For some strange reason, this little known Australian movie has lately been shown on several occasions on cable TV here in Argentina. It stars a young, redhead Miranda Otto (a decade before playing Eowyn in Lord of the Rings) as a weird but lovely woman who is a struggling actress, works in a strip joint (but does not get naked herself) and has some sort of undefined telepathic affinity with horses. She ends up meeting an uptight and wealthy polo player who is the owner of a horse stable (former Spandau Ballet singer Martin Kemp) and after helping him taming his horses love soon develops between them. It's far from being a great movie, but it's eminently watchable and even upbeat.
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I_Ailurophile17 December 2022Okay, look - from the very start this is simply a delight. Miranda Otto, and young Katy Edwards, bring new meaning to the term "horse girl," and it's pure joy to watch them adopt equine mannerisms, and otherwise just throw themselves about (literally and figuratively) with all the energy they can muster. There's an unflinchingly wacky sensibility about the picture from the very start, a farcical quality that carries through even to the quieter moments, that the cinema of other countries struggles to achieve as consistently as Australia; it's hard as a viewer not to be charmed from the outset. Characters, dialogue, scenes, and the story at large are altogether wild, stirring together male strippers, animal telepathy, bodily fluids, and of course two people from very different backgrounds; by all rights this should be obnoxiously raunchy, yet the concatenation is so outlandish that Saturday Rosenberg's screenplay instead comes off as cheekily clever. And as every actor on hand is clearly having a blast, and the crew behind the scenes just lean into that zany aura - well, what can I say except that 'The girl who came late,' also known as 'Daydream believer,' is a lot of fun?
There are times when the film threatens to be just too silly or sentimental for its own good, invoking ham-handedness, but to the credit of Rosenberg, director Kathy Mueller, and all others involved, it then recovers nicely with earnest heart, fabulous wit, or both. I sincerely appreciate the work of editor Robert Gibson, cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, and the sound department, who at varying points all contribute very specifically to the comedy being crafted; the sound editing is so sharp that I honestly can't tell if Otto or Edwards are actually vocalizing like a horse, or if it's a sound effect added in post. Production designer Robert Ford, art director Laurie Faen, and location manager Phillip Roope all let their imaginations run free with the look and feel of the feature, and much the same can be said for the hair and makeup artists and costume designer. Meanwhile, Todd Hunter and Johanna Pigott's original music is wonderfully playful, always finding just the right chords and tone to sustain the goofiness. And while Otto and Edwards certainly take the cake with their centered performances, their costars are just as swell - particularly Martin Kemp, himself just splendid in embracing the tomfoolery just as surely with fabulous candor.
Sure, the overall thrust of the plot is familiar, and in the broad strokes kind of standard for romantic comedies. Yet I can't emphasize strongly enough that this boasts far-fetched flavors that rather exceed what we expect from most such fare, and not least from Otto, whose moment of utmost renown is a far cry from this. It may not achieve absolute vibrancy at any point, yet it's unremittingly fun all the way through, and more balanced than many of its kin could surely claim. Ultimately 'The girl who came late' may not be wholly essential for anyone except fans of the cast, but it's solidly entertaining, and that's something that can't be said for every picture, rom-com or otherwise. If you have the chance to watch, this is pretty great! -
honeyjade53 June 2007I watched this film late one night because nothing else was on and it was fantastic, i now own the DVD. A young girl can talk to horses as a result of hiding with horses whenever her father erupted when she was a child. As a result at times of stress she becomes a horse only changing back when she has an apple. As she grows up she always keeps an apple with her just in case. She keeps bumping in to a man who owns a horse stud farm and tries hard not to ruin his life. One of the horses is unhappy and the young girl spends some time with it much to the annoyance of the owner of the farm. She is very clumsy and he becomes angry whenever he sees her. He kind of feels sorry for her so he arranges her a job, but it is not a nice job. He is furious when he finds out what the job was. She becomes really stressed and becomes a horse and she is all out of apples. He puts all his hatred and annoyance aside and treats her like a horse until he can get her back to the stud farm and give her an apple. It all works out well in the end. She tells the owner what is wrong with the horse and then the horse is happy. The owner is happy because of the girls skills all his horses have happy healthy foals and the girl is happy because she found love. Its a happy ending film and sometimes you just need a happy ending film to watch.
The bit where he treated her like a horse restored my faith in human nature. He put all his feeling aside and even though he had no idea what was wrong he reached out to help another human being. I know its only a film but that moment was just so touching. -
MIKE-96627 November 1999This film has nothing to with reality, but it is a sort of Fairy Tail. But I enjoyed it, good playing by Miranda Otto and a light story. This is a film to relax after a hard day working, with your legs on the table and glass of beer in your hands. That's my opinion, if you don't believe me, see it yourself.
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PeterM2717 November 2021Strongly in the rom-com tradition of two people whose initial dislike for each other eventually changes after a series of disasters and strange behaviour, this film at least has the likeable Miranda Otto at its centre, and the oddness of her horse-obsession adds an unusual twist. While English actor (ex-pop singer) Martin Kemp is acceptable at best, Gia Carides is great as Otto's best friend.
The film moves along at pace through the usual series of pratfalls and the girl gets the boy in the end, so it's a fairly amiable film. Otto started to get better-written roles after this, and went on to awards and Hollywood, but this is a good place to see her starting out. -
constance-3462722 March 2021A very watchable, though seemingly obscure Australian film. Worth the watch if you can get your hands on it.