short takes (2)

Australian movies haven't exactly conquered the American scene, but they have become a substantial presence, which is a lot more than they were a few years ago. Unfortunately, the latest import from Down Under is less impressive than many of its predecessors. Caddie is the story of a working-class woman who crawls up the ladder of worldly success during the great depression, using dubious methods that are commonplace in yarns like this. It could have been a dramatic tale (like, say, Fassbinder's "The Marriage of Maria Braun") if it weren't so relentlessly slick. IT seems the director, Donald Crombie, cares more for pretty pictures than for authen ticity. The result is unmemorable.