David Caesar has a penchant for telling Australian stories, and, in a way, is a true patriot. It is 1969, and the Mafia decides to muscle in on the poker-machine revenue-skimming scheme in Kings Cross. Tony (Goodman) and Sal (Williamson) are sent down under to make Barry (Brown) an offer he can't refuse. But Barry is happy with the way things are. With assistance from wife Sharon (Collette) and mate Hollywood (McInnes), he displays a level of resistance to the offer that the Americans don't expect. Dirty Deeds reinforces Caeser's usual themes of mateship as Tony realises the futility of trying to take over Sydney and sighs that the whole of the community from friends, wives, politicians, police and barmen, all seem to be involved in the underworld operations. The film is fast-paced, stylishly directed, with comic-strip-style camera work. It affectionately mocks the people and period it is set in. Some of the characters seem to be caricatures at times, and the story itself isn't particularly original, with predictable plot points. But it is a reasonably entertaining gangster/action film, Australian style.