Night We Called It a Day, The DVD Review

"THE NIGHT WE CALLED IT A DAY" reviews

DVD

THE NIGHT WE CALLED IT A DAY

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2006-05-19 15:33:12

Provider

MRIB

DVD Review

You'd have thought a film about ol' blue eyes would show him in a good light, but that's without reckoning for his fiery temper. The Night We Called It A Day focuses on Sinatra's Australian tour that went disastrously wrong.

In fact, from the moment he stepped off the plane he instantly managed to annoy the press, going so far as to call all women journalists "buck-and-a-half hookers". As such the Aussies were more pleased to see him depart than they were when he arrived.

Director Paul Goodman introduces fictional promoter Rod Blue, played by Joel Edgerton, as the man who brought Sinatra (Dennis Hopper) to Oz and land, what he hoped, would be the biggest coup of his career. This, inevitably, forms the backdrop of the film.

Audiences are probably more used to seeing Edgerton in supporting roles, so it's a welcome surprise to see his performance ranked alongside Hopper's. Melanie Griffiths, as the promoter's girlfriend, puts in a fine performance, too, and Portia De Rossi is perfectly cast as the young Australian journalist who first antagonised Sinatra.

It's not the best Sinatra story ever told, but the film does tell the truth surrounding the events and contains enough to keep audiences riveted. All credit must go to Goldman for landing Hopper, who captures the essence of the singer, even if the film would have benefited from more flair.

Copyright © MRIB 2006.