Search - All the Way on DVD

Perhaps this was made as an Aussie Vendetta....?

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/24/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"ALL THE WAY (aka THE NIGHT WE CALLED IT A DAY) is a docudrama of sorts: it is based on a true incident that happened in Australia in 1974 and still is grumbled about today. Why this flimsy film was made in the first place seems only due to lasting resentments on the part of the Australians at the arrogant and crude behavior of Frank Sinatra when he made an appearance in Sydney during a world tour: he insulted the press, caused the labor unions to react in defiance by cordoning off his connection to the world outside his darkened hotel suite and demanded an apology from the star, an act that Sinatra refused to do.

Writers Peter Clifton and Michael Thomas have attempted to make this boring incident viable by revealing the background events and characters surrounding the event. They have created Rod Blue (Joel Edgerton) as a failing show promoter who puts all his money and future into assuring the house for the concert. Australia loved Sinatra: this seemed his ticket to ride. Frank Sinatra (Dennis Hopper playing Dennis Hopper) arrives and one of the Press who alienates Sinatra is Rod's girl Hillary (Portia di Rossi) and when she asks inappropriate questions, Sinatra calls her a hooker and there begins the furor of the Aussies. The people are incensed at Sinatra's foul mouth and insensitivity and boycott the concert. The Labor Unions, representing the people of Australia, strike so that Sinatra is trapped in his hotel without light, water, food, room service, etc. Rod Blue's surefire scheme seems destined to fail.

Sinatra is accompanied by his squad of hefty goons and his current paramour Barbara Marx (Melanie Griffith) and it is Barbara who intervenes and helps salvage the situation. She encourages Rod's mousy assistant Audrey (Rose Byrne) to believe in Rod whom she secretly loves and coerces Sinatra into negotiations with the people he has offended.

Yes, it all works out in the end - Sinatra does his concert, Rod makes money and the audience appears satisfied and enthusiastic.
Sound like a fairly boring film? Well, it is. It is partially saved by the entertainment of watching Hopper lip sync Sinatra songs as sung by Tom Burlinson, by Edgerton's commitment to make his hero Rod a credible human being, and by seeing Melanie Griffith looking terrific in beautiful gowns. Otherwise, despite the casts' best efforts, this is a forgettable film. Grady Harp, April 05"

Dennis Hooper As Frank--Sinatra, Not Booth!

Tony Rome | Florida | 04/13/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"In July of 1974 Sinatra made wordwide headlines during his first concert appearance in Australia since 1959.

Reacting to being "manhandled" by members of the Australian press corps, Sinatra, as was his habit, used the concert stage to lash back, calling members of the Austrlian press "pimps and whores"....
..." wouldn't drink water with them," Frank said,"much less talk to them.....we, who have God given talent say to hell with them!"

The Australian labor unions, unimpressed by the Sinatra legend, responded quickly ("who the hell does this man Sinatra think he is?!"--refusing to fuel Frank's private jet; virtually keeping him prisoner in the country and cutting off all room service to his hotel suite.

Eventually, after a series of summit meeting between Sinatra's attorney, Mickey Rudin, and Robert Hawke, Union President, things were worked out and Sinatra finished his concert tour and fled Australia amidst a sea of tabloid headlines (SINATRA DECLARES WAR ON AUSTRALIA).

This event has been dramatized in a new Austrlian made film "All The Way" (originally entitled "The Night We Called It A Day" when first released in 2003).

Sinatra's "war" with Australia could have made an interesting film, but the writers and director of "All The Way" (Michael Thomas, Peter Clifton and Paul Goldman) literally fitter away every available opporunity.

The film's plot centers around a down on his luck rock promoter, who scores his one big chance at success by bringing Sinatra to Australia.....his girlfriend (Portia Di Rossi), a TV reporter ruins his big break by asking Sinatra a series of highly personal questions during Frank's arrival at Sydney airport--she is spat upon and an assortment of other newspeople are roughed up by various members of Sinatra's "secret service."

Instead of sticking to the facts (far more compelling than the ones invented for the film,) a phoney relationship is depicted between Sinatra, Barbara Marx (Melanie Griffith) and the rock promoter (Joel Edgerton).

Ms Marx, in what has to be the dumbest piece of character writing in film history) plays matchmaker to the promoter and his female assistant (Rose Byrne) while Frank sits in his suite and eats cold food out of a can.......and while we're at it, couldn't the Australian casting crew found an actor who in some way actually resembled the real Jilly Rizzo (certainly a colorful enough character in his own right)?

How's Dennis Hopper as FS?

Playing a larger than life icon is never easy, but Hopper pulls it off...he's Frank Booth with a tuxedo and a hand mike, even down to the famous FS onstage gestures as his lip syncs "I've Got You Under My Skin"...

Rapid Sinatra followers will possibly find "All The Way" an amusing little curiosty.....

The rest of us can only be grateful that Frank's not around to see it.

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The DVD contains no special features...considering the worldwide attention the incident received in 1974, one would think interviews could have been arranged with some of the actual Australian principals and a neat little documentary inserted...perhaps none of these folks wanted to get involved in this incomprehensible little mess of a movie."