Looks beautiful. I've not read the book but the story unfolds nicely. the ending is implausible and i found it frustrating and the final scenes dragged. The female lead character isn't likeable and her character doesn't develop or grow, unlike some of the others. Which left me thinking what was the point.

The acting is wooden and the plot garbled, losing much of the nuance of the book

Slow, dull and a real shame given the cast.

It's beautifully shot but ultimately dull and uninteresting. The story isn't deep or impactful in any way and none of the characters grow by the end. Not sure what the point of this film was.

Faithful and beautiful adaptation of Tim Winton's emotional novel, excellent performances by all three main characters and just a joy to watch. Gripping from the first scene. No guns violence or special effects, a film about love loss and families. An Australian classic.

It was great cinematography and acting. Loved it.

Better than the reviews here; though it may help to be Australian or an Australian-ophile. The Western Australian beach and landscapes - and the folk pop music (Angus and Julia Stone) - are each worth half the admission. But the scripting the is too melodramatic; and cannot capture the brooding and psychological essence of the novel.

Not many films can translate a beautifully written book like Dirt Music onto the screen. This film did. Script, locations, casting, acting, cinematography, soundtrack but most importantly the intensity and delicacy of the themes and the same feeling that you get when you finally put down a book after savouring every page.

I can only imagine that the author of the award winning book, this is movie is based on, is just as disappointed as everyone else in this film. Stripped of all humor or thought , surrounded by beautiful Australian scenery characters do random things while all looking like they are passing painful gas. Despite a generous runtime, the movie never bothers to explain most of the characters actions and those they do are frankly stupid. Why is our main character so dissatisfied with her posh life and "not" husband? (never explained) How does a man control a town and live a lavish lifestyle with one beat to shit lobster boat? (never explained) Why is our moody romantic lead so brooding (explained in a way that caused me to laugh), could it have something to do with he gave up his music (yes)? What is dirt music? (not explained but from what we get to hear ...its 90s style folk songs played on bluegrass instruments at elevator music pacing) Who did kill that dog anyway? (We are told but the explanation makes little sense) Are the characters meant to be suicidal or just painfully stupid? (still a mystery after watching). See it for the visuals of gorgeous beaches or if you are extremely forgiving of "love" stories. (1 1/2 stars out of 5)....I did read excerpts from the book just to see if it matched the movie , which were funny interior monologues with an edge of poetry...none of which is in the film.

The worst film I have seen in a long time! 2 hours of my life I will never get back! Mediocre actors, dull storyline! Don't waste your time or money!