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(More customer reviews)`Love's Brother' is an Australian film by first-time director Jan Sardi, known as the writer for critically acclaimed `Shine.' But the feel-good touch of `Love's Brother' is closer to `The Notebook' (for which he also wrote the script), and though the film is predictable like that Nicholas Sparks adaptation, this little film is equally romantic and heart-warming as the hit movie from Hollywood.
The film is set in a unique background (probably reflecting that of the director). We are directly introduced to the small community of Italian immigrants in Australia during the 1950s, where Angelo (Giovanni Ribisi) is looking for someone to marry, sending letter and his photo to the ladies (introduced by a kind but a bit officious matchmaking agent) to ask if she could come to his town and live with him. Unfortunately, every letter returns with polite refusal, and Angelo, being too timid and lacking self-confidence, sends his handsome brother's photo in the next letter, without telling anyone about it.
The problem is, his unsuspecting brother Gino (Adam Garcia) has already a girl friend Connie (Silvia de Santis). And things get more complicated when Rosetta (Amelia Warner) arrives from the South Italy, believing that Gino is the one with whom she has exchanges the wedding vow.
Jan Sardi shows steady and orthodox skills as director, not ignoring the details of the Italian community, and the four characters whose fate we truly care. The film is a romantic comedy, but the stress is given more on romance than comedy, and the photography of Andrew Lesnie (`Lord of the Rings' trilogy) perfectly captures the mood of the story with the delicate colors.
Among the four principal characters, perhaps Gibisi's Angelo is the least engaging and sympathetic one though he is playing the pivotal role, and I found he slightly overdoes the eccentric nature of the boy unlucky in love. Amelia Warner is stunningly beautiful, and Adam Garcia is good-looking and good-natured, but the film allows them to show little more than that. Veteran actor Barry Otto (father of Miranda Otto, Eowyn of `LOTR') appears as kind priest, but too short time is allotted to him. And sorry to report this, but `Love's Brother' will end in a predicable way like any good romantic comedy does in the end.
But I like the film, and love the atmosphere and optimistic, dream-like nature of it. It is like listening to a familiar story in a land where we know happiness is promised for everyone.
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