Oh, how delightful! I absolutely love this movie! It is so genuine and unpretentious. Good, solid storytelling and acting, and wonderfully funny. This is pure magic. This was the film time I saw Hugh Jackman, and I've been hooked since then...on this movie AND on Hugh Jackman! This remains one of my favorite Hugh Jackman films and also one of my favorite movies. Absolutely bloody fantastic, mate!

Before Hugh Jackman became the Hollywood Superstar that he is today and became known to Comic Book fans as Wolverine from the X-Men franchise,he starred in this Australian Romantic Comedy where he plays a handsome truck driver named Jack who has a secret. He loves writing romantic novels and since no one wants to hear of a man writing a romantic novel he used his best friend's name Ruby Vale to keep up his fascade. But later in the film we meet a woman named Ziggy who wants Ruby to go to Sydney to talk about the book that she was suppose to write unaware its really Jack that wrote it,so Jack and Ruby decide to go to Sydney to promote the book but when they spend some time together Jack falls for his best friend Ruby.But how long will this fascade last for and does Ziggy smell a rat and has a thing for Jack and will Jack admit that he loves Ruby despite the fact she is getting married to someone else?Now the only Australian film I seen Jackman in was Australia with Nicole Kidman and seeing him use his own accent in this film was a delight. Also he was rather young this time. I enjoyed this movie as its incredibly underrated and we get to hear Jackman sing Crying with his female co-star. Bottom line if you never heard of Jackman and you are new to him,well be my guest and check him out in his film debut from his hometown before he starred in big budget films in Hollywood and became one of Hollywood's attractive leading men and a versatile actor. I became a fan of Hugh Jackman since Kate & Leopold and the original X-Men movies not to mention his my favorite celeb crush too as his a very handsome man.My advice just find the movie Paperback Hero and check it out. It reminded me of that film Hugh Jackman starred in next to Ashley Judd Someone Like You only a male version of that film.7/10

An early romantic comedy starring a younger but incredible charming Hugh Jackman. Then there is the beautiful Claudia Karvan who is equally charming and comedic as well. If it weren't for these two you would be bored out of your mind with Paperback hero. While the heart of this flick is in the right place there is no strong story to back it up. It is clear what they were trying to do. They are trying to tackle the Australian machismo or machismo in general. Only forgot to emphasize the contrast between of old thoughts and how it could be. The story of a truck driver writing romantic trash novels but who is afraid of coming out with this activity seems strong in potential. Only it barely is presented as a real problem in the film. The focus is on how the character of Hugh Jackman and Claudia Karvan interact with each other and how they supposedly can't be with each other. Since she is already engaged to one of the nicest guys in the world. Yes, this time they did not make it easy for a woman to bitch about her up and coming fiancée. Granted most of the fun comes from Hugh and Claudio messing about with each other. So you better like them otherwise don't even start watching this. Despite the slow pace and nothing really eventful happening I did enjoy it very much. It's a slightly forgettable comedy when the story is concerned. But honestly does that even matter with Hugh around. Who would pass up the opportunity to see this handsome fella speaking in his own tongue making him sexier than ever?

While this is not Romeo and Juliet, neither is anything else, except for Romeo and Juliet. (And, if I dare speak the heresy, it seems to me that even with that august work, for those of us who are not English Lit graduates the enjoyment would be enhanced if 'twere rendered into more accessible English, without losing the rhythm).Finally, an Australian filmmaker has (largely) resisted the temptation to portray rural Australians as cardboard Bruces and Sheilas that say 'fair dinkum' and call each other 'cobber' with thick, fabricated accents, a too-common tendency that has held the otherwise sophisticated local film industry back for years.This is a simple enough romantic tale of boy/girl finding each other - after the catalyst of being thrown together through circumstance lets them break through the barrier of friendship - and it is a movie that is hard not to like. If it does not move you greatly, it should at least cheer you up.