The tiny Australian town of Dungatar, which appears to be constructed out of corrugated iron and dust, is home to a small population of mainly picturesque eccentrics and poisonous women. Dressmaker Tilly (Kate Winslet) returns to Dungatar after being driven away when she was 10 for murdering a classmate. Her remarkable dressmaking skills earn her some brownie points, but the old wounds are far from healed.

This extremely odd film defies classification. It is often very funny, sometimes mystifying, always intriguing, sometimes tragic, and boasts some terrific performances and some sights you never expected to see, most of them involving Hugo Weaving. And the story keeps you constantly interested and keen to find out what happens next. Liam Hemsworth does some shirtless stuff, if that floats your boat (and it floats a couple of boats in the film). Judy Davies, an actress I have never liked, made me cry. The dresses made by Winslet's character (and her competitor) are visually impressive and sometimes hilarious. The people who populate Dungatar are not believable for an instant, but they work wonderfully well as characters.

This is a truly weird film, but I really liked it.

Banished from a remote and sparsely populated Australian town when she was ten, Tilly (Kate Winslet) returns many years later. Fresh from conquering the fashion world in Paris, Tilly's form fitting red dress turns heads immediately. Some say Tilly committed a horrible crime and was cursed for it. Tilly has come in order to better learn the truth about what really happened and to set things right. There are many things on her mind including determining her own guilt in the matter, her mother Molly who appears to be mad, lifting the curse, finding love and revenge, among other things.

Battle lines form. Many want Tilly to be guilty and cursed. They work to get her seen in the worst light. The haters may even include Tilly's mother Molly. Yet there are many who believe in Tilly. As she sets up a dress making shop and helps create new and better characters for people, her allies grow. The dresses she makes change how people see themselves and how others view them. It may not be Tilly who is cursed, rather it might be the town for the judgments that they heaped upon a girl.

At the heart of this wonderful film is the theme of how a few awful people make life so bad for others by their terrible and swift judgments. The film is set in the 1950s and is both serious and funny. P.J. Hogan is one of the best screenwriters. His stories are complex and full of amazing twists & turns. His insight into human nature, especially female characters, is spot-on. Added to the spell-binding writing is superb acting by Kate Winslet, Hugo Weaving and the others, the always intriguing back-drop of Australia, compelling themes and characters, and superb directing and organization. Of the 32 films I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, this was the best.

This is really dark and I have to admit I did not expect it. Kate is really relishing the role plays here and she is really good in it (of course she's a great actress). The role she has to play has a past that she has to wrestle with. A past that is well hidden from the viewer and something that will be revealed in time.

It's nicely told (and hopefully the major plot point is not revealed in the trailer, which I obviously haven't seen) and has a really good pace for a drama/thriller to it. Add a bit of romance to the mix and you get a really fine end product. Acting is generally very good (Hugo Weaving is another major standout, though it's really tough to pick favorites, they are all having a blast and it translates to screen) as is direction and design. Especially the clothing is phenomenal too. A really good dark and sinister little movie, that knows how to shock