Hearts and Bones

Great performances from all the cast, particularly the leads , and a wonderful story combining brilliant sub stories within which heightened the drama and gave insight into the Dreadful impacts on persons caught in a war zone , anywhere in the world , from the participators to the observers, to the partners of both - in this case , the observer, a photo journalist ( Weaving) freshly returned from Iraq, an encounter with a Sudanese refugee ( Andrew Luri in his first ever role ) , the participant - which evolves into a friendship and the partners of each of these men and their own stories. The interaction with a group of survivors of other war zones in a peaceful setting, all with their own stories , was wonderful, and a type of healing for them all. We could only guess at each of their stories and the hardships they had suffered before they ever arrived in Sydney, but the pain behind the smiles was palpable, and telling in itself. . The Sudanese story peeled off layer by layer - and I do not want to include spoilers. Suffice to say the film tore at the heartstrings in more ways than one , but deftly done, thought provoking and a truly great story. See it if you can - so glad we paid the funds to see this movie that may never have a cinema release due to the Covid crises . Weaving excellent as always as were all the cast .

Hearts and Bones is not an easy film to watch. Full of harsh truths and the messiness that is life, it upends our notions of right and wrong and causes one to reflect upon perspective and time and circumstance. Do not miss the photo sequence at the end.

My Review - Hearts and Bones - My Rating 7/10

Hearts and Bones is a brand new Australian movie that was due for release in Cinemas last Thursday. I don't really like reviewing movies that are meant to be seen in the Cinema but with Cinemas shut due to COVID 19 there's no choice if you want to see this film. Its been made available for rental on Foxtel for the same charge as it would be if you saw it at a Cinema. It's worth seeing for four reasons Hugo Weaving gives his usual wonderful performance cast as Dan Fisher a photographer obviously suffering deep trauma due to the horrors of his experiences in War Zones . Daniel Fisher is preparing an exhibition of his work from the world's war zones. When Sebastian Ahmed also an excellent performance played by Sudanese Australian Actor Andrew Luri (an amazing film debut) learns that this exhibition may display photographs of a massacre in his village, he finds Daniel and appeals to him to exclude those photographs. The whole premise of the film is why Sebastian wants the photos excluded from Dan's exhibition? No spoilers from me . The two women who play Dan's pregnant partner and Sebastian wife in the film are also impressive especially Bolude Watson as Arnishka Ahmed she deserves her win as 2019 Casting Guild of Australia Rising Star Award and her nomination as AACTA Best Supporting Actress. Hayley McElhinney as Dan's supportive partner who tries desperately to understand his trauma and manage a dangerous pregnancy is very impressive also You've probably gathered I liked the performances more than the script and film itself. It's a very moving film and received standing ovations at film festivals like Toronto. I can't say what bothered or disturbed me concerning the outcome of the story because it would spoil the film for others and it's an Australian film that deserves to be seen. We need to support our Film industry especially at this time and Hearts and Bones deserves to be seen.

There have been some Australian movie gems that have been important and very watchable and this is one of them. Excellent acting, a very good, realistic script, a story that should be told. I'm not sure if in real life the ending would be quite so happy but I'm glad this one was as it felt right for this film. A must watch for any serious movie goer who appreciates reality and the human journey, friendships that go beyond and for a change, relationships that are open about fragility and vulnerability without a host of ugly games. A very good film.

This film is a little gem especially if you are someone that has traveled overseas and seen the madness and sadness of war and want to see a unique different perspective on how to view the human story. The directing and writing is done in a manner that makes you really get deep into the characters and it had surprises that were eloquently done. It is not a commercial piece or a fast moving hollywood story but as an indy lover it was a breath of fresh air. The acting by all characters were superbly done and Hugo Weaving and Andrew Luri are exceptional. I can only imagine what it is like for a war massacre survivor to experience life after such a tragic event but to then have to confront it through a war photographers eyes makes us realize how personal these events are to those that suffer on both ends of the spectrum. A real gem of a film. A solid 8 and hope it wins some more Awards.