Warmer than a day tracking through the Northern Territory without an inch of air-con, Top End Wedding hits all the right notes for an enlightening watch!

 

Starring and co-written by Miranda Tapsell, Top End Wedding is as funny as it is heart-warming. Tapsell plays Lauren, an up-and-coming lawyer who becomes engaged to Ned (Gwilym Lee of Bohemian Rhapsody fame). Coming from different cultural backgrounds, Lauren soon finds her wedding is more than a reason for a homecoming, but a fresh path to self discovery too. The pair fly to Lauren's home in the Northern Territory to find that her mum has gone AWOL, leaving dad (Huw Higginson) lost and bewildered. Lauren simply knows she has to have her mum by her side in time for her quickly impending nuptials. With T minus 10 days until her strict boss needs her back in the office, this wedding needs to happen, and it needs to happen NOW.

 

Cue comedy gold from Lauren's bridesmaids (who are quite literally throwing together a wedding), showing the audience how spectacular Australian comedy can be. Thank goodness for those producing local films that can expand our horizons, because frankly, sometimes one feels stale and stuck in Hollywood's backyard. 

 

Prepare yourself for a breath of fresh air as Lauren and English fiance Ned drive cross-country to find Lauren's mum. The scenery is nothing short of impossibly-beautiful and watching two people with such different traditions and backgrounds discover such common ground is a beautiful thing to watch.

 

While an Australian rom-com might not be something you think could fly, Top End Wedding is here to surprise. With just a few spots of awkwardness or stiff script, this film is a little rough around the edges in the most genuine way. Featuring a combination of both professional and amateur actors, it's a local film that should go far. Make sure you keep an ear out for the beautiful Aboriginal music throughout.

 

I hope people across Australia are rejoicing in this heartfelt film that not only shows the country's jaw-droppingly-spectacular landscapes, but the magnificent people who inhabit it.