The facts behind Australia's Lindy Chamberlain case are so extraordinary that they easily survive director Fred Schepisi's laborious treatment, to provide a movie that sticks in the mind and should set you arguing for weeks.

It seems unbelievable, given the total lack of proof, not to mention motive, weapon or body, that any jury could have convicted Chamberlain of the murder of her baby daughter.

Yet, just two decades ago, this is exactly what took place.

Camping at night, Lindy heard the baby cry and returned to her tent to glimpse a dingo fleeing and her baby gone.

The film makes us believe that, even if the theory of the animal carrying off the child is unproven, the murder of the baby by her mother is even less likely.

Meryl Streep (whose Australian accent sounds fine to the untutored ear) and Sam Neill are first-rate as the distraught parents, and the film finally does good emotive work at the end, even if it's a long haul.

But the final question you'll be asking is not how good a film this is, but how could this happen?