Teenage Kicks (2016) Reviews

• Daring and Evocative Experience

  david-rector-850922016-09-16

  Just when I thought 2016 would be pretty much a dead loss for Australian cinema, along comes 'Teenage Kicks'. Craig Boreham's screenplay and direction signal the arrival of a major talent in storytelling and filmmaking. It is refreshing to see a powerful and brave local production which explores such a collision of themes. This is not a rite of passage tale, it is a full on roller-coaster of a coming of age story with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer not only engaged but wondering how it will all play out. While I was watching 'Teenage Kicks' I was reminded of movies like Ana Kokinos' 'Head On' (another visceral and edgy Aussie movie), Robert Redford's 'Ordinary People' and a much loved French classic from the mid 80's 'L'homme Blesse' (The Wounded Man). But I am not declaring that Teenage Kicks is derivative in any way; but it has the balls to explore such a panoply of ideas: such as lust, yearning, belonging, mateship, grief, loss, confusion, trauma and identity. The protagonist Mik; played with great presence by Miles Szanto is all at sea within his being. His burgeoning sexuality; his unfathomable loss early in the narrative and his falling in and out of the darker recesses of sexuality and liberation afford the character and the audience a very up close and personal trip through Mik's turbulent ride. I struggled at times with accepting that the lead character was still a teenager; his very defined features and gravitas on screen; whilst necessary for the dramatic content, did not seem believable for a 17 year old that he was written as.However the actor was so captivating that in the end, this was a quibble I could live with. Daniel Webber who played his best mate, was perfectly cast with a moment in time duality of still in some ways being a boy; but with a man's body and energy. Szanto and Webber had surprisingly great chemistry and there were some brilliantly staged and electric moments between them. Anni Finsterer, a seasoned stage and screen performer had some terrific moments in a role that could have been marginalised by a lesser talent. The film is handsomely photographed and has plenty of evocative exterior sequences as well as some intimate and confronting interiors. I loved the texture to the screenplay. A film that can cohesively weave elements of culture, gender, sexuality, erotica and adolescence in one is a bona fide achievement. I found it moving, troubling,insightful and illuminating. I sincerely hope it gets more attention and an audience.

• Fantastic Aussie film, well worth watching

  huguespt2017-05-20

  Now this is a movie that makes me proud to be an Aussie. I can not fault any actor in this movie from the main characters to support characters, even location shoots and cinematography. It is s a superb script, well written and directed however even with a great story and director if the cast were mediocre, so would the movie be however the actors in this gave 100%, one would wonder how they can score higher in their art. Special mentions to the two main characters, Miles Szanto and Daniel Webber, again I mention just two however all cast deserve a big 10 stars for their part as the whole movie rolls on with no pregnant pauses because of the support cast. Also the location people deserve a 10 as well. No this does not have wild and spectacular CGI but it needs none of it. It is a raw and gritty movie of the turbulence of Milos and his best friend Dan who is pulled into a world spiraling out of control and with little skill or worldly knowledge to deal with his best mate's issue. It is sad, happy and just a fantastic movie made so also because Aussie film makers find it hard to get funding and for a movie with Gay tendencies, even harder. I think I have given one 10 and that was because it deserved a higher ranking which I stated so in my write up, this deserves better than a 10. Congratulations to everyone involved.

• A heavy but compelling movie, with an excellent leading actor.

  johannes2000-12019-01-24

  The title "Teenage kicks" seems a strange choice for the kind of movie that this is, it sounds cheap and suggestive, something like a Larry Clark movie, while in fact it's an extremely serious, sincere and touching movie that really grabs you by the throat. There's another Craig Boreham movie dating from 2009, a short, that's called "Drowning", which is in fact the basis for this version, apparently Boreham extended the short storyline to a full length feature film, unfortunately with this new lame title "Teenage kicks" (while "Drowning" would have been a perfect title for this extended version as well, but maybe it's not allowed to use the same title for two different features). I remember seeing the short as part of one of the "Boys on Film" series and thought it back then very intriguing and fully satisfying, so it's quite an achievement that Boreham could construct this whole new "large" story around it and that it actually works! Thank God he was able to use again the major actor from the short, Miles Szanto, who in those 7 years did not lose any of his youthful appearance and plays the very demanding part of young, insecure and emotionally tormented Mik to perfection. It's about a young Australian boy from immigrant background who has a very strained relationship with his parents (actually, in the course of the movie some family-skeletons that involve Mik pop out of the closet), which deteriorates even more when his older and idolized big brother is killed by a traffic-accident for which Mik (as does his father) feels highly responsible. To make things worse he has to cope with the fact that his best friend Dan, for whom Mik has a secret crush, gets involved with a girl, so Mik feels suddenly excluded and alone. He starts a chaotic quest for recognition and affection which leads him to all kinds of wrong people, before at last he chooses again for his family. It's basically a coming-of-age story: dealing with guilt, with confusing sexual feelings, with conflicts among family and friends. As said before, Miles Szanto as Mik is excellent and totally convincing. In spite of Miks at times bad choices and his impulsive tantrums, you team up with him form the start and at many points in the movie his forlornness breaks your heart. There are harsh moments (his father battering and abusing him; his - whether or not intended - suicide attempt; the way his friend Dan assaults and virtually rapes him), as well as other moments of haunting beauty, like when his friend Dan gently bathes him in the shower or the sexual encounter that Mik has with a cruising anonymous guy, where Mik for the first time experiences the glory of sexual fulfillment. It's a lot to divulge, but Boreham brings it all with great feeling and compassion. If anything, I have only some slight reservations about the family storyline, maybe my understanding of the English with Australian accent was inadequate (I'm Dutch) but I didn't quite grasp the nature of this big family-skeleton. And I simply couldn't grasp the ending where Mik chooses for his - by then invalidated - father, I thought the old mans malicious brutality towards his son was beyond forgiveness. So to me this made it a bit hard to experience in the end some sort of conclusion or catharsis for Mik. Well, maybe Boreham didn't intend any, it's simply life, where conclusions are not guaranteed. Anyway: very recommendable, especially for Miles Szanto.

• Great Film - Great Australian Film great drama.

  douglasbrook-12017-08-24

  Great Acting. Great Script. Clever Editing. Great Direction - Great film! So moving. Brings up all the feelings of being a teenager and being hit by life when you are young and inexperienced. Loved the Sydney atmosphere. The Actors are all perfect. Perfectly nuanced and realised. I really loved this film although it was sad and hard to watch sometimes. Excellent drama.