Beautiful Kate just keeps drifting along, its spells of passion and anguish, its sex scenes, its crude language, its occasional touches of horror lost in a miasma of dreamy mood swings and jumbled flashbacks.
Comment
08/09/09
Rate this Movie 
Beautiful Kate (2009)
94
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work
Reviews Counted:17
Fresh:16
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.4/10
Synopsis: A writer, Ned Kendall, is asked to return to the family home by his sister Sally, to say goodbye to his father who is dying. The family home is in a very remote and isolated area. While back home,... [More]
Starring: Rachel Griffiths, Bryan Brown, Ben Mendelsohn, Sophie Lowe
Director: Rachel Ward
Reviews for Beautiful Kate
1 - 17 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Make no mistake, this is a well-worn structure around which to frame an intense and wordy drama. However, Ward keeps the tale’s trump cards expertly concealed for as long as feasibly is possible.
08/09/09
Rachel Ward's directorial debut is well acted and handsomely shot by Andrew Commis, but it goes nowhere.
08/07/09
Beautiful Kate is the best thing by far opening this week, and a memorable feature debut from Rachel Ward.
08/07/09
Part outback mystery, part kitchen-sink drama, Beautiful Kate is a remarkably assured directorial debut from Ward, who has honed her craft on short films.
08/07/09
Director Rachel Ward creates an beautiful, tender and delicate story, exploring a damaged family and complex social taboos - with Ben Mendelsohn giving the best performance of his career.
08/06/09
Helps redress a long-standing problem with Australian cinema by illustrating how fully developed, emotionally driven, three-act stories result in films that immerse you in their visions.
08/05/09
Ward's tough-minded and uniquely Australian version of Southern Gothic does reward your perseverance by at last making you care.
08/05/09
I was just completely bowled over by the emotions in this film. It's a very strongly emotional film, with wonderful performances.
08/05/09
This quite wonderful piece of cinema ventures into areas of family transgression that may not appeal to everyone. What distinguishes the film are the truly splendid performances from the whole cast, the intelligent screenplay and direction.
08/05/09
Beautiful Kate is in many ways a beautiful film. It’s just a difficult one to truly enjoy.
08/05/09
Confronting in its family drama, Beautiful Kate manages to simultaneously disturb and reward its audience with a strong, well rounded story and excellent performances.
08/04/09
Beautiful Kate is a sexually charged kitchen-sink drama that comes with powerful performances, beautiful cinematography and a soundtrack to match its heavy but hopeful mood.
08/02/09
While the sexual subject matter may be confronting, Ward's confident filmmaking featuring a mix of seasoned pros, including Bryan Brown, Ben Mendelsohn, Rachel Griffiths and new talent, particularly Sophie Lowe, should satisfy mature audiences.
07/29/09
This is an extraordinary film not only for its subject matter, and its approach, but for the extraordinary qualities it demonstrates in every field. The cast are superb, the cinematography magical, the absence of morality is refreshing.
07/29/09
Rachel Ward doesn't put a foot wrong in her debut as writer/director, transposing the American novel with consummate ease into an Australian story - it is not rooted in the culture of a country, but in the heart of the characters
07/27/09
Bouquets to Rachel Ward whose adept and sensitive screenplay and direction make this adaptation an emotional journey that resonates acutely.
07/27/09
1 - 17 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Latest News for Beautiful Kate
August 04, 2009:
Ben Mendelsohn and Sophie Lowe Talk Beautiful Kate
Dark drama, impressive cinematography, unsettling emotional trysts -- it's not exactly your average week of Australian cinema. Ahead of Rachel Ward's Beautiful Kate releasing... More...
July 29, 2009:
Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown Talk Beautiful Kate
It's one of the most talked about Australian films of the year: Rachel Ward's directorial debut Beautiful Kate, a visually evocative, emotionally haunting drama of dark family... More...
July 23, 2009:
See the stunning new trailer for Beautiful Kate
Variety have already hailed it as "a visually beautiful and emotionally rewarding" experience and from early preview screenings -- including Rotten Tomatoes' own Sydney and... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 81% | Departures | 04/12 |
| 79% | Disgrace | 04/12 |
| 79% | Me and Orson Welles | 04/12 |
| 66% | The Merry Gentleman | 04/12 |
| 61% | The Girlfriend Experience | 04/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds