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Amy [viff] Dir: Nadia Tass Country: Australia

Finally! Rachel Griffiths gets the lead part in a movie. Too bad she's upstaged by a little kid and a story that is constructed with so many cliches it overshadows the good points.

"Amy" is a competent social-cause-of-the-week movie with enough sweetness and humour that I enjoyed it for what it was on that level. But the conflict is wrapped up so simplistically that it feels like it had gone through the hands of the feel-good committee three times too many. Most annoying is the device of only showing the audience parts of the flashback to the pivotal moment, saving that missing link until the end. It is obvious right away that once the entire incident is revealed, all will fall into place - but until then we get another 90 minutes of sugar-coated filler. It is also emotionally manipulative filler.

All the (non-cliched) characters are enjoyable though, especially Ben Mehndolsen (sp?) as the musician neighbour who helps in Amy's healing. One thing that did stick out like a sore thumb was Amy's singing voice which sounded dubbed or at least over-emphasized. That much-too-powerful voice would have felt right at home in a Broadway production but not in this movie.