Watch Romulus, My Father For Free

Absolutely amazing

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I've seen 4 films today... and this is the only one I sorta liked. What are the chances, eh?!It's a biographical piece, revolving around a kid in 1960's Australia, who apparently grew up to be a great philosopher. He arrived Down Under as an immigrant, and seems quite happy in his little community. During the events of the movie though his mother and stepfather will commit suicide, his real father will be committed to a mental institution and all his pet chickens will be either shot, pummeled with a shovel or buried alive. So, this isn't one to give you the warm fuzzies.What it is though, is a decent period piece, with a fantastic young actor playing the lead: Expressive and natural in front of the camera, this kid's gonna go places, you hear? *Lights Cigar* He also seems to be the only sane person around, and all the adults mess up to varying degrees, leaving him to deal with the consequences. With such mental fortitude, it's no surprise he went on to forge such a good future for himself.Yep. Enjoyed it. 6/10

This is one of these movies that only come once in a great great while and leave your soul with the burden of a lifetime experience. It will charge you up and it will brake you to pieces...No words to describe... Can't find a way to define...Why so strongly do we want to live when the meaning of life is so overpoweringly indefinite, vague, woolly, unclear, unspecific and unfixed!?... BECAUSE IT'S OVERPOWERING!!!I beg you please, do yourself the favor of seeing this Leviathanic Achievement in the Art of Cinematography!!! Your heart will melt completely when at the end the film reveals you that this is the biographical memoir of the philosopher and writer Raimond Gaita! Please, believe me now, when I say that I am completely overwhelmed by the emotions the movie left me with and this is the reason to be writing this review/message. I am an independent individual not involved with or paid by any movie production or company related to the the film .Thank you

This is a depressing story; and yet, it is not. It's simply life in rural Victoria, Australia, in the 1960s, within an immigrant family trying to survive, emotionally and financially, in difficult times. So, it's a well-known type of story: with precursors like The Grapes of Wrath (1940), We of the Never Never (1982), and right up to Angela's Ashes (1999).The differences here are two fold: first, the story is told largely through the eyes of a pre-teen boy, Raimond Gaita (Kodi Smit-McPhee); and thematically, it reverses the stereotypical idea of the wayward husband who can't stop chasing women – instead, we have a wife who can't seem to settle down with one man.As viewer, we enter the story with Romulus (Eric Bana) alone on his farm with his son, Raimond. Soon, we learn that Christina (Franka Portente) is now living with Mitru (Russel Dyksra), brother to Hora (Martin Csokas) who is a good friend of Romulus. Hora stays with Romulus, helping out on the farm for a while. One day, Christina returns and pleads to have Mitru join her. Romulus, surprisingly, agrees; but he's obviously not happy. Shortly, the emotional strain is too much however: Mitru returns to Melbourne, and soon Christina moves back to have his child, Susan (Eve Parker). Raimond joins his mother to help her out, leaving Romulus alone at the farm (with occasional help from Hora). All the while, Christine's unbalanced psychology leads to bouts of depression, sexual adventures and suicide attempts, all of which Raimond witnesses. From there, the story reaches its inevitable denouement.As a fictional story, it would be a hard sell to any producer. Based upon a true memoir, however, it's simply astounding to me that a husband could love so deeply that he was willing to share his wife with another man. As Romulus, Eric Bana is astoundingly good; his non-verbal acting is just amazing. Young Kodi Smit-McPhee is a great new talent: being on camera most of the time is difficult even for adults, so his performance is even more of a revelation. Franka Portente, whom I'd first seen in Run, Lola, Run (1998), acts the alienated wife to perfection, I think. And the supporting cast is well up to scratch.Overall, this is a mature production from first-time director, Richard Roxburgh, and rates as one of the better films from Australia for many a year. The script rings true, although a bit sparse at times; I think some voice over from Raimond would have been useful to help viewers stay with the narrative. The music is distinctive, but not particularly memorable; it is effective, however. The Australian landscape is stunningly and lovingly photographed. The period setting is exquisitely detailed, right down to the tinned baked beans and spaghetti for tea – one of my own unpleasant memories from my teen years in Sydney at that time.And, as a piece of immigrant Australian history, it helped to flesh out, for me, the troubles of those New Australians, in those difficult times. It was an insight that appealed and appalled – and one that I'm glad I've now seen. I hope all film aficionados take the time to see it. Highly recommended.

I doubt if Hollywood could ever make a film like this. The photography was beautiful, and the characters were excellent. The most striking feature was the way the story was constructed - often without dialog. The languid pace gave a pastoral view of a time in post war Australian history, when migration was so important to national growth. Many 'New Australians' would identify with the plight of this family. It was so true to life - not relying on any formal 'formula' plot, but told as it happened with all the inconsistencies of real life. Anyone looking for police chases, explosions, or over the top effects should look elsewhere. This film is for connoisseurs of fine films. It takes its time to unravel the subtle story of a man desperate to find love, but betrayed by his wife, his overseas girl-friend, and his brother. Only his son stays loyal to him, and he finally understands what really matters. It is not the stuff of daydreams, but the presence of people in his life who really matter, that make the difference. If you love fine films, this is 'must see' material.