Ned Kelly

6/4/2014

It’s Regina versus us; The Kelly Gang. Ned Kelly is directed by Gregor Jordan and written by John Michael McDonagh (based on “Our Sunshine” written by Robert Drewe). It stars Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, Geoffrey Rush and Joel Edgerton. Music is by Klaus Badelt and cinematography by Oliver Stapleton. The Australian Robin Hood? Well not quite, but Ned Kelly’s name and exploits live on for ever more. As is often the case with film’s of this type, such as Braveheart, it’s best to approach them as interpretations of real events and people, than actual historical facts. The core basis of Ned Kelly the man is here, and the picture built around him is handsomely mounted. Also ripe with strong character portrayals by the key actors (fluctuating accents and dodgy beards aside) an

2/25/2023

It's always tough with a subject that suffers from Titanic Syndrome - there can be no jeopardy about the final outcome so it really does boil down to the quality of the writing and the acting as to whether or not we are going to bother to sit through it... Heath Ledger isn't bad at all in the title role, an Australian from Irish (and criminal) stock who falls foul once too often of the frequently corrupt police, takes matters into his own hands and with his brother Dan (Laurence Kinlan) and Orlando Bloom (Joseph Byrne), amongst others, turns into an Antipodean version of Robin Hood - determined to redress the pretty in-your-face imbalances of society in Victoria and New South Wales. Bloom's accent is straight out of "Finian's Rainbow" but Naomi Watts is good as Julia as is Kris McQuade as