WAYNE - film / by Stephanie Puls

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As a colleague said when I mentioned I was seeing a film called Wayne, "How Australian!" And if you pay any attention at all to the narrative around Australian films you'll know that Australians often have an aversion to seeing them. I'm afraid this doco is not a white knight that will turn that around.

A documentary about Australian motorcycle rider Wayne Gardner, to my mind this is a story that probably should have been told in 30 minute episode of Australian Story. He seems like a lovely, driven bloke and his wife at the time features heavily and adds a little interest but for me, this just isn't the stuff of a feature film.

To cut to the chase, if you know and love Wayne Gardner (a small cohort of my readers I suspect but who knows, I guess) then sure, his life story in film form is for you. But unfortunately this wasn't one where a fascinating story rose above my lack of interest in the motorcycles and racing to make it worth rushing to the cinema for.

Trailer here. Opens 6 September 2018.