The Dressmaker (2015)

The Dressmaker is an 2015 Australian revenge comedy drama film, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, based on the novel of the same name by Rosalie Ham. It was produced by Sue Maslin, with a screenplay by Moorhouse. It stars Kate Winslet as a femme fatale in the titular role of the dressmaker, Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage, who returns to a small Australian town to take care of her ailing, mentally unstable mother. The film explores the themes of revenge, love and creativity and was described by Moorhouse as "Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven with a sewing machine."

The project was first developed in 2000, and Ham wrote a treatment herself. After initial attempts failed, Maslin bought the rights to the novel and hired Moorhouse to direct and write the screenplay. Production took place in Melbourne and across Victoria, Australia in late 2014. The film had its world premiere at 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2015 and had a theatrical release on 29 October 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.

The film lead the 5th AACTA Awards with twelve nominations, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Production Design, Best Original Music Score, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Cinematography.

Synopsis

In 1951, Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage returns to her hometown of Dungatar, to take care of her ill mother, Molly. Tilly was sent out of town at the age of ten because of false accusations of murder. Tilly, an expert dressmaker trained by Madeleine Vionnet in Paris, transforms the locals with her couture creations and in the process, exacts revenge on the people who wrongly accused her of murder all those years ago.

Actors