Johnny Moronic Television

Schapelle

Finally got around to watching this properly and was able to find a couple of extra things to cap. This telemovie was always going to be a tough sell to Australians. The case was/is very contentious with a number of theories floated (my favourite being baggage handlers transporting the drugs, if only because it's something to rib baggage handlers when they inevitably fuck up your luggage). This telemovie played at the most ridiculous time when Schapelle fervour was at its loudest and probably should have played before she was released to get the best view of it. Plus everyone in Australia knows the story backwards and inside out, so the telemovie felt irrelevant. I'm assuming that this would play better overseas.

Anyway, Schapelle is an OK look at what happened with enough speculation about what happened that would surely piss off her supporters but also throw up more contention. Why did that drug dealer go visit Schapelle in jail? To scare her? Didn't seem like it... Probably best seen as a break out role for Krew Boylan, who's been on the fringes for a while (she has some good brief nudity in Primal, if you're looking) and she does a decent imitation of Schapelle without overdoing it. And Jacinta Stapleton is pretty good with the Jonah Hill fake teeth as Schapelle's sister Mercedes. Funnily enough I was rewatching something the other day and couldn't help but think that Melissa George was a better lookalike for Mercedes and wouldn't necessarily need the fake teeth (oh wow, that sounds bad, but tell me I'm wrong).

I thought I mentioned this when I capped this off the TV, but apparently I didn't, but there's a brief nip-slip in the beach scene that comes out better in the HD version. As well as the brief nudity during the strip search scene.