Somersault

Australia 2004, 107 minutes
Dir. Cate Shortland
Rating: [R16]
Genres: Drama / Youth, Girl-centric

Feat. Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran, Erik Thomson

Aroview: Visually impressive though underwritten account of a fragile Australian teenager who flees her home for the wider world after being caught in bed with her mother's boyfriend.

Relocating to a tatty ski resort town, Cornish makes various desultory connections with the locals, slowly navigating the discrepancies between love and sex. Shot with a tumbledown intimacy and subdued rawness, this eschews the abrasiveness of UNDER THE SKIN for a more soulful exploration of similar territory. Won't resonate with all, but all the same, a highly promising directorial debut for Shortland.

NZ International Film Festival 2004

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-2 of 2 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) Beautifully shot coming–of–age film. An emotionally troubled Heidi leaves an unsuitable homelife to start anew in a new town. She meets and falls for Joe, a boy from a much wealthier family, who seems to bring out a self-destructive side in her. ~GenXGirl
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3 stars (Good Enough) A directorial debut to be proud of. Abbie Cornish is terrific as the lead. ~Tubbs