Five Faves: Bryan Brown picks what to watch in isolation

Need some help deciding what to watch while you're stuck at home? We ask Australian actors and directors, whose films are streaming at SBS On Demand, for five movie recommendations.

Dean Spanley, Bryan Brown, Jeremy Northam

Bryan Brown with Jeremy Northam in ‘Dean Spanley’. Source: Transmission Films

Beloved film and television actor Bryan Brown’s CV is ridiculously extensive, and crammed with plaudits and multiple awards. In the 1980s he carved out a successful career in Hollywood; since then, he has been primarily committed to the Australian industry. Not just a fine actor, Bryan has worked as a producer on feature films such as Beautiful Kate and TV series such as Twisted Tales and Two Twisted.

He was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 2018 received the AACTA Longford Lyell Award for lifetime achievement.

Tell us a little about the film you star in, Dean Spanley.

Dean Spanley, starring Sam Neill, Peter O’Toole, Jeremy Northam and myself, was shot in Norwich, England in 2007. Matthew Metcalfe, the New Zealand producer, had loved the novel My Talks with Dean Spanley for a number of years but wasn’t quite sure how to make a film of it. Enter two dogs and he had a movie. Warm, funny and poignant. A very original film and maybe the great Peter O’Toole’s last. Directed by Toa Fraser.

Watch Dean Spanley

now at SBS On Demand

Bryan also stars in Warwick Thornton’s 2017 film

Sweet Country, now streaming at SBS On Demand

What are your 5 favourite films at SBS On Demand?

1. Wings of Desire

1987
Director: Wim Wenders
Cast: Otto Sander, Bruno Ganz, Curt Bois
Country: Germany
Language: German

My favourite ever film. Directed by Wim Wenders it had a profound effect on me. I saw it in London and for the next several days whenever I looked out of a cab window and saw a man standing by himself on the kerbside, I would see an angel hanging over his shoulder. Stars Bruno Ganz. A great actor.

Watch Wings of Desire

now at SBS On Demand

2. Withnail and I

1987
Director: Bruce Robinson
Cast: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths
Country: UK
Language: English

Brilliant English comedy. Dark, witty, hilarious, written and directed by Bruce Robinson, who had previously been nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay of The Killing Fields. A vastly different movie. Introduced audiences to Richard E. Grant.

Watch Withnail and I

now at SBS On Demand

3. Volver

2006
Director: Pedro Almovódar
Cast: Penelope Cruz, Yohana Cobo
Country: Spain
Language: Spanish

Directed by the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. Love his movies. With the wonderful Penelope Cruz. Plenty of great women in this comedic film with ghosts and murder.

Watch Volver

now at SBS On Demand

4. Let The Right One In

2008
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Cast: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish

Don’t remember it all but I do remember how surprised I was that I liked it so much. A vampire! Youth and vulnerability.

Watch Let The Right One In

now at SBS On Demand

5. Downfall

2004
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Cast: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes
Country: Italy
Language: German

The story of Hitler’s last days. Only saw it recently. Bruno Ganz again. Fascinating. The whole evil gang is there – Eva Braun, Albert Speer and Goebbels and family.

Watch Downfall

now at SBS On Demand

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