In the backwaters of Australia, sisters naive Dimity Hurley (Miranda Otto) and older obsessive Vicki-Ann Hurley (Rebecca Frith) compete for an older creakily radio station DJ Ken Sherry. He's not pretty but the disconnected poetry spouting thrice divorced man is new in town.The sisters' relationship and their fascination with this man drive this movie. The movie is spiced up with good music. It's strangely compelling and fun. It's an odd little indie from down under.

For those who have already seen this must-see film:One of the favorable reviews above describes 'curious "fish" diversions and erratic surreal moments will have a large audience drop off.' That reviewer still loves the film, as do I, so I conclude that he or she unconsciously got the message.At the climatic moment of the film, a whole different aspect of events becomes clear, and everything in the movie is simultaneously more funny, more serious,and more affecting. I don't know of another film like it! I think it is one of the all-time great movies.Those surreal "fish" moments are not mere diversions on the director's part... they are markers which at that moment are revealed as bits of action seen thru the eyes of the younger sister, who passes as eccentric in the small-town atmosphere... which is the movie's main POV...until that flash of retrospective clarity. I won't say more, just wanted to communicate with viewers who love the film but still feel confused. The reverberations are wide, but the story is, finally, clear!

Just because Dimity sees gills doesn't mean they're really gills. She is, after all, pretty weird. The ending shows Dimity's "I Wuv You" balloon tied to Sherry's body definitely moving away, but Sherry's not visible under water, and the film has set up the river as a place where dogs can be taken away, either by big black holes or large fish. This movie is better if you don't assume you know what's going on under water or what those strange marks on Sherry's neck truly mean. Is he a fish? Really?! Does he truly die at the end? The sisters' reaction to Sherry's "death" is what's really interesting here, whether he's a fish or not.

"Love Serenade" is a quirky and original film. I'm reminded of Pauline Kael's remark about "Passport to Pimlico" - "comedy with a fine flavour." I'd never heard of this and only rented it because of a recommendation by David Stratton on the cover. And I'm glad I got it out - it's been years since I liked a film this much. It's generally quiet, but its off-kilter humour is really very funny, and its observations about the sexes are poignant and even disturbing. The soundtrack is a key factor; it's a great collection of smooth seventies soul tracks, but they're used ironically, and you feel a little guilty for enjoying them so much. The performances are really fine, too. In all it's a wonderful film and it needs to be seen.