Barry Otto Movies

In one of the oddest themes for a movie in any decade, Undercover is a slick film about women's underwear, as developed by an Australian designing firm run by Fred Burley (John Walton) in the 1920s. The story which is true in its basic outlines, begins with Libby McKenzie (Genevieve Picot) who leaves her small town for Sydney and hopefully, a better life. Libby ends up working for Burley's clothing design company where she meets all sorts of independent-minded characters, including her supervisor, the head designer Nina (Sandy Gore). Since the development of new underwear is a long stretch for a feature-length film, director (David Stevens) and writer (Miranda Downes) have Burley campaigning for Australians to buy home-made products, like his own, for instance. There is a certain disparity between the high standards in the opulent visual aesthetics of this film, and the fluctuating scenes that meander from melodrama to camp humor without finding a definitive voice. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi