Amy

I saw this movie at the Heartland Film Festival last year here in Indy, and I though it was probably one of the best movies I saw last year. Even if it wasn't, it was certainly the most original and different I've seen in quite a long time.

It is the story of Amy a young girl who has been mysteriously deaf-mute for several years, for no medical reason. She lives with her protective mother, played by Rachel Griffiths, who tries, with no avail, to understand her daughter's condition.

Most of the plot involves their move to small alley in a downtown Australian town, which is populated with all sorts of different, funny characters. The film goes along with just the right pacing---it doesn't rush or lag, just goes along, much like its characters, who aren't entirely sure of where their lives are going, but go on anyways.

This film blends tragedy, comedy, drama, and fantasy without every confining itself to one genre. It creates its own world, using nothing but a subtle script and incredible acting.

One more comment: I thought that the scene involving the little girl and the little guy, and his drumset had to be one of the cutest scenes I've seen in over a decade.

"Amy" is an Australian Post "(Almost) Famous "with the side themes of Rock 'n' Roll Giveth and Rock 'n' Roll Takes It Away, or Our Lives Were All Saved By Rock 'n' Roll.

Combining the kind of grittiness and optimistic magic realism of "Billy Elliott," with the Ozzie quirky characters of "Muriel's Wedding," "Amy" avoids over-sentimentalizing its story of a grieving rock star widow and daughter and the other dysfunctionals who befriend them against a range of outsiders.

The original music is enjoyable, the covers unusual and the little girl with the luminous eyes and surprising voice startlingly good.

Rachel Griffiths has great chemistry in a changing relationship with a strong Ben Mendelsohn as a reclusive musician who is as touched by the girl as she is by him.

The supporting nuts are great fun, especially when singing.

We also get a nice tour of Melbourne as a bonus.

(originally written 5/27/2001))

I'd have to say I wouldn't like this movie half as much as I do if the little girl, Amy, hadn't been such a wonderful actress. I was just blown away by her singing abilities, as well as her acting abilities. I hope we see more of Alana in the future.

The latest film from Australians Nadia Tass and David Parker (Malcom, The Big Steal, Stark, Mr Reliable, Ricky And Pete and Pure Luck) works superbly in some respects and woefully in others.

A little girl (Amy Enker) sees her rock star father (Nick Barker from The Reptiles) die from electrocution on stage. She then seems to be unable to speak or to even hear others. Her mother (Rachel Griffiths) refuses to have her daughter taken from her by welfare and they hide out in inner city Melbourne. There they meet assorted misfits and desperates including a musician called Robert (Ben Mendelsohn).

These film makers enjoy adding a slight touch of surrealism to their movies, especially to the peripheral characters. In Amy this takes the form of stupid eccentrics, in particular singing policemen, which some may find the most appealing element of the film but which I found annoying; only a distraction from that which is so much more effective.

The dramatic aspects of Amy are particularly strong. Rachel Griffiths and Ben Mendelsohn are two of our most emotive actors. The essential element of the film is the emotional pain the little girl and her mother are enduring caused by the death of a man they both loved dearly. Their grief is strongly portrayed.

The search by these two for a solution that may allow the daughter to escape her self imposed withdrawal from the world is poignant and demanded a film that steadfastly remained a drama.

Dad's electrocution, an utterly hateful paparazzi photographer and a helplessly crying young lad reeling from domestic violence and drunkenness are all I needed from Amy. The rest didn't fit at all.

It was also pretty unlikely that the little girl could sing so well, but hey, that's entertainment!

Although I liked 'Amy' a lot, and will give it high marks, I disagree with the statement by other reviewers that the movie differs a lot from the standard American fare.

Sure, the scenery is great, the people talk different accents, and the cops are almost British in their politeness. Yet, from a plot point of view this movie is as canonical as it can be. For starters there is the not so subtle emotional plot line of a mother and her daughter who have not completed mourning their loved one. There is a considerable amount of bad guys and good guys, whose roles sometimes flip. Halfway through the film there is an extended chase and search sequence. Then there are the characters with a serious deficiency, like the guitar player who is a dropout, which turns out to be a great asset in the plot. I mean, this is Disney! And last but not least there is the happy ending.