The Price of Milk
directed by Harry Sinclair

Toby Marshall

The Price of Milk is a beautifully filmed comic love story that manages to be cute without being too sickly.

Rob (Karl Urban) and Lucinda (Danielle Cormack) live in an idyllic New Zealand valley. Gentle Brad Pitt lookalike Rob spends his days talking to his cows, even telling one that 'you've put on a little weight,' while Lucinda roams around looking suitably rustic. Everybody's happy - apart from their agrophobic farm dog - until one day Lucinda mows down an elderly Maori lady known as Auntie (Rangi Motu). Auntie is okay, but events start to take a seriously surreal turn after she puts a hex on Rob and Lucinda.

The tone of The Price of Milk is wilfully naive and folksy. And the blunt, matter of fact, way in which the New Zealanders deal with the increasing absurdity of their situation is amusing. If, however, you like your films any richer than Four Weddings and Funeral, you would be best advised to avoid this one.