Hearts and Bones

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.

From the explanatory notes on Sky, I was expecting something along the lines of 'The Killing Fields'. But this film is quite outstanding and thought-provoking, taking its own very unique direction with its subject. It doesn't focus on the horrors of war, but rather the impact on its victims and its witnesses. It unpicks the moral questions that surround war photography, how it can filter reality, and whose right is it to judge the actions of others who are dealing with their own individual tragedies. All four leads - the female partners of the photographer and the refugee are just as crucial to the story - are excellent and portrayed with delicate balance. The film suddenly develops two climaxes, neatly juxtaposing catharses at different levels by all four characters. Bolude Watson's performance is particularly spellbinding, not least because you begin by not expecting much contribution from her character but she becomes a crucial catalyst in the development of all the other characters and the plot. Powerful stuff. Highly recommended.

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 .

The story is really heavy. It makes you go through all sorts of emotions. It makes you truly feel what it is like in Dan's or Sebastian's shoes. It is an effective and powerful film. Be mentally prepared for it before you watch it!

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.