Sirens (film)



Sirens is a 1993 drama film starring Hugh Grant, Tara Fitzgerald and Sam Neill. It is set in Australia during the two World Wars and follows a British Anglican priest (Grant) and his wife (Fitzgerald) on holiday in Australia and asked by a bishop to visit the artist Norman Lindsey (Neill) when his paintings have been declared too vulgar and offensive to be used in an exhibition. When visiting the artist's home, the couple are baffled and almost attracted by the free and loose ways that Lindsey's models flaunt their sexuality. The film acts as a study into the psyche of Estella's mind as she fantasizes and begins to act on her impulses.

This was one of three films that brought Hugh Grant to the attention of American audiences. Also features Portia de Rossi in her film debut.


 * Acceptable Feminine Goals: Subverted. The models all have their own ambitions which are surprising for the time they live in. Giddy wishes to become an actress, Sheila an artist and Pru wants to be an aviatrix.
 * All Just a Dream: Estella assumes is this. She's wrong.
 * All Women Are Lustful: Rather the film puts across the message that all women should be lustful.
 * Alpha Bitch: Sheila seems to show traits of this.
 * Based on a True Story: Based on the life of artist.
 * Billing Displacement: Elle Macpherson is on the film's poster next to Hugh Grant despite her character being about fifth in terms of importance. The actual other leads Tara Fitzgerald and Sam Neil aren't on the poster at all.
 * Bitch Alert: Pru and Sheila.
 * Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: All of the models, with Rose and Estella included that adds two more brunettes.
 * Bob Haircut: Estella.
 * British Stuffiness: Hugh Grant's character, coupled with being a minister. Subverted in a way when we see that the people in the Australian town are like this as well, judging by their attitude when Lindsey's models walk into the bar.
 * Color-Coded for Your Convenience: The models. Pru and Sheila are always shown in bold and bright colours to reflect how open they are about their sexuality while Estella is shown in softer and more subdued colours to reflect how repressed she is. Giddy is shown in a lot of white to reflect her innocence.
 * Costume Porn
 * Enthralling Siren: Sheila and Pru act as these to Estella and Giddy with regards to their sexuality.
 * Fan Disservice: The scene where Estella imagines herself naked in the middle of the Church. It's hard to get off to it when you see her so terrified and trying to cover herself up.
 * Fiery Redhead: Sheila.
 * Fridge Brilliance: How was Lindsey able to ? Because Sheila sketched her while she was asleep.
 * Hair of Gold: Giddy is the most innocent of the models and gets a little story arc about how her sexuality matures. To drive the point home she spends a lot of the movie wearing a white dress.
 * Hilarious in Hindsight: Giddy saying she's done with men now comes across as an Actor Allusion now that Portia De Rossi is open about being a lesbian.
 * Imagine Spot: Several.
 * It's Not Porn, It's Art
 * Latin Lover
 * Letting Her Hair Down: A variation where Estella's bobbed hair is usually shown drawn back behind her ears but when she  it's much looser reflecting her new attitude.
 * Meaningful Name: "Giddy" is certainly very much so. "Sheila" is also an Australian slang word for an alluring woman.
 * Mood Whiplash: A soft and calm daydream sequence in the church gets immediately jolted into a different mood completely when Estella imagines she's naked in public.
 * Nipple-and-Dimed: Subverted in-universe where the church doesn't necessarily mind the nudity in Lindsey's paintings, only when it's coupled with other controversial subject matter.
 * Rapunzel Hair: All the models, Norman's wife included. Presumably this is to contrast with Estella's bobbed hair to show their freer personalities.
 * Really Gets Around: Sheila, according to Giddy.
 * Rule of Three
 * Scenery Porn
 * Tomboy: There's one scene where the village boys are shown playing in the river with a tomboyish girl.
 * What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic