Tan Lines

As somebody who has criticized many badly made American gay movies, I must blushingly admit that Australia has now joined the ranks of the incompetent in his field.

The premise of Tan Lines is good, if familiar, and the two boy lovers, played by Jack Baxter and Daniel O'Leary, are effective. In fact, Baxter is perfectly cast as the lovely, attractive teenager and is a reasonable actor. O'Leary is almost as good as the troubled older boy, Cass. Their love scenes are the best things in the film. In fact, without Jack Baxter the film would be a complete waste of time. You really do want him to get his man. Apart from a few good jokes, the rest is appalling. The acting rarely rises above that of a third rate amateur theatrical group.

The director Ed, continually misjudges the film's pace, relying on long shots of the surf when he should have left most of it on the cutting room floor and lifted the pace of the film. He mis-casts the brothers Cass and Dan, so that the ineptly acted younger brother Dan is 16 and looks about 23, whilst his older gay brother Cass looks about 20.

The opening shot, that of Jack Baxter asleep with his headphones on, goes on and on and on. Why? Surely it can't be so that we can have the joyous experience of listening to the crappy rock music that boys of his type seem addicted to? There are some interesting and quirky moments which in a better film would have been effective. The fact that the boy sleeps with his abandoned mother, clearly in very difficult circumstances, emphasizes the shallow life that many in the film lead. (In a nice touch we never see her, only her sleeping body buried under bedclothes.) The loony aunt of the boy's putative girlfriend (easily the most dreadful piece of acting I can recall) lives a large house almost empty of furniture. What goes on there is bizarre, and again, could have been delicious in a better film.

Sadly, Tan Lines is just a badly made, badly scripted, badly acted and overlong film. I can almost guarantee that apart from Christian Willis as the teacher, none of the cast is professional and boy does it show. The last thing this film is is a gem, or anything else of substance.

I'm not sure why people rated this film so poorly. I enjoyed it a great deal. It all depends on the main reason why one watches a film, I guess.

To me, the most important thing is the characters. Are they interesting? Would I like to spend the next 90 minutes to 2 hours with them? Do I care what happens to them? In the case of "Tan Lines" the answer is "yes".

Some reviewers find that there is no plot. Well that's pretty much how real life is. And this is a slice of real life.

The fact that the actors are not professional ones helps the film to be believable. They are all excellent, and I can't imagine why we have not seen them in anything else. Jack Baxter is especially good, depicting the uncertainty of a 16 year-old, which he was at the time. He is also very cute, which doesn't hurt. :-)

Director Ed Aldridge shot a fine film and should be congratulated. I also enjoyed his commentary tremendously. He is informative and funny, which is great considering that many commentaries are neither.

Bottom line: if you need a super plot and huge special effects, other films will suit you better. If you want to relive your teenage years with believable characters played by good actors, you will spend a nice 109 minutes!

"All I want from this life is a little space. That's all I want."

Those who say this film lacks heart clearly have never found themselves aware of the doldrums of everyday life. Or they simply lack a keen eye for subtlety. One of the things I love most about this film is its utter lack of a compositional score. There is no music safe for the songs we hear, quite lifelessly from Midget's headphones. In fact, lifeless is a marvelous word to describe this film because in its lack of heart, lies the terrible melancholy and truth of nothingness. It's about people trying to find something from nothing. It seems like a trite notion, and one which many independent filmmakers have tackled with little success, because of their indulgence and incessant naval-gazing. But here, "Tan Lines" writer and director, Ed Aldrige, has concocted a deliberately (and perfectly) paced art film about a community in a listless Oceanside town in Australia.

At first, the acting seems stiff. But then it becomes clearer that the characters' words are but sounds coming out of their mouths, with little meaning or punch behind them. They talk for the sake of talking. They try to express themselves, but only wind up exchanging banalities without really finding the motivation to say anything that matters to them. The acting is then perfectly synched with the tone of film which is listless. And wonderfully so.

It won't be everybody's cup of tea. People who love sweeping climaxes and funny gags to get them through a film would do well to look elsewhere. But for those who appreciate well made small films with an intention to entice and provoke feeling and thought, may find something to chew on from "Tan Lines". Not to mention, the film is beautifully shot. It's very static and coloured quite dryly, like the sun had made all of the colours fade.

In terms of the plot, it is quite bare, but rich with the nuances in the everyday life of this group of young surfers. Aldrige never spoon feeds you information or character motivations, yet his film never comes off as lazy or un-focused. It is a gift to watch a film wherein a filmmaker trusts his audience enough not to explain every single act that is being committed, but instead finds a way to keep the story moving along while making us believe every single character we see on screen. There is also a nice reference to Ms. Havisham from Dickens' "Great Expectations" in one of the characters, though that is my own interpretation. Again, a wonderful instance where a strange character is never explained, but merely meant to make you ponder after the film has ended. That is what I look for in films. I prefer to be left thinking once the credits roll. I know some moviegoers prefer simply to leave the theater feeling good, but for a more satisfying experience at the cinema, I do recommend well made small films like "Tan Lines" which leave mysteries up for the viewer to decide on. That is the beauty of art.

I'm sorry if I sound pretentious. There have been terribly negative reviews of this film, so take this as my counter argument, instead of a simple review.

A contemporary masterpiece of the Arthouse genre, featuring impressive performances by adolescent lead actors and a more mature supporting one (Christian Willis). Atmosphere and emotion without neglecting the plot. The incorporation of elderly amateur actors and surreal elements doesn't really fit in, but could be explained as an exercise in style, done by the director to make his long-film debut more diverse. - Absolute recommendation for all gay and straight audiences interested in coming-out related stories, and that - in my opinion - from the age of 12, unlike the actual certifications.

I thought I had seen more than enough gay coming of age stories. Some told well, others not so well. It's a genre that is unbeatable: pretty young thing figures out who he or she is.

TAN LINES is a gay coming of age tale but it is amazingly up to date.

This movie is a wonderful surprise---a small gem, really. The photograph on the DVD and the title are actually misleading. The actor on the cover is not the lead, though he is good.

The standout performance in TAN LINES is the by the actor playing the main character. Jack Baxter is absolutely sensational as a smart and mouthy youth coming of age. He is attracted to other boys but also lets himself be distracted by females.

The Australian director of this movie has done a gorgeous job of creating a totally believable world of young slacker/surfers. This screenplay for TAN LINES is smart, funny, sexy, interesting and compelling.

Bravo to all involved, especially Jack Baxter!