Buddies (Arch Nicholson, 1983) prod. wr. John Dingwall, dp David Eggby, design Phillip Warner, ed. Martin Down; Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins, Kris McQuade, Bruce Spence, Norman Kaye, Simon Chilvers, Lisa Peers, Dennis Miller; two miners searching for sapphires in Qld; AFI Best Screenplay; Eastman colour, 35mm Panavision, 97 min.
This is a western with a characteristically Australian and unique final shootout - with a duel involving heavy machinery. And, although the victor gets the girl ('I want you with me!' ... seems to work) it's also a bromance. I lost count of the number of showers that Mike and Johnny take together. It was the second of the four features written by John Dingwall; the first was the important Sunday Too Far Away - in which Lisa Peers was also the girl in what would have been the romance strand, as here (but it was Kris McQuade who was nominated for an AFI for Best Actress in 1983 [Wendy Hughes won]).
... indulges in some pedestrian anti-intellectualism ... has a few loose ends and some rather careless direction ... [but] has a cheery charm ... Scott Murray, Murray: 121.
... an enormously entertaining film. ... Dingwall and Nicholson constantly undermine audience expectations with skilful use of the anti-climax ... Stratton: 89.
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