Carlotta (film)

Last updated

Carlotta
Directed by Samantha Lang
Written byDavid Hannam
Produced byRiccardo Pellizzeri, Lara Radulovich
Starring Jessica Marais
Anita Hegh
Eamon Farren
CinematographyToby Oliver
Edited byNicholas Beauman
Music byMichael Yezerski
Running time
91 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Carlotta is a 2014 Australian telemovie biopic about Carlotta. [1]

Contents

Plot

A biopic depicting the growth of Richard into Carol and her alterego Carlotta.

Cast

Production

Production began in May 2013 with Jessica Marais playing Les Girls headliner Carlotta. [2] It first aired on the ABC on 19 June 2014. [3]

Reception

Melinda Houston of The Canberra Times gave it 3 stars concluding "The result is a story that treats its challenging subject matter seriously and respectfully, but in a way that's still accessible, engaging, often funny and ultimately uplifting." [4] Writing in The Australian Graeme Blundell gave it the pick of the day saying "This quite brilliant ABC biopic — the story of how a working-class boy called Richard Byron grew up to become a famous showgirl, a Kings Cross legend, and a courageous symbol of generational change, pushing the boundaries of sexuality and gender — turns out to be a surprisingly tender fairy story." [5] The Age's Ben Pobjie gives it a positive review stating "It's a brave effort, and kudos is due to all involved for producing a biopic whose emotional strength is powerfully affecting from the first scenes of young Richard, played by the superb Kai Lewins." [6]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Griffiths</span> Australian actress (b. 1968)

Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian actress. Raised primarily in Melbourne, she began her acting career appearing on the Australian series Secrets before being cast in a supporting role in the comedy Muriel's Wedding (1994), which earned her an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1997, she was the lead in Nadia Tass's drama Amy. She had a role opposite Julia Roberts in the American romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by her portrayal of Hilary du Pré in Hilary and Jackie (1998), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigrid Thornton</span> Australian actress

Sigrid Madeline Thornton is an Australian film and television actress. Her television work includes Prisoner (1979–80), All the Rivers Run (1983), SeaChange (1998–2019) and Wentworth (2016–2018). She also starred in the American Western series Paradise (1988–91). Her film appearances include Snapshot (1979), The Man from Snowy River (1982), Street Hero (1984) and Face to Face (2011). She won the AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for the 2015 miniseries Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Roxburgh</span> Australian actor

Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor, writer, producer, and director. He is the recipient of a number of accolades across film, television, and theatre, including four AACTA Awards, three Logie Awards, and two Helpmann Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Dimitriades</span> Australian actor (born 1973)

Alex Dimitriades is an Australian actor and DJ. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Nick Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as Nick Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High.

Carlotta is the stage name of Carol Byron, also known as Carol Spencer and credited briefly as Carole Lea, a transgender Australian cabaret performer and television personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Karvan</span> Australian actress (born 1972)

Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress. As a child actor, she first appeared in the film Molly (1983) and followed with an adolescent role in High Tide (1987). She portrayed a teacher in The Heartbreak Kid (1993) – the film was spun off into a TV series, Heartbreak High (1994–1999), with her character taken over by Sarah Lambert. Karvan's roles in television series include The Secret Life of Us (2001–2005), Love My Way (2004–2007), Newton's Law (2017) and Halifax: Retribution (2020). She won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama at the AFI Awards for her appearance in G.P. (1996). She won two similar AFI Awards for her role in Love My Way and in 2014 for her work in The Time of Our Lives (2013–2014). As a co-producer and co-writer on Love My Way, she won three further AFI Awards for Best Drama Series in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Karvan was inducted into the Australian Film Walk of Fame in 2007 in acknowledgment of her contributions to the Australian film and television industry. From 2010 to 2011, she starred in the drama series Spirited, which she co-created and was executive producer. She appeared as Judy Vickers in Puberty Blues. Karvan has co-produced House of Hancock and Doctor Doctor (2016–2021). In 2021 she co-created, co-produced and starred in the TV drama series, Bump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Tovey</span> Australian actress (born 1987)

Jessica Tovey is an Australian actress. Tovey graduated from the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and has made appearances for various drama companies. She is best known for her role of Belle Taylor on the long-running Australian soap opera Home and Away. Tovey joined the show in 2006 and was nominated for two Logie Awards during her time there. In 2009, she announced she had quit Home and Away and her character was killed off. Tovey became the face of American shoe company, Skechers. She appeared in Underbelly: The Golden Mile in 2010 and Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy McElhinney</span> Australian actress

Mandy McElhinney is an Australian actress best known for playing Rhonda in AAMI insurance advertisements. She appeared on the sketch comedy television series, Comedy Inc., from 2003 to 2006. She appeared as Gina Rinehart in the telemovie The House of Hancock, alongside Sam Neill in 2015. McElhinney played Jackie Walters, federal agent and team leader of the Australian Federal Police Counter-Terrorism Unit in the television drama thriller series Hyde & Seek that premiered on the Nine Network in October 2016.

Helen Morse is an English-born Australian actress who has appeared in films, on television and on stage. She won the AFI (AACTA) Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1976 film Caddie, and starred in the 1981 miniseries A Town Like Alice. Her other film appearances include Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Agatha (1979), Far East (1982) and The Eye of the Storm (2011).

Sarah Lambert is an Australian writer, director and producer, working primarily in television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Edwards (producer)</span> Australian television drama producer

Robert John Edwards is an Australian television drama producer.

The AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama is an accolade given by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is handed out at the annual AACTA Awards, which rewards achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films. From 2000 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards. When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current prize being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama.

<i>Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo</i> Australian TV series or program

Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo is a 2011 Australian two part television miniseries about the beginning of Cleo magazine and its creator, Ita Buttrose. The series stars Asher Keddie as Buttrose and Rob Carlton as Kerry Packer.

<i>Redfern Now</i> Australian TV series or program

Redfern Now is an Australian drama television series, that first aired on ABC1 in 2012. The program follows the lives of six Aboriginal Australian families living in the urban hub of Redfern, Sydney. The series provides insight into contemporary issues facing Aboriginal Australians, including lack of employment and mental illness, which are positioned as direct ramifications of colonialisation and the Stolen Generations. Produced by Blackfella Films as part of the ABC's Indigenous Department, the show is the first series to be 'commissioned, written, acted and produced by Indigenous Australians'. The series' release contributes to widespread public debate surrounding Indigenous representation in the Australian media.

<i>An Accidental Soldier</i> Australian TV series or program

An Accidental Soldier is an Australian television drama film produced by Goalpost Pictures, released on 15 September 2013, and starring Marie Bunel, Dan Spielman, Julia Zemiro, and Bryan Brown. It is written by Blake Ayshford from the screenplay of John Charalambous, who based it on his 2008 book Silent Parts. The film was directed by Rachel Ward and was shot just outside Perth, Western Australia.

Melinda Doring is an Australian production designer and former costume designer. She has won the AACTA Award for Best Production Design four times and been nominated twice more.

Eamon Farren is an Australian actor. Following starring roles in the films X: Night of Vengeance (2011) and Chained (2012), he came to prominence for portraying Richard Horne in the 2017 revival of Twin Peaks. He also won the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) award for Best Guest Or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama in 2015 for his role in the television film Carlotta (2014). Farren has since had film roles in Winchester (2018) and appeared in the series The ABC Murders (2018) and The Witcher (2019–present).

Ben Gerrard is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as Toby in the ABC television series Outland (2012). He also appeared as Constable Brian O'Connor in Wolf Creek 2 (2013) and as multiple characters on the sketch comedy series Open Slather (2015). Gerrard played 35 characters in the one-man show I Am My Own Wife, which debuted in 2015. In 2016, he played Molly Meldrum's transgender friend Caroline Jenkins in the two-part miniseries Molly, for which he was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama.

Saved is a 2009 Australian telemovie starring Claudia Karvan and Osamah Sami. Broadcast on SBS, it is directed by Tony Ayres and produced by Michael McMahon.

Riot is an Australian drama television film that aired on ABC and ABC iview on February 25, 2018. The film is directed by Jeffrey Walker from a screenplay by Greg Waters and a story by Carrie Anderson. It stars Damon Herriman, Kate Box, Xavier Samuel, Jessica De Gouw, and Josh Quong Tart. It takes a look at the 1970s LGBT rights movement in Australia through the eyes of dedicated activist Lance Gowland.

References

  1. Kalina, Paul (5 June 2024), "Jessica Marais explores the life of cabaret performer Carlotta", The Sydney Morning Herald
  2. Casamento, Jo (5 May 2013), "It's on with show", The Sydney Morning Herald
  3. Germon, Jennifer (20 June 2024), "Thanking Carlotta – a pioneer for sex and gender diversity", The Conversation
  4. Houston, Melinda (15 June 2024), "Journey of self-fulfilment", The Canberra Times
  5. Blundell, Graeme (19 June 2024), "Showgirl at the Cross: a fairy story well told", The Australian
  6. Pobjie, Ben (19 June 2024), "A story of change, not just for Carlotta", The Age
  7. 1 2 3 Maddox, Gerry (29 January 2015), "Surprises aplenty as AACTA Awards are announced", The Sydney Morning Herald
  8. 1 2 "4th AACTA Awards: full list of nominees", The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 December 2014
  9. 1 2 3 Willis, Charlotte (22 March 2015), "Here's the full List of 2015 Logies nominations", news.com.au