Top End Wedding

Australia 2019

Dir: Wayne Blair

113 mins

Cast:  Miranda Tapsell, Gwilym Lee, Kerry Fox

Rating: M

You don’t often hear the words “Australian” and “rom-com” together. Because, let’s be honest, we’re usually not great at them.

But Top End Wedding is a winner.

The homegrown movie, co-written by star Miranda Tapsell, is a crowd-pleasing romp that’s part rom-com and part road-trip movie. But what it really is, is a story about family, heritage and the bonds that never break.

Lauren (Tapsell) and Ned (Bohemian Rhapsody’s Gwilym Lee) are two lawyers who live in Adelaide. When Ned proposes, the two decide to not wait to be married.

... Top End Wedding’s commitment to showcasing Indigenous culture through music, dance and language really taps into the strength of Australia, which is that we are a country made of up different voices and different histories.

It really plucks those heartstrings. Don’t be surprised if you get a little weepy.

Her heritage is what makes Lauren’s story hers and not a facsimile of a generic Hollywood rom-com hero.

Top End Wedding has a fresh, authentic voice thanks to Tapsell’s involvement, but also director Wayne Blair who’s previously helmed The Sapphires.

Tapsell has serious star power, and her chemistry with Lee is very natural, very believable. That she’s been working on this movie behind the scenes for five years shows through as a real labour of love.

The movie flows with an easy energy, and while it may be predictable because it follows many genre conventions, it’s very sweet and funny, and it’s definitely going to give you the feels.

Go out and support this Australian movie, not just because it deserves it but because you deserve it.

Wenlei Ma, news.com.au

The traditional rom-com formula is warmed by the Australian sunshine in Miranda Tapsell's Top End Wedding, co-written with Joshua Taylor and directed by Wayne Blair. It's multicultural vibe works in a similar way to that in Crazy Rich Asians, giving the familiar beats a fresh impetus, while Blair's sharp injection of pace helps to zip past any cliches so fast that you don't have much time to register them.

... Inevitably, the Tiwi Islands and islanders are set to play their part, and it's here that the film finds its real heart - showcasing the traditional wedding preparations and celebrating the islands' LGBT inclusiveness. The warm mix of finding connections to family and traditions while celebrating new love is given added depth by the inclusion of islander non-actors, who add welcome emotional depth to the proceedings.

Amber Wilkinson, Eye for film