An Underdog Of Australian Cinema: Fred Schepisi

'After seeing Fred Schepisi's latest film "Last Orders" (2001) I found myself wondering, why isn't Fred Schepisi like many other Australian and overseas directors these days, a household name? Given the success of not only "Last Orders" but many of Schepisi's earlier films, the fact that he successfully adapted a Booker prize winning novel and capably directed such well regarded actors as Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren among others, the question deserves more than just fleeting attention.'