Paul Mercurio Movies

What would happen if the hero of your high school football team decided he'd rather be a ballet dancer? That's the dilemma in this Australian drama, in which Russell Page plays Matt, a working-class teenager who is accepted into an upscale private school. While many of the students are cool to Matt at first, he gains popularity when he proves he's a demon on the rugby field. But Matt has a secret -- he spent most of his childhood studying ballet, and while it wouldn't be good for his image, a love of dance still burns in his heart. When he finds out a local ballet company is holding auditions for "Romeo and Juliet," Matt throws caution to the wind and tries out, winning the lead role. However, Matt has rugby finals, school examinations and a college scholarship presentation to prepare along with his rehearsals, and as the tension starts to get to Matt, his best friend Tom (Martin Henderson) wonders if his buddy is making a mistake. Matt's girlfriend Tamara (Radha Mitchell) is also none too pleased, especially since Matt seems to be enjoying his rehearsals with his dance partner Claire (Rebecca Yates). Paul Mercurio, who plays the choreographer for Matt's dance company, won his role honestly enough -- he also served as choreographer for the film's many dance numbers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this Australian comedy, adapted by Louis Nowra from his own play and updated from a '70s to a '90s setting, a Sydney slacker gets the chance to stage an opera, but his cast is assembled from the ranks of the mentally ill. After a long stretch sponging off his law-student girlfriend Lucy (Rachel Griffiths), college dropout Lewis (Ben Mendelsohn) fakes his way into a job doing occupational therapy with a group of asylum inmates. Although his original assignment is to stage a variety show, manic-depressive patient Roy (Barry Otto) soon hijacks the project and convinces Lewis to helm an adaptation of his favorite opera, Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutti. Lewis' unlikely cast ranges from psycho firebug Doug (David Wenham) and scruffy loudmouth Sandra (Kerry Walker) to depressive, dirt-obsessed Ruth (Pamela Rabe) and self-effacing drug addict Julie (Toni Collette). Given the dearth of acting and singing experience among these players, Lewis opts to translate the piece from Italian to English and stage it as a play with only a few pieces of music. The show still proves to be more than its director bargained for -- despite the dubious assistance of his friend Nick (Aden Young), an actor/director who's currently staging his own over-the-top production of Diary of a Madman. Although Cosi reteams Muriel's Wedding co-stars Collette and Griffiths, their characters here never share a scene. The production also includes former Men at Work singer Colin Hay in a featured role, plus cameos from Greta Scacchi and Paul Mercurio (who appeared alongside Otto in Strictly Ballroom). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

This romantic, adventurous Australian thriller is set in the continent's Red Center. There Tom McGregor and his sister Susan work their lonely desert gas station. He and Susan are first seen racing along a desert road towards the horizon. Soon afterward, he is seen walking alone towards the seemingly abandoned filling station. During the course of the film, many interesting characters happen by, including the girl friend of a diamond thief on the lam. His car breaks down and he sends her to the station for assistance. Once there, she finds herself falling in love with Tom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This sexy farce stars Dan Aykroyd and Rosie O'Donnell as Fred Lavery and Sheila Kingston, a pair of cynical detectives investigating the disappearance of a key witness in a diamond-smuggling case. The case leads them to a Club Med-styled S&M resort where dog collars and cat o' nine tails abound; further complicating matters, the smugglers end up on the island as well. The missing witness, photographer Elliot Slater (Paul Mercurio), takes a job as a bondage boy, and he falls in love with the resort manager, Mistress Lisa (Dana Delany. Adapted from Anne Rice's novel of the same name. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide