Australian artist Bradley Morahan has no difficulty selling his paintings in New York but is having difficulty finding the inspiration for new works; he needs to get away from the bustling city and back to the remote Queensland coast he came from. Once back he and his dog move in to a one room shack on a small island. There are only three other people living on the island; teenage girl Cora, her drunken grandmother and middle aged Isabel Marley. He strikes up a friendship with Cora as she sells him seafood and a (stolen) chicken. She needs the money so she can get away from her awful grandmother who takes all the money Cora earns selling local seafood to a mainland shop and spends it on gin. Wanting a model Bradley offers Cora fifty cents an hour to pose for him; $1.50 if she will do it naked. It isn't long before she almost has enough to leave the island once and for all; she just has to make sure her grandmother doesn't find where she has hidden it. It looks like Bradley could have money troubles too when old friend Nat Kelly turns up begging for a loan and willing to just take the money if it isn't given. When Cora's grandmother finds her money she accuses Cora of prostituting herself to Bradley; he insists he just painting her but she insists that she will inform the police as Cora is under the age of consent.
This film is fairly light but contains a good mix of drama and comedy. James Mason does a good job as Bradley although his Australian accent is a bit off... I guess that might be justified if he had been in New York a long time! The young Helen Mirren was charming as Cora even if she was clearly older than her character; not a bad thing given the number of times she is seen undressed. Jack MacGowran provides much of the comedy as Nat; desperate to get some money but not so desperate that he will stay on the island after the attentions of Isabel! The setting adds to the films charm; one can't help feel relaxed watching the blue sea lapping at the island's beach for much of the time. Given that there is a fair amount of nudity the film feels surprisingly innocent; they are just an artist and his model and it is filmed in a way that does not seem leering. This might not be a classic but it is well worth watching.
This film is fairly light but contains a good mix of drama and comedy. James Mason does a good job as Bradley although his Australian accent is a bit off... I guess that might be justified if he had been in New York a long time! The young Helen Mirren was charming as Cora even if she was clearly older than her character; not a bad thing given the number of times she is seen undressed. Jack MacGowran provides much of the comedy as Nat; desperate to get some money but not so desperate that he will stay on the island after the attentions of Isabel! The setting adds to the films charm; one can't help feel relaxed watching the blue sea lapping at the island's beach for much of the time. Given that there is a fair amount of nudity the film feels surprisingly innocent; they are just an artist and his model and it is filmed in a way that does not seem leering. This might not be a classic but it is well worth watching.