The Dressmaker review: Kate Winslet is dressed for success

Don't judge a film by its title… unless it's Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! . For Australian flick The Dressmaker is anything but a dull drama revolving around a seamstress staring forlornly at her sewing machine. It's a vibrant, dangerous tale of revenge dominated by a stunning, multi-layered performance from Kate Winslet.

We're entranced from the moment we first meet her femme fatale Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage as she sets foot in her hometown after decades away, lights up a cigarette and sternly declares "I'm back, you bastards". Not unlike how we envisage Zayn Malik's inevitable return to One Direction.

This striking opening sets up the daring tone perfectly for the macabre events that ensue, as Tilly tries to piece together a traumatic event from her childhood while reconnecting with her mentally unstable mother Molly (the wonderful Judy Davis). Can her supreme dressmaking skills ingratiate her with the locals who suspect her to be a murderess?

Jocelyn Moorhouse's stylish direction brilliantly captures the eccentricities of the small, Australian town Dungatar, from the hunchbacked local doctor creepily pottering around to the locals who use their enemies as target practice for their golf skills.

She brings out the exquisite observational humour of Rosalie Ham's source novel, contrasting the grotesque with the endearing, while also ensuring the characters avoid being mere caricatures. The majestic Hugo Weaving's flamboyant, cross-dressing copper is a perfect example of how to exaggerate characters for comic effect without losing any emotional authenticity.

Unfortunately, The Dressmaker's first half is so compelling that it makes the rest pale in comparison. A tepid romantic subplot featuring Tilly and Liam Hemsworth's sexually objectified beefcake Teddy comes to the fore and fails to attain the desired emotional payoffs, despite an unexpected twist and faultless acting. It also serves to take the focus away from the fascinating relationship between Tilly and her mother, with Winslet and Davis proving to be a formidable duo as they fluctuate between sparring and bonding.

The screenplay is also in dire need of a serious hemming. While it cleverly interweaves a dual narrative that flits between past and present, it quickly dissipates the initial heightened interest as the final act lumbers on for too long. The same clinical precision that Tilly uses on her garments should have been deployed here.

Although it fails to fully deliver on its early promise, there's a great deal to admire about The Dressmaker. It's a largely distinctive and original film with killer performances from Winslet, Davis and Weaving that effortlessly move you between joyous laughter and anguished frowns. But one can't help but feel that some judicious re-stitching could have turned this into a genuine classic.

Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse; Screenwriters: PJ Hogan, Jocelyn Moorhouse; Starring: Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving; Running time: 118 mins; Certificate: 12A