My Review - How to Make Gravy
My Rating 6.5/10
Streaming on Foxtel
How to Make Gravy is a movie adaptation of a classic Christmas song based on the same name by Paul Kelly .
I'd never heard of it before until the conclusion of this movie and I won't be adding it to my mixed tape of Christmas songs.
The composer Paul Kelly even has a cameo in the movie as a bus driver.
The plot -
A family gathers together to celebrate their first Christmas without their grandmother and tensions rise when Roger the brother in law played by Damon Herriman of Joe played by Daniel Henshall sarcastically taunts Joe about losing his job just before Christmas.
Violence fuelled by alcohol occurs between the two men and lands Joe in prison.
Joe eventually meets a lifer prisoner Noel (a nice Christmas name) played by Hugo Weaving who eventually convinces him to face his anger .
Joes wife Rita visits her husband in prison but is reluctant to subject their children to seeing their father unconvinced of his intention to face his anger issues , especially after Joe is involved in another violent fight in prison.
Don't expect festive fun ,jolly songs or happy families in this very Australian Christmas fare as it is heavy going at times featuring domestic violence and family angst .
I found How to Make Gravy well worth watching because of the impressive performances especially from Daniel Henshall as Joe and Agathe Rousselle as Rita . Joe's young son played by Jonah Wren Phillips is also impressive.
It's an average predictable at times mawkish script with no surprises by Meg Washington and Nick Waterman however it has a good message and well produced.
