Monica Maughan Movies
Some folks will do anything to pinch a penny, and when a pair of lifelong friends discovers that they can evade the taxman by pretending to be a loving gay couple, their worries are just beginning in this comedy starring Paul Hogan and Michael Caton. Though their simple plan seems to go off without a hitch at first, the arrival of a by-the-books tax inspector threatens to blow the lid off of their inventive scheme. Now, with the IRS on their back and the pressure mounting, the stage is set for a series of comic misadventures you won't forget in this warmhearted tale of friendship and the eternal quest to beat the taxman at his own game. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Hogan, Michael Caton, (more)
- 2002
Pressured by moneyhungry Bernie (John Clarke) to redevelop their club and install poker machines when the begin having financial difficulties, Cityside Bowling Club members Stan (Bill Hunter), Len (Frank Wilson) and Eileen (Monica Maughan) make a last ditch effort to enter a tournament and win the prize money needed to stay afloat. Desperate to form a winning team, the ageing trio quickly learns that dispite his lack of presence, young Jack Simpson (Mick Molloy) has held a membership for years for the sole purpose of maintaing a cheap parking spot - not to mention renting out a few on the side for a little profit. Finally called on to serve his duty as an actual member, will Jack pitch in to save to club from certain extinction, or simply drive a few extra blocks to find another parking spot. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mick Molloy, Bill Hunter, (more)
- 1997
Though featuring a simple straightforward story of a small town turned upside down when a car carrying four members of the local women's bowling team flips over and leaves the occupants trapped and hanging, it is the sprightly performances of the ensemble cast that make this quirky Australian comedy special. The first person on the scene of the bizarre accident is Maurie, a somewhat dim-bulbed pig farmer. Unable to think of a way to help poor Margot, Nell, Jean and Carmel -- the ladies inside the car -- he goes off to call the Emergency Services. Unfortunately, the fire department doesn't understand Maurie and can't decide whether he said the women were on Nhill Road (it's pronounced "Nil") or the road to Nhill, and they immediately speed off in the wrong direction. The town sheriff is nowhere in sight. Meanwhile Maurie returns with Brian, a vegetable farmer who just can't cope with the horror of it all, and they both fret about what they should do. As they worry and figuratively wring their hands, the women try to figure out how to save themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Hunter, Lynette Curran, (more)
- 1991
- PG13
Australian director Paul Cox, skilled at intense psychological stories about lone souls looking for comfort in a cold world, was at his best with this original script co-written by the director and Barry Dickins. Martha is a 78-year-old woman living out her final days. Not a maudlin tale of a lonely woman wasting away, A Woman's Tale focuses on a human who manages to maintain an amazing vitality in the face of death. She encourages her young nurse, Anna (Gosia Doborowolska), to use her flat for romantic trysts; she looks in on Billy (Norman Kayes), an elderly neighbor, and she resists attempts by her son Johanathan (hris Haywood) to place her in a nursing home. Sheila Florance's performance as Martha is a marvel, especially given the art-imitates-life aspect of production: Florance was terminally ill, and she died soon after she was nominated for the Best Actress Award for Australia's Academy Awards. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sheila Florance, Gosia Dobrowolska, (more)
- 1990
Bernard (Chris Haywood) is clearly someone with an obsessive personality, as witnessed by his lifelong love affair with old-time clocks. He even earns his livelihood by finding, selling, and repairing them. However, obsessions aside, he seems a decent sort, happly involved in a relationship with Terese (Gosia Dobrowolska), the wife of a clueless Salvation Army major. When Bernard discovers a lock of golden hair in a very old cabinet, a new obsession develops: he literally falls in love with it. He talks to it, he fondles it, he even has sex (of a sort) with it. As he does, he grows every more detached from real life. However, his living girlfriend is not going to take this sort of thing lying down, and she energetically works to win him back. This tale is based on a 19th century story, Le Chevelure, by French author Guy de Maupassant. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Haywood, Gosia Dobrowolska, (more)
- 1987
Dot Bloom (Lyn Pierse) is a 32-year-old Jewish woman who contemplates whether she should choose a man to settle down with in this light romantic comedy. She aspires to be a serious writer while making a living writing for a popular soap opera. With her politically active mother off helping the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, Dot's Aunt Esther (Ruth Yaffe) looks out for her favorite niece. She turns down her suggestion to date a gynecologist and hooks up with the boring, divorced attorney Karl (Kim Gyngell), an old college friend. Alistair (Bruce Spence) is a charming but shy computer devotee who asks her for a date via cyberspace, but she neglects to read her E-mail. Dot goes through a number of comedic circumstances as she experiences the unpredictability of the dating game. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Pierse, Kim Gyngell, (more)
Isabelle Huppert plays a French woman who travels to Australia after leaving her husband. Injured in an accident, Huppert is in danger of losing her sight. Her friends try to get her to "bond" with blind doctor Robert Menzies, who possesses a greenhouse full of cactus. In the big "Author's Statement" scene, Menzies likens his cactus to people who need special care, even though they seem to bloom only when neglected. The arrival of Isabelle's husband Jean-Pierre Mignon only serves to solidify the relationship between "human cacti" Huppert and Menzies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Huppert, Robert Menzies, (more)
- 1985
- R
An Australian wildlife sanctuary is violated by low-life poachers intent on destruction. The attractive female director of the sanctuary (Cassandra Delaney) becomes their intended prey, as she struggles to avoid falling into their clutches. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cassandra Delaney, Peter Ford, (more)
- 1984
This emotional true story is about Annie O'Farrell (Tina Arhondis -- who suffered brain damage at birth and as a result was later institutionalized with other children like herself, physically unable to mature past the age of 8 or 9, even though in chronological years they are much older. When therapist Jessica Hathaway (Angela Punch McGregor meets Annie for the first time, her interactions with the girl tell her that she has been misdiagnosed. Convinced that Annie's mind is functioning perfectly well, Jessica runs up against solid opposition from Annie's parents and has to bide her time until the girl reaches the age of 18. At that point, Jessica obtains an injunction to get Annie released from the home -- and begins her own session of therapy. Due to the non-fictional content of the film, the disagreements between Jessica and Annie's parents are sidelined, and, as in many other films of this type, the unusual court battles and subsequent change in the disabled patient are dramatic but not in keeping with the day-to-day reality of patients and clinical staff working to make small steps towards progress -- with never a chance for any miraculous recovery in the vast majority of cases. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drew Forsythe, Tina Arhondis, (more)
- 1977
The suffocating repressiveness of the Victorian era is superbly realized by director Bruce Beresford in The Getting of Wisdom. Thirteen-year-old Laura (Susannah Fowle), an incorrigible free spirit from the Australian outback, is enrolled in a prestigious girl's boarding school. The indoctrination process is a rough one, and Laura very nearly loses her individuality and sense of self-worth. When she does mature, however, it is on her terms, and not the school's. Intriguingly, The Getting of Wisdom is based on the reminiscences of a 19th-century female writer who used the pen name of Henry Handel Richardson. Despite its somber dramatic overtones, the film contains moments of uninhibited humor, a trademark of director Beresford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susannah Fowle, Barry Humphries, (more)
- 1971
This film is a moody, even tragic drama about a neglected spinster whose saving fantasy life is savaged by her deeply unsatisfactory encounters with "real life." Having devoted her youth to caring for her unloved and unloving mother in her final years, when her mother dies, she has no life of her own. She knows no one. On a shopping expedition, she succumbs to a saleswoman's hard sell and buys a doll. The doll soon becomes an important focus in her life, especially in helping her daydream about sleeping with a young man she has seen. To the puzzlement of her neighbors, baby clothing begins to appear on her clothesline, though they know full well she has neither husband nor baby. She does, finally, meet and get to know the young man, and even goes to bed with him. However, the reproaches she thinks she hears from her dolls send her into a frenzy, as they have told her the man will leave her because she's too old. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1968
This feature is a filmed stage production of the tragedy by William Shakespeare. Laurence Harvey stars as Leontes, the jealous king who eventually repents his wrongdoings. Moira Redmond is Queen Hermione who is victimized by the indiscretions of her monarch husband. Jane Asher is the village peasant girl Perdita and Diana Churchill plays Paulina. The role of Autocylus is played admirably by Jim Dale, who also provided the music for this production. The performance comes from a television show produced at the Intertel Wembley studios. Along with Romeo and Juliet, 1968 was a good year for the immortal bard, whose timeless plays were being received by a younger, receptive audience through shrewd production and prudent casting with an eye towards capturing a more youthful audience. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Harvey, Jane Asher, (more)
