEET JOE BLACK.) If you've seen the Ealing comedies from the 50s you'll see that SPOTSWOOD is much in the mode of those. The best part of this movie is its focus on the factory Hopkins visits. The characters are droll, but relatively realistic, and, of course, you don't want Hopkins to cause them the misfortune he seems poised to introduce into their lives. The movie is a bit weak in relating the story of Carey (Ben Mendelsohn), a young machinist who worships the boss's daughter from afar. Given that this is a comedy about workers versus big money, the love triangle almost derails the satire (enter Toni Collete as the saintly factory girl Ben Mendelsohn keeps ignoring.) In any case, even in its weak spots it's so well-acted (dig Russell Crowe as an up-and-coming shark) that it holds your interest. There is a really great scene of pure cinema. This is a slot-car race, filled with suspense and laughter. I have yet to see an Australian movie that didn't have at least one almost impossible-to-film moment. The land that gave us 90-some minutes of almost-impossible-to-film moments (that's THE ROAD WARRIOR, of course) offers a marvelous mini-moment in this scene. There is at least one great sight gag ("Don't turn the key until I tell you...") and some very moving moments led by Alwyn Kurts as the owner of the targeted factory. This is a very well-made, amusing motion picture. Also, check out Hopkins in one scene in close-up, when he's laying down his cynical law to Alwyn Kurts. He's got the back of his hand just under his own jaw-bone, and he's moving it in a sawing action. It reminded me of Brando in APOCALYPSE NOW.

I have just used this film to show the effects of a taylorist management style to my year 12 Business management students. Spotswood captures the problems involved in treating workers as just another resource to be exploited, very succinctly. I just loved the employees of this factory. They were all quite typical of Australians of this period, with names I haven't heard for years, like Wendy, Shirley and Cheryl! Their refusal to see the value in the efficiency improvements foisted upon them simply because they were so human, and needed to socialise neatly demonstrated just what is wrong with scientific management practice. I think this movie should be compulsory viewing for all Australians in view of the new industrial relations laws recently passed by the Howard government. Spotswood shows us just the type of community that we are losing as individualism becomes the dominant philosophy in society. In short spotswood neatly illustrated to my students concepts and theories that had been presented in class.

Even thinking briefly of this film and I end up humming this tune all day just like Carey's Dad. If you love films which are truly character-driven and sublime in the details, then this film will delight you. You may even begin to see the romance in sitting looking out over an oil refinery or the expertise demanded for racing slot-cars. What a little gem.

As an American who lived in Australia for about 3 years, I found that this film captured a lot of "Australianisms" that are hard to pinpoint, but are definitely from the Australian culture and different than the US culture. Probably the most noticeable to me was the worker vs management mentality that is so much more exaggerated in Oz. One of the most ironic things I found about their culture was how much they protested that, unlike England, there was no class system down under. But, to me as an outsider it seemed very class driven but instead of upper and lower classes they were blue collar and white collar.

Overall a touching film which I always wonder how much is going right over the heads of Americans.

Although this film is about the upheavals in Australia in the 60s, it could easily be reset in the mid to late-2000s with the economic upheaval that the US has been having as well. Companies having a person coming in to re-evaluate what they are doing to find the efficiency leaks/breaks that are causing the company to lose more money than gain, based upon 3 rules that he tells later in the movie.

Anthony Hopkins was the bad guy just in 1991, a year before this movie, and he does the same in this film, but less than a resident evil that he did in the prior movie. You can see the struggles his character is having while playing the bad guy at the company and reporting to the head of the company changes that needs to be made. You almost feel sorry for Anthony Hopkin's character to have to make these life-changing decisions that affect so many other folks lives and livelihoods.

Seeing it now in 2014 (almost 25 years later), it's interesting seeing that Anthony Hopkins stays true to form to his classic Anthony Hopkins self. No disappointment there; how could anything go wrong seeing him in the movies?

BTW, their wardrobes are classic 60s and loved the lady in pink (from head to toe), even with the pink lipstick.

I first happened apon this movie during the lunchtime movie show around here. I missed bits here and there and promised myself I would get out the video. When I did, I was not dissapointed!

Set in a small inner city suburb, called Spotswood, the comedy is based on a small company which is slowly going under. They hire Mr Wallace (Anthony Hopkins) to come in and assess the situation.

What follows is a deep, but fascinating look into the workings of a small shoe factory...

What I love so much about this movie are the actors. There are so many noticable australian actors playing in this movie. You instantly feel comfortable and apart of the atmosphere.

From the very start, the movie engrosses you, and its great. The slot car race scene is great, as is the relationship between Carey and Cheryl.

Don't miss this if you like Aussie comedies. Fits right in there with great films such as The Big Steal and Cosi.

i bought this at a dollar store along with some other pretty good DVD double features,the efficiency expert and Eliza's horoscope which i have'nt seen yet.i took a look at the cast and said looks like a good movie.Anthony Hopkins,Russell crowe,Toni Collette,and Angela punch McGregor who i knew from the movie;the island 1980.anyway they send efficiency expert(Hopkins)out to a moccasin factory to check how its being run.and he gets to know all the workers and their lives and such. Russell crowe and Toni Collette both in early roles.Anthony Hopkins is a great actor and makes the movie interesting,its take on a small factory and the people that work there.but for a buck its a real bargain.as double features go sometimes one is good the other not too good,not always the case.but if you venture into a dollar store,look through the dollar dvds.you may find some good ones like i did. i give efficiency expert 8 out of 10.good movie.

Mark Joffe started out directing television, as well as horror and action films of rather questionable quality. This is the first of four films he has directed of very much the same tone, which is to say - dramatic comedies with multiple main characters, all of which are slightly eccentric. Those other three films are "Cosi" (1996), "The MatchMaker" (1997), and "The Man Who Sued God" (2001). This film is probably the one with the most depth. Characters here have moments of such true comedic and dramatic expression. Even the strangest of the bunch seem like real humans.

Anthony Hopkins is the real unexpected pleasure here. You rarely see him in comedies. Actually, I can't remember ever seeing him in a comedy before now. Certain passages in "The World's Fastest Indian" is about the closest it gets. There's a number of minor roles filled by some of my favorite actors. New Zealander actor Bruno Lawrence is always a pleasure to see. A young Toni Collette, Russell Crowe and Ben Mendelsohn are fascinating so early in their respective careers.

On the whole, "The Efficiency Expert" (the title I saw it under) is a light film. But it's the commitment to acting talent and dramatic truth that gives it a little more guts. I'm glad I saw it.

Errol Wallace's wife, Caroline, perfectly played by Angela Punch McGregor, delivers that turning point line and sums up the plot. Bottom line focused efficiency expert finally sees the people whose lives his career of recommendations affect and unwittingly saves his own marriage in the process.

Some might say "slow and plodding", but then they'd be missing the point. Layers of character development compactly delivered in 90-some minutes contradict that sentiment. No one does it better than Sir Anthony. Reminiscent of Merchant and Ivory's "Howard's End" but set in 1969 in Victoria Australia's working district of Spotswood a few kilometers from Melbourne, Hopkins again makes his measured character riveting more by acting than by dialog. For instance the look on his face is priceless while not being overplayed when, after asking Caroline to get him an "axe handle or something heavier", fearing a second labor retaliation on their home, she brings him a flimsy lady's umbrella.

To paraphrase another reviewer, "Quite a little gem."

It has been quite a while since I saw The Efficiency Expert on VHS. I liked it at the time but it was so relatively unknown I couldn't get a copy from any library or video store despite years of trying. Then I happened across it in a DVD discount bin and snapped it up.

I think this movie started me down the road to further enjoyable Aussie film viewing, including The Dish. Like The Dish, this movie has a different pace (wildly different) than most North American movies -- a natural, delightful, unpretentious, genuine pace that no doubt had kept it from most people's tellys. Can't be watching anything to rational now, can we.

Well today was a third viewing and even better than the first two. This could be due to my political enjoyment of this movie. And how wonderful that George Orwell's name is dropped during the feature -- missed that the first time.

In an age where the iron fist is revealed more each day, it is incredibly important to take a moment to, er, smell the stock car races.

Get this movie. Support people who care.

Yes this is an Australian film, and it is entertaining and fun in that regard. Also seeing Russell Crowe in one of his earliest films is fun. But this film is ultimately about values. What is important to you? What is important in life? This very disconnected man (Hopkins) is good at his job. Very good. He is an efficiency expert. Which is also a euphemism for; he's hired to look for the the least 'productive' people because the company that hired him is about to lay some of them off. (all workers should take notice!). He understands that when his job is complete, and the layoffs announced, he'd best get out of the way, maybe out of town. Then he runs into this little moccasin company where, if truth be told, none of them are very efficient in their jobs. But, is that all there is to life?

This movie, Spotswood (aka The Efficiency Expert) is a good movie. I can't say less or more on that one. I could say this gave a "boost" for one or more actors and actresses in this film. Russell Crowe (Gladiator, LA Confidential) played a quite different role as a snobbish two-faced brat, Kim Barry. Hopkins portrayed Mr. Wallace, and doesn't have quite the dialogue of Silence of the Lambs, but more facial expressions than words.

You will not regret watching this movie! Believe me. This happens to have a very excellent story line. I do believe though, that if this were a book, it would have been a bit better, since there was so much in the film that could have been described more accurately than in the movie.

Please take the time to sit down and watch this film. You never know- you could enjoy it!

I saw this film in 1992 at the Cinema Arts in Huntington , New York. I have it on video. I viewed it last night for the first time in 4 years. It is a nice simple story of change. How change effects people. How simple things could be deceiving. I love Anthony Hopkins in this. I originally saw it because Russell Crowe is in it. He was excellent in "Proof" directed by Joclyn Moorehouse. He was excellent in that as he was in this. I loved the character of the father . How he states that his children are the most important thing to him. There are some real gems here. Well worth the look some 12 years later. Each of the performances are excellent. I realize this is not the film for everyone. It is not flashy, there is no explosions. The appeal is in th simple story .

This was a pretty good comedy that has its moments. Fairly light, sometimes silly, good lines...about what you'd expect from this genre. I liked it (because I love Anthony Hopkins and Bruno Lawrence), and you might like it if you are in the right frame of mind.

** 1/2 out of ****

This falls under the "screwball" type comedy as an efficiency expert examines a shoe factory. He finds a bunch of oddballs. I think this was funny and a good timepiece, set in 1960s Australia with a good cast. (Anthony Hopkins, Bruno Lawrence, Russell Crowe, etc.) I loved the scenes in the factory and at the social gatherings.

** 1/2 out of ****