Dirt Music

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gregor Jordan directs. Sam Chiplin behind the camera. Craig Armstrong scores. Pia Di Ciaula cuts. Produced in Australia, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 6 years ago.
• 2International production across 2 countries: Australia, United Kingdom.
• 3Directed by Gregor Jordan, shot by Sam Chiplin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Craig Armstrong. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Pia Di Ciaula shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Kelly Macdonald and Garrett Hedlund and David Wenham carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "Lose yourself... Find yourself... In love.".
• 8IMDB entry: tt0810836 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Only 59 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography

Sam Chiplin

Original score

Craig Armstrong

Editing

Pia Di Ciaula

Production design

Michael Carlin

Costume design

Anna Borghesi

Sound

Robert Ireland

Runtime

105 min · 1h 45m

Status

Released

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG-13

IMDB

Dirt Music (2020) ↗

Also by

Gregor Jordan

• 
  Suits

  2011 · ★ 8.2
• 
  Twisted Tales

  1996 · ★ 8.0
• 
  Old School

  2014 · ★ 7.6
• 
  Twisted

  1997 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Powderfinger: These Days - Live in Concert

  2004 · ★ 7.5
• 
  Unthinkable

  2010 · ★ 6.8

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Dirt Music - Official Trailer (Universal Pictures)

  Trailer · Official
• 

  ▶
  DIRT MUSIC Clip | TIFF 2019

  Clip

Community reviews

What people are saying

• Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots2020-08-31
  ★ 4/10

  The worst part about the overly melancholy “Dirt Music,” a real downer of a movie, is that it’s billed as a romance. It’s anything but. The story, based on the critically acclaimed novel by Australian writer Tim Winton, is supposedly one of love and redemption. But a film that’s filled with so much tragedy and a longing for death is not exactly the type of entertainment most would enjoy watching right now. Former nurse Georgie (Kelly Macdonald) is trapped in the backwater fishing town of White Point with the local town fisherman, the ill-tempered Jim Buckridge (David Wenham). Jim and his gang run the town, especially when it comes to catching crayfish. The last thing anyone wants to do is cross them, because Jim and his buddies will often respond violently. One night, Georgie goes for a swim and meets Lu Fox (Garrett Hedlund), a hunky poacher who takes to the bay in the evenings to steal from Jim’s fish traps. She is instantly drawn to the man, and the two begin an intense affair. It’s revealed that the Foxes and Buckridges have a long, uneasy history and, fearing Jim’s fury after he discovers their tryst, Lu flees to an isolated island. Fearing the worst, especially with Lu’s depressed mental state and crippling grief over a tragic accident years ago, Georgie decides to head North to find him. The story isn’t the best, and as with many films based on novels, it feels like major chunks of the book’s plot is missing. The movie is painfully slow moving, with lots of shots of the rugged Lu smoldering as his great hair is caught by a breeze, and Georgie staring off into space with a sense of longing. It’s draggy, and that’s putting it in the kindest way possible. There’s plenty of quality filler by way of beautiful shots of the vast Australian landscape, but the overabundance of visual symbolism quickly reminds viewers that throwing your characters into water multiple times isn’t an acceptable substitute for a well-told story. The actors are appealing, but their performances are flat. There’s no compelling reason for their relationship, which is a significant problem for a supposed love story. The film had me asking why are these two a couple, and why should I care? Even worse, I left wondering “who is this movie for?”

  Read full review ↓
• SWITCH.2020-09-02
  ★ 4/10

  'Dirt Music' asks us to embrace two lost characters who eventually go to the edge of the earth to find themselves. Unfortunately, for us, they remain strangers to the end. - Jake Watt Read Jake's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-dirt-music-a-typically-flawed-tim-winton-adaptation

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Wildgaze Films

  GB

• 

  Aquarius Films

  AU

• 

  Cornerstone Films

  GB

• 

  Film4 Productions

  GB

Key crew

• ProducerFinola Dwyer
• EditorPia Di Ciaula
• Executive ProducerLauren Dark
• Executive ProducerJamie Jessop
• Art DirectionMandi Bialek-Wester
• Line ProducerLouise Killin
• Set DecorationGlen W. Johnson
• ProducerAngie Fielder
• Sound DesignerRobert Ireland
• Associate ProducerKate Separovich
• Line ProducerSandy Stevens
• Supervising Sound EditorLee Herrick
• Production DesignMichael Carlin
• ProducerAmanda Posey
• Sound Re-Recording MixerMax Walsh
• Boom OperatorBen Cowman
• Sound RecordistTrevor Hope
• Executive ProducerDaniel Battsek
• Executive ProducerSue Bruce-Smith
• Executive ProducerStephen Dailey
• ProducerPolly Staniford
• Executive ProducerPeter Touche
• Costume DesignAnna Borghesi
• Still PhotographerDavid Dare Parker

Release history · US

When it landed

• Digital2020-07-17PG-13