Woodyanders Review of Squizzy Taylor

Squizzy Taylor (1982)

Nifty portrait of a notorious Australian criminal

[8/10 · 9 September 2014]

Wormy and diminutive, yet cunning and determined small-time hoodlum Squizzy Taylor (an excellent and energetic performance by David Atkins) rises to prominence and popularity in Melbourne, Australia in the 1920's. Squizzy romances brash moll Dolly (well played with winningly perky charm to spare by Jacki Weaver) and works for cagey bookie Henry Stokes (a fine portrayal by Cul Cullen) before branching out on his own while being hounded by the police and courted by the press the whole time. Director Kevin James Dobson relates the engrossing story at a steady pace and offers a flavorsome evocation of the vibrant era. Roger Sampson's colorful script makes a cogent point on how the press played a key role in making these gangsters heroes to the public at large by extensively covering their infamous exploits. Moreover, the filmmakers warrant additional praise for neither sanitizing nor romanticizing the main character in the least; instead they present a warts and all depiction of this weaselly back-stabbing little runt. The sound acting by the able cast keeps this movie humming: Alan Cassell as the shrewd and corrupt Detective Brophy, Michael Long as Brophy's more hard-nosed and by the book colleague Detective Piggott, Kim Lewis as the sweet Ida Pender, Robert Hughes as eager reporter Reg Harvey, and Steve Bisley as brutish rival 'Snowy' Cutmore. Both Don Burstall's sumptuous cinematography and Bruce Smeaton's jaunty score are up to par. A worthwhile film.