Somersault
It doesn't exactly make sense to me why Somersault won so many awards in 2004. Was it just a weak year in Australian filmmaking? Again, Somersault is formidable in its production values- the acting, directing, cinematography and writing was all quite good. However, the movie just doesn't have any "wow" factor. (The viewer is just too depressed to say wow anyhow. Well, of course you will likely utter to yourself or your viewing partner "Wow I am depressed now. What do I do now?")
Its definitely good to have films to express the horrors of teen runaways, and teen prostitution. However, in the case of Somersault the movie is a bit difficult for the viewer to sit through. The most interesting thing about this film is it really does seem like some woman's sordid true story about what happened to her as a teen in Australia.
This dose of reality is sobering; however, the viewer of Somersault may prefer to avoid this and stay tipsy. (There is a pretentious sounding quote for the week. Let's see if I make it to the front page of HDFEST.com!)
Grading
Visuals: A- The film has pretty exceptional cinematography, but part of this is due to taking advantage of the local landscapes in Australia, near Canberra
Story: C
Acting: A
Originality/Innovation: C
Enjoyability: NA
Overall: C+ (If you liked Candy, run out and see Somersault immediately.)
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