"Top End Wedding" Review

Hello, pretty people!

I am completely aware it's been well over a year since my last post and to be honest, Inspiring Camels hasn't had much inspiration. 

Well now I do. 

And it all comes in the shape and form of a little Aussie rom-com.

Funny, heartwarming and very, very Aussie would be the ultimate way to describe the Miranda Tapsell and Joshua Tyler (a Barossa boy)-penned film, Top End Wedding

Starring Tapsell herself and Bohemian Rhapsody's Gwilym Lee, and directed by Wayne Blair who also directed Tapsell as well as Shari Sebbens (who played one of the bridesmaids, Ronelle) in The Sapphires, Top End Wedding tells the story of Lauren and her English fiancé, Ned, Adelaide lawyers who travel to Darwin to be married when she's given ten days' unpaid leave just after a promotion only to find out from her distraught father, Trevor (played hilariously by Huw Higginson) that her mother, Daphne, (Ursula Yovich) has gone AWOL.

Lauren and Ned travel all over the Northern Territory in search of her, meeting many an interesting character and constantly coming to inconclusive dead-ends along the way while Lauren learns many things about her Aboriginal heritage while Ned learns many things for the first time about her culture.

The film, whose first twenty minutes or so was filmed in Adelaide, I can imagine, once it is widely seen, will hopefully be wonderful for SA and NT tourism. It was also well-received at Sundance Film Festival and premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival's pop-up event, which was even attended by Lee himself on the 6th of April, 2019.

Photo courtesy of my friend, Jessica

Tapsell and Lee have great on-screen chemisty and Lee has an opportunity to showcase his English humour, goofy and loveable, complete with standard English charm amongst some possibly difficult to understand Australian references and humour, but it still mixes well.

The film is beautifully shot throughout, in some picturesque locations including the lovely, yet rarely-seen Tiwi Islands where Tapsell, herself is from.

All in all, Top End Wedding is a beautiful film. I highly rate it and does wonders teaching the world about Aboriginal cultures and showing them a few more pieces of Australia they may not be familiar with.

I am pleased to announce I got to attend the Adelaide premiere of Top End Wedding.
And yes, confirmed, he does look like Brian May up close 😂