Galore

If you live in London, Los Angles or New York you probably get used to seeing your home city up in front of you when you sit down in the dark, but if you live in Canberra, Australia, this doesn't happen too often. That is until Galore, an impressive teenage drama set here in the nation's capital. I still haven't quite got over seeing our local branch of Crust Pizza up on the big screen; our weekly pizza night feels slightly more Hollywood now.

Galore is ambitious, confident and bursts from the screen with the intensity of it's subject matter. Played out in the preceding days before the tragic bush fires that swept through Canberra in 2003, writer director Rhys Graham beautifully captures the overpowering nature of adolescent emotions, their all-consuming nature and dangerous potential to burn out of control. The sparks in the centre of this fire are Canberran teenagers Billie (Ashleigh Cummings) and Laura (Lily Sullivan), two inseparable best friends, bonded together by the shared experience of teenage dreams. However, these dreams have the potential to turn into nightmares, as unbeknown to Laura, Billie also shares Laura's boyfriend Danny (Toby Wallace).

When you are a teenager everything is intense, immediate and inviting, with little thought given to potential consequences; you live in the now and deal with the future when or if it comes. These feelings seem to epitomize Billie who is entirely centered on the now while also craving acceptance and validation from her friends and family. She is trapped in a doomed relationship triangle between Laura and the slightly unconvincing Danny, while also having to compete for her mother's attention, a social worker who occasionally brings her work home, this time in the form of Isaac (Aliki Matangi). Billie acts as any teenager would by rebelling, taking rash decisions and leaving others to pick up the pieces.

This level of intensity is difficult to sustain and empathise with, but you genuinely feel for the struggles faced by Billie. Cummings brings an impressive level of reality and realism, which invites the audience to not condone her actions, but simply to validate her emotions and the hold they have over her. Billie's central relationship with Laura is affecting and feels grounded in truth with Sullivan blending just the right amount of naivety and curiousness to Laura. The wider cast members do not quite reach these standards with Wallace in particular seeming too young and inexperienced for both the role and also to be the subject of such affection.

What makes Galore glorious though is Stefan Dusico's at times really quite breathtaking cinematography. Dusico's extensive use of natural light accentuates the drama, and strips further away at a script that already feels raw and refined. Dusico captures the natural beauty of Canberra through his depiction of the impeding firewall, portrayed as plumes of smoke amongst the surrounding hills, which edges closer to the action as the narrative, and indeed Billie, slowly unravels. The relentless march of the smoke seems to portray the inevitability of the consequences of Billie's actions and serves as a potent and stark reminder of what is to come.

From a young and relatively inexperienced cast and crew, Galore is an impressive and ambitious Australian teen drama, which captures the intensity of those formative teenage years in an effective and engaging manner. Galore also showcases that Canberra is more than just a temporary home for politicians, it is a rich, vibrant community, in which teenagers experience the same trials and tribulations as in any other city in the world.

★★★★

Review by Will Malone

I tried very hard, I gave it every chance, made every excuse but I just did not like this movie - not one bit. Slow, sun, sweat, smoke, swearing, sex and cicadas (all in excess) - it checks all the boxes for this style of Australian independent cinema that just needs to go away. I'm sure this is very much like what its like in semi-rural ACT - but that doesn't mean it makes for a good movie. The film goes out of its way to emphasise how boring the place is - but that just means the movie is boring too. In short - it's a flick about some dumb kids, who do some dumb things - slowly. The subject matter just did not warrant a feature length film. 2 stars given for some good acting talent.

Galore is a feature perpetuating life in its real form. It is a masterful, controlled piece of cinema which throws you in unexpected ways. You, as an audience member, delve so deep and convincingly into the lives of the characters that you feel somewhat affected by the swift turn of events - from sweet freedom to recluse circumstance. The careful and virtuoso craftsmanship of every character can truly be appreciated. You can actually feel their presence. The film is patient; it lets the light dance in front of the lens, it gives time for us to become familiar with places, season, routine and patterns, and it introduces us to every character as they come.

Galore tells the story of youth: that derelict, reckless time where in a narrow and singular vision, you are invincible. Billie (Ashleigh Cummings) is an indignant spirit who exists in a delicate balance, the prospect of eventual havoc looming quietly over her head. She loves and lives fiercely. Her summer days in the lazy town are spent working shifts at a local store, swimming and sunbathing by the river, long nights spent partying - all with the company of her best friend, Laura (Lily Sullivan). But the dynamics of the relationships Billie holds are far more complex. Billie and Laura's boyfriend, Danny (Toby Wallace), hide away for hours on end together, madly and indisputably crazy for each other.

Many of the hallmarks of the standard Australian film are no doubt present but the distinction here is that there is a significant lack of exploitation and unnecessary gloss. The film harbours some beautiful script-work - there's an easy, graceful coherence between the words spoken and the way in which we hear them. During the Q&A session, Lily Sullivan spoke about the naturalistic passage of shaping the script to fit the screen. Each element of the film, from the powerhouse performances, to the stirring score (slow- strumming, patient perfection) and the rather natural introduction to the local landscape, correlates beautifully. Everything is in sync.

Ashleigh Cummings supplies a performance which is endlessly compelling; her prepossessing mannerisms and electric execution of the script is a wonder to watch, her narrations: serene and stimulating. I was also truly taken by Lily Sullivan's representation of one suppressed by the shock of betrayal. As an audience member, I was reassured that these two startling actresses will feature on the silver screen for years to come. There's a consistency and fearlessness to their execution. Toby Wallace charms in his role - his steady performance throughout is not to be overlooked. Finally, newcomer Aliki Mantagi's emotionally charged and confidence is striking - not a single misstep was taken by the young actor.

What makes for some distinctive cinematography by Stefan Duscio is the haunting backdrop of the fast-approaching bushfires - establishing something of an apocalyptic tone to the feature. The ever-present smoke climbing above that hill or the next, the stifling, smouldering heat as the situation escalated. Living, of course, took place in the meantime. Another merit of the film which must be recognised is the unflinching portrayal of grief. I can really appreciate the subtle intensity of painful moments. Graham showed us all that the first moment you laugh after it happens is not the moment that you stop crying.

Often teen-orientated films choose to sensationalise their content which seems hardly necessary. Being young is crazy enough as it is. Decent films, not necessarily for teens but about teens, are hard to come by. The fleshy, convoluted material of youth is often left to lay waste to the world. Rhys Graham has ventured strong and wilful into a dangerous territory and emerged with strong representation and a truthful love letter to the essential insanity of adolescence.

Galore captures the intensity of great moments. It's an exhilarating experience, a masterpiece, a courageous film which has made and will make an unparalleled contribution to the Australian film industry. Inspired and spirited, one of my favourite features of the film are the many stolen glances between Billie and Danny. This is young love at its best, a dangerous and all-consuming infatuation. The scenes that they share when the two are alone are ones that many can relate to: we can all picture the way the sun wandered when there was nothing but the heat and the wide of expanse of nobody but the somebody next to you. Freedom may be an illusion but we're never more alive than when we're young and ignorant.

How clever and sensitive and insightful is this film about life, love and loss in a socially disadvataged town. It showcases the journey through many teenage rites of passage. And the ending is a total surprise and a complete WOW

Wow when people say slow-burn they mean BORING, this movie had NO STORY, just bunch of teenagers having sex, talking, fighting, talking, going to parties, talking, cheating, fighting, talking, walking around. If you think that list is a film or a story - it's not - that's life not a story. The actors are good, especially Ashleigh Cummings and most of the cast and Toby Wallace. Great locations and great cinematography but it's too long for a boring film - with no story, or character or story arc. If things change, they do so extremely slow and then you don't care by the time you get to the end. Don't waste your time, if the writer - director things he's being arty - It's not. Tell a compelling, emotional story. By the time anything BIG does happen - you simply don't care. If you fast forward this every minute or so - you'll find that people are not talking and nothing happening, people pausing, staring, walking. This was funded by Screen Australia, Screen ACT and VIC and MIFF - Melbourne International Film Festival Fund - If you think this film was READY and great to produce on script - it's no wonder the GREATER AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC don't want to watch anything Aussie. We all cringe when we see the Screen Australia LOGO - because you know it's going to be bad. Time for an overhaul guys.