By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.25
Director: Cate Shortland
Starring: Abbie Cornish | Damian De Montemas | Hollie Andrew | Lynette Curran | Olivia Pigeot | Sam Worthington
Country: australia
Year: 2006
Running time: 106
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381429/
Michael says: “SOMERSAULT is a little Australian film that had a brief run earlier this year (yes, it’s eligible) but is now available on DVD. Director Cate Shortland’s debut feature is Heidi’s coming-of-age tale; where a young woman begins discovering
her sexuality and how she can use it, along with the resulting intended or unintended consequences. Heidi lives with her mother, who seems to spend a lot of time down at the local bar, and her mother’s boyfriend, who spends a lot of time hanging around the house, and could be an alcoholic. One morning, while bored and perhaps a little curious, Heidi kisses her mother’s boyfriend while he lies in bed and is caught by her mother. This results in Heidi’s fleeing from her home to a ski resort where she finds some work and some male companionship. She also finds a surrogate mom who helps her out. Yet even as things start to come together for her, past mistakes reach out to knock her off her path. When her young life starts to spin out of control, she must decide upon a course which will either lead her into a dark future, or back home.
“This is a quietly introspective film, with good performances by the principals, and a solid screenplay. Shortland makes some interesting choices as a director, and while there might be just a little too much slow motion, the overall tone is strong. The resort town setting makes for an interesting backdrop, and the class issues that are touched upon add depth without being didactic. 3 ½ cats.”
Carolyn says: “Not especially memorable for me. A daughter goes off to another town to escape her mother and ‘experience the world.’ The claim (in plot summaries that she explores love and sex with an older man is not the central issue. The movie is about finding herself and creating an identity away from her mother. 3 cats”