Fantastic!

A Brilliant Conflict

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Blistering performances.

Do yourself a huge favour and stop watching after the second series. But if you absolutely have to watch the third series don't even think about watching the fourth series. Unless you want your high opinion of this series RUINED. It honestly doesn't even feel like the same show.Series four opens with the sudden realisation that almost ALL the main characters have left without ANY explanation whatsoever. They are just gone and never spoken of. Was there a mass firing of the actors or something? Did something so bad happen between the producers and the actors they wrote them out of the show and vowed never to speak their characters names again?In the place of some of the more lovable characters is some of the worst characters who have ever appeared on TV. Let's take Nikki for example: I thought I could not hate anyone more than Gabrielle in Series 1 (I started liking her more in Series 2) - then came Nikki in Season 4. This is a character that is so awful it makes you want to shoot the TV screen. Her sidekick Lucy isn't so great either. Come to think of it, none of the new characters are very likable. By the time you get a few episodes into season 4 one of the two lead characters (and also one of the two narrators) leaves the show. That's when you realise there's nothing left of this show. You continue watching, but only out of a very old Season 1 loyalty......What I really loved about the earlier series is the realism - we had twenty somethings getting drunk, smoking pot and popping pills. I felt like I was back in London for a minute there. This is actually what people in large cities do.What I didn't like was the occasional political preaching. One scene in particular I thought was blatantly an advert for pro-asylum seekers. Anyone who didn't agree with that was made to look ignorant and stupid. Hmm...I thought I was watching entertainment here, not listening to some self righteous university students giving a lecture. Another con about this show was some of the really bad acting. Whilst a lot of the main characters were pretty good (Claudia Karvan, Samuel JOhnson) a lot of the side characters looked like they were trying to act in a school play. There must have been thousands of people auditioning for these parts - you couldn't find anyone who could act? Also I have to get this off my chest: EVAN GET BRACES ON YOUR TEETH! CROOKED TEETH ARE NOT SEXY OR MYSTERIOUS OR UNIQUE!IN saying that I really, really enjoyed Season 1 and Season 2. I loved Claudia Karvan, Deborah Mailman, Michael Dorman and the actor who played Richie. And Vince Collisomo is one of the hottest actors ever on Australian television.Not sure what any of these actors are up to these days, but it was good to see Michael Dorman back as the lead character in Wonderland.I'd love to see Claudia and Deborah again too.I have given a 7 out of ten - 4 out of 5 for Series 1 & 2, 2 out of 3.5 for series 3 and 1 out of 3.5 for series 4.

The Secret LIfe of Us looks at the intertwining lives of a number twenty-something guys and girls all living in a block of flats in the trendy Melbourne Bayside suburb of St Kilda. I liked the concept of TSLOU and the story plots and acting were very engaging early on. However, by the time Joel Edgerton's character Wil left in series 2, certain weak elements had entered the show and it appeared the writing was on the wall. However, series 3 held its own and the introduction of new characters in series 4 gave the series a freshness that it needed. Alexandra Schepisi Anna Torv , Stephen Curry and Brooke Harmon were just right for the final series.I agree with a previous reviewer that Deborah Mailman's character Kelly failed to evolve and in my opinion her ingratiating busybody persona was irritating. The acting of Deborah Mailman was good, it was just that the character was not convincing and it was hard to believe that someone battling obesity could be central to the unfolding events of life in a block of flats peopled by cool young adults and the romantic focus of so many young males. Also, Sybilla Budd's character Gabrielle was rewarded with too much screen time and not enough interesting character development. Her acting grated a little and scenes with Claudia Karvan confirmed how good an actor Claudia is.By comparison, characters played by Claudia Karvan, Abi Tucker, Joel Edgerton and Damien de Montemas grew and enriched each scenario. The character Evan Wylde was probably the one with the most potential and was indeed beautifully played by the terrific actor Samuel Johnson. But I just think the writers didn't quite know how he should relate to Claudia Karvin's Alex, and their relationship as flatmates and possible lovers never quite found its basis in believable exchanges and by the end was flagging. And when Spencer McClaren's character Ritchie made it through a life-changing crisis, it became difficult to give him much to work on after that. Even Abi Tucker's Miranda ran out of puff.I know the show tried to cover many issues and this aspect has been criticised, but without issues in a drama, what's left? Just the minutiae of life - and we all know how interesting that is! 8/10

I started watching this series when I lived in Sydney and enjoyed it for it's perky yet unsweetened style. I enjoyed the characters played by Claudia Karvan, Samuel Johnson, Deborah Mailman and Abi Tucker and the clever "diary reading" story telling style but most of all I enjoyed the way it portrayed the environment. :-)Everyone knows it's never that hot in Melbourne ;-) but apart from that the series still captures the 'essence' of life as a 20-30-something in Australia's main cities.I missed the series so much when I moved back to Sweden that I had to buy it on DVD, and whenever I miss my home away from home too much I watch an episode to get a hit of "stralianisms". Enjoy!

I really used to enjoy 'The Secret Life of Us', it was realistic. and the characters, were interesting, complex and likable, ( with the exception of 'Ritchie'). I loved the first series, but it slowly went down hill. When it came back at the beginning of 2004, I was devastated to discover that some of my favourite characters had disappeared. I felt ripped off. I stopped watching the show after that first night, these new characters were boring and annoying. Especially the youngcharacter 'Brooke'. I wasn't at all surprised the show was axed, in fact I was pleased, I was irritated that they expected me to just forget and dismiss all the old characters, with no explanation of where they went, or at least whathappened to them...