Three sisters are reunited by their mother's death. Having led separate lives, the girls seem to have little in common. The intense Mae stayed with Mum to the end. The brooding Chrissy has pursued a singing career overseas, the vivacious Nona is just becoming a woman. The funeral itself is a very sad affair. It seems reconciliation is still a long way off in this part of Australia. A single woman of dubious morality, and aboriginal at that, did not make for a large congregation of mourners. The girls get on with the grieving process as best they can, but it will come as no surprise that as well as Mum's ashes in the can, there are a few skeletons in this family's closet. A wonderful script gives credibility to this excellent drama with operatic overtones. Beautifully shot among the canefields on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, this is a story, indeed an epic for any millenium.
14 Reviews
Love Hate Relationship with three wicked sisters!
DukeEman26 November 1999
I was enchanted and romanced by three lovable wicked sisters. I love the one liners. I love the crude remarks. I love the clashes and I love the final outcome. You could say I enjoyed this film. The Luis Nowra play transported nicely onto the screen with the help of an observing eye from Rachel. Please throw more money her way, I can see this filmmaker maturing with every work she may create.
Hoozurdaddy?
=G=9 January 2003
"Radiance" is a little Aussie indie with a cast of five and a focus on three sisters who are reunited by the death of their mother. Most of the film is dedicated to dialogue between the trio of sibs as they sort through old issues and discover new ones - all painting a portrait of the dead mother while leading to a dramatic crescendo. This dialogue-intensive film has only a marginal level of substance given it's narrowness and most of the time is divided between fleshing out the characters and working through family matters. An okay small screen watch for Aussie flick fans and viewers into tight dramas. Keep expectations low to avoid disappointment. (C+)
Familiar territory but an enjoyable film
bob the moo25 December 2003
With the death of their mother, two sisters (Nona and Cressy) return to their childhood home in Northern Australia where their third sister, Mae, lived looking after their mother. The funeral happens and the three find themselves together in the house for the first time in years. With time to talk, drink and fight, past hurts are revealed and family secrets come out.
From the plot synopsis you will immediately know that we are on familiar territory when it comes to female driven movies. This one is pretty much in a well known mould and travels a familiar narrative thread but not really to it's detriment. Instead the film is sparky enough and the revelations/devices interesting enough to really hold the interest no problem.
The cast really help the material as each of the three women are strong in their roles, each for different reasons. They use the material well to create characters that are interesting and have room for the audience to find out more. Of course, the fact that the film is very dialogue driven and features only three people for the majority, leaves the risk that the film will feel like a stage play on film rather than a film. To avoid this the director does a good job of using very good internal sets as well as wide-open externals on the beach or the open road.
Overall you will have seen this sort of female soul searching/family secrets film before but that doesn't make this a lesser film for that. The cast are really good value and the material is involving and interesting enough to keep the film moving along really well. The direction uses the cast well to have all the strengths of film while also keeping the dialogue and intimacy of a play.
From the plot synopsis you will immediately know that we are on familiar territory when it comes to female driven movies. This one is pretty much in a well known mould and travels a familiar narrative thread but not really to it's detriment. Instead the film is sparky enough and the revelations/devices interesting enough to really hold the interest no problem.
The cast really help the material as each of the three women are strong in their roles, each for different reasons. They use the material well to create characters that are interesting and have room for the audience to find out more. Of course, the fact that the film is very dialogue driven and features only three people for the majority, leaves the risk that the film will feel like a stage play on film rather than a film. To avoid this the director does a good job of using very good internal sets as well as wide-open externals on the beach or the open road.
Overall you will have seen this sort of female soul searching/family secrets film before but that doesn't make this a lesser film for that. The cast are really good value and the material is involving and interesting enough to keep the film moving along really well. The direction uses the cast well to have all the strengths of film while also keeping the dialogue and intimacy of a play.
**Fantastic Movie**
catherine-lake18 February 2005
Tells the story of three estranged Indigenous sisters who reunite to grieve at their mother's funeral in Northern Australia.
Bringing different backgrounds together, the sisters experience trying to understand their differences, tears for each other, celebrating their lives, prejudices faced in the world, adventure and unveiling family secrets.
Eldest sister Cressy, an opera singer, doesn't particularly want to be there for certain reasons; middle sister, Mae, feels she has done enough and is bitter about life; and the youngest sister, Nona, is the free spirit who wants to have fun.
Fine story and Nona is a delight to watch on screen. Actor Deborah Mailman won the 1998 Australian Film Industry (AFI) Award for Best Actress for Radiance, with the film also being nominated for Best Film, Best Achievement in Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Music Score and Best Production Design.
Good movie to watch with your sisters.
Bringing different backgrounds together, the sisters experience trying to understand their differences, tears for each other, celebrating their lives, prejudices faced in the world, adventure and unveiling family secrets.
Eldest sister Cressy, an opera singer, doesn't particularly want to be there for certain reasons; middle sister, Mae, feels she has done enough and is bitter about life; and the youngest sister, Nona, is the free spirit who wants to have fun.
Fine story and Nona is a delight to watch on screen. Actor Deborah Mailman won the 1998 Australian Film Industry (AFI) Award for Best Actress for Radiance, with the film also being nominated for Best Film, Best Achievement in Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Music Score and Best Production Design.
Good movie to watch with your sisters.
Radiance Movie (Australia 1998)
mononoau16 May 2006
I had seen this movie (I also got the DVD) and and I love it I enjoy the simplicity and humanity in the whole making of this film plus the cruel reality of some peoples lives. Is a funny, touchy, sad and realistic film. Is like to see our selves in the mirror without the masks. I congratulate the Director, writer, cast and production team you all did an excellent job. Thanks. 3 women, sisters, confronting reality and love for each other, what else you can expect in a family reunion?, love's always the winner and in this movie you will taste it with a big smile and a few tears. I will give to this film 10 out of 10 for honesty and simplicity and good acting, qualities expected in a good film. I did enjoy this film very much. There's not blood, bombs, electric sounds, just 3 women capturing the audience with each of their dramas and showing us that in real life things can be sour but family and love it's always there. Great film. Ta.
bad to the bone
unconscious_mouse7 May 2006
we had to study this film for English and it was the worst two weeks of my life!!!!!!!!!! i watched it a numerous amount of times and each time it got worse not better.... it is horrible the story is horrible and the fact that it is on such a low budget is even worse... i recommend this film to absolutely no body it is awful.... the film follows the story of three sisters each who have a life of their own and have not had contact with one another for ages. with the death of their mother it is now time to turn a page and the three sisters reunite. when an unsuspecting twist occurs it brings the sisters closer than ever before. burning the house will mean burning the memories and burning the hate. the main criticism is that this film was set on a low budget and that some of the scenes weren't up to scratch.
A Hauntingly Beautiful Film
ladymidath2 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I first saw Radiance a few years ago and it is a film that I have never forgotten. The story of the three sisters, Cressy, Mae and Nona are complicated and in many ways sad. Yet this is not a sad film. This is a tale of strength and resilience, but most of all love. The love that the three sisters have for each other even though they are all estranged from each other. The love/hate that they had for their mother and the strength that they have to be able to face up to the anger and angst that each of them feel. The quiet stoic Mae, the dignified beautiful Cressy and the sweetly irrepressible Nona are wonderful characters that give this story strength and a realism. The music used is perfect, from the opera arias to the simple but gorgeous song, My Island Home. The locations are breathtaking but what really makes this film perfect is the dialog, the acting and the tale itself. This is a one in a million movie. A movie to remember and treasure as a part of our unique culture for generations to come.
A death in the family brings out home truths - and universal ones
Philby-318 October 1998
It's a curious thing that a death in a family brings out in the survivors a need to tell the truth about the deceased and each other. Family history is re-written and relationships re-adjusted (or laid waste). The worst peril of a funeral is not the emotional upheaval but the thought that the way you feel about your family might never be the same. Why confess, when we're all much better off believing in the lone stranger, or "black prince" as here? Well, there is a reason, according to this film. If you can survive the shock of finding out the truth, you will come out of it the stronger, and so will your most important relationships. Party girl Nona returns to her Queensland coastal home to find her mother has just died. Her famous opera singing sister Cressy arrives also. Their stay at home sister Mae is pretty morose but it takes a while to find out why. After the funeral, attended only by the sisters, the story starts to emerge. There is a night of booze and catharsis. The next day the sisters find themselves both bonded and liberated.
"Radiance" originated as a stage play, and it shows. Against that the director, Rachel Perkins has made full use of the Hervey Bay, Queensland, coastal landscape. The three sisters are aboriginal Australians, but this is almost incidental. As Nona, the party girl, Deborah Mailman is full of vigour and fresh sexuality. Rachel Maza plays the worldly opera singer Cressy with a complementary languidness. Stay at home Mae radiates resentment, yet in the end it is she who is the agent of liberation for them all.
A fine drama beautifully realised.
"Radiance" originated as a stage play, and it shows. Against that the director, Rachel Perkins has made full use of the Hervey Bay, Queensland, coastal landscape. The three sisters are aboriginal Australians, but this is almost incidental. As Nona, the party girl, Deborah Mailman is full of vigour and fresh sexuality. Rachel Maza plays the worldly opera singer Cressy with a complementary languidness. Stay at home Mae radiates resentment, yet in the end it is she who is the agent of liberation for them all.
A fine drama beautifully realised.
Worth seeing ....
GareThere27 December 2003
I saw this film at the Bermuda Independent Film Festival in 2002. And, I keep waiting for it to come out on video so I can buy it.
This movie starts out a bit slow, but before you know it, you're so captivated by the characters and story. It will make you laugh, it will make you angry and it will make you cry. Once it gets going, mostly it will make you laugh.
Three sisters go home for their mother's funeral. Sounds like a "girl's movie" but it's not. Each one has a strong personality and has her own issues with herself and each of her sisters - not to mention her deceased mother, who has passed away before the movie begins.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away - but this is a movie worth seeing several times, and sharing with friends.
This movie starts out a bit slow, but before you know it, you're so captivated by the characters and story. It will make you laugh, it will make you angry and it will make you cry. Once it gets going, mostly it will make you laugh.
Three sisters go home for their mother's funeral. Sounds like a "girl's movie" but it's not. Each one has a strong personality and has her own issues with herself and each of her sisters - not to mention her deceased mother, who has passed away before the movie begins.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away - but this is a movie worth seeing several times, and sharing with friends.
Luminous (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
hellenicabella3 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this for the first time a few years ago, and hoped it would make Deborah Mailman a star, because it is she that makes this film. She's luminous in a way most actors can only dream about. And now she's in "The Secret Life of Us" and I feel gratified!
The film itself is minimalist; it's obvious it was based on a play. The three sisters are steely, stoic Mae (Trisha Morton-Thomas) repressed opera singer Cressy (Rachael Maza) and the much younger Nona (Mailman), and they are brought together by the death of their mother. But their relationship with her was problematic - the mother had a long line of very dodgy lovers, and the two older girls were "taken away by officials" as children and placed in a convent school, because they were aboriginal. Mae was trained as a nurse, and Cressy has gone on to become a world famous opera singer. Both are angry because their mother handed them over "easy as pie", and hung on tight to Nona, whom she always hid when officials came.
Nona remembers her mother fondly. She herself has had a string of short-lived loves, the latest of which beat her before she left. She returns home to her mother's house, and to her sisters, with news of her pregnancy.
The funeral for their mother is attended by only them. Mae resents the absence of the mother's long-term love, the married Harry, who supported her and who most likely fathered Mae and Cressy. The 'wake' the sisters hold for their mother drives the films' climax, where all is revealed and nothing will be the same.
"Radiance" is a satisfying and intelligent film, that deserved all its AFI accolades. It comments on Aboriginality and Australian-ness, but focusses more on family. Highly worthwhile.
The film itself is minimalist; it's obvious it was based on a play. The three sisters are steely, stoic Mae (Trisha Morton-Thomas) repressed opera singer Cressy (Rachael Maza) and the much younger Nona (Mailman), and they are brought together by the death of their mother. But their relationship with her was problematic - the mother had a long line of very dodgy lovers, and the two older girls were "taken away by officials" as children and placed in a convent school, because they were aboriginal. Mae was trained as a nurse, and Cressy has gone on to become a world famous opera singer. Both are angry because their mother handed them over "easy as pie", and hung on tight to Nona, whom she always hid when officials came.
Nona remembers her mother fondly. She herself has had a string of short-lived loves, the latest of which beat her before she left. She returns home to her mother's house, and to her sisters, with news of her pregnancy.
The funeral for their mother is attended by only them. Mae resents the absence of the mother's long-term love, the married Harry, who supported her and who most likely fathered Mae and Cressy. The 'wake' the sisters hold for their mother drives the films' climax, where all is revealed and nothing will be the same.
"Radiance" is a satisfying and intelligent film, that deserved all its AFI accolades. It comments on Aboriginality and Australian-ness, but focusses more on family. Highly worthwhile.
Beautiful and Intense
Iris_Myandowski19 January 2002
Radiance is a powerful Australian drama, set against beautiful rural backdrops, but it is the visuals within the story which leave the strongest impression. The intense scenes within the film are strengthened by their beautiful depiction on camera, as if the movie is an artwork. The music is also a major player here, with operatic arias being used unconventionally, yet effectively, against the rural scenery. The performances are spectacular, with Deborah Mailman, Trisha Morton-Thomas and Rachael Maza playing the sisters, separated, but brought together through the death of their mother. Maza is particularly touching as the musical talent in the family, now a successful opera singer, but bitter at having to return home, to her traumatic and troubled roots. A beautiful, heart-tugging 'artwork', well worth the effort.
Excellent and highly enjoyable, intelligent but not preachy
orbitalis11 October 1998
Rachel Perkins took on Radiance with a great deal of care, intelligence and humour. The three main roles of the ensemble cast shine through Rachel's direction which allows the actors to explore their characters through the range of emotions of experience. Deborah Mailman who, nominated for an AFI award for her performance, is outstanding as Nona the young kid both lost and assured of who she is and what she wants. Still both Rachael Mazza (Chressy) and Trisha Morton-Thomas (Mae) are oustanding as well, Nona's humour guarantees her as the audience favourite. What outstounds me about Radiance is that it is an Australian film - one which doesn't go pastiche with quirkiness (say Welcome to Woop Woop) or the propaganda rallying call of Ostrailya. Radiance, like Head On, exists as a film about characters and a story. Three Aboriginal women who react and change in each others presence without delivering any Certified Political Message (TM)... it "informs the characters" Rachel says in JJJ interview. Alcholism isn't an issue it's an experience; the Stolen Generation isn't an epitaph but a reality for the characters. In short I was quite taken by this film because of its intelligence, strength and humour and it most definitely deserves both an Australian and International audience.
Sisters reunited in Far Northern Australia
Steve-1765 October 1998
Radiance Radiance follows a similar theme to two other quality Australian films; Vacant Possession and Hotel Sorrento. Sisters return to their family home, reunited by the death or impending death of a parent. Radiance has three sisters gathering at a North Queensland bungalow after the death of their mother. Tensions simmer and erupt. Secrets are revealed. Social conventions are explored and confronted. Superlative performances from the actresses lift this film way beyond the average. Louis Nowra's script again exhibits a knowing wit which is especially suited to stage, but Radiance is perhaps even better on the big screen. Nowra's Cosi delighted many Aussies and Radiance won't disappoint.
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