SOMERSAULT
PART ONE: Film Information
(Following details available at www.imdb.com)
Director: Cate Shortland
Writer: Cate Shortland
Cinematographer: Bob Humphreys, ACS
Production Designer: Melinda Doring
Producer: Anthony Anderson
Production Company: Red Carpet Productions
Actors: Heidi- Abbie Cornish
Joe-Sam Worthington
Irene- Lynette Curran
Richard- Erik Thompson
Bianca- Hollie Andrew
Diane- Leah Purcell
Nicole- Olivia Pigeot
Karl- Blake Pittman
Release Date: 16th September 2004
Distributor: Hopscotch
Box Office: $2,000,000
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 106 minutes
AWARDS
*Australian Film Institute Awards (Won):
Best Actor in a Leading Role- Sam Worthington
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Erik Thompson
Best Actress in a Leading Role- Abbie Cornish
Best Actress in a Supporting Role- Lynette Curran
Best Cinematography- Robert Humphreys
Best Costume Design-Emily Seresin
Best Direction- Cate Shortland
Best Editing- Scott Grey
Best Film- Anthony Anderson
Best Original Music Score- Decoderring
Best Production Design- Melinda Doring
Best Screenplay, Original- Cate Shortland
Best Sound- Mark Blackwell, Sam Petty & Peter D. Smith
(Nominated)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Nathaniel Dean
Best Actress in a Supporting Role- Hollie Andrew
*Australian Screen Sound Awards:
Best Achievement in Sound for a Feature Film – Mixing- Peter D. Smith, Sam Petty
Best Achievement in Sound for a Feature Film - Sound Recording- Mark Blackwell, Ben Smith
*Australian Writer’s Guild:
Awgie Award (Original Feature)- Cate Shortland
Major Award- Cate Shortland
*Film Critics Circle Award (Won):
Best Actor – Female- Abbie Cornish
Best Cinematography- Robert Humphreys
Best Director- Cate Shortland
Best Film- Anthony Anderson
Best Supporting Actor – Female- Lynette Curran
(Nominated)
Best Actor – Male- Sam Worthington
Best Editing- Scott Grey
Best Music Score- Decoderring
Best Screenplay – Original- Cate Shortland
Best Supporting Actor – Male- Erik Thompson
*IF Awards:
Best Actress- Abbie Cornish
Best Cinematography- Robert Humphreys
Best Direction- Cate Shortland
Best Feature Film- Anthony Anderson
Best Script- Cate Shortland
*Screen Music Awards (Won):
Best Original Song Composed for a Feature Film, Telemovie, TV Series or Mini-Series- Benjamin Ely, Matthew Fitzgerald, Peter Kelly, Lenka Kripac, Tom Schutzinger (For the song "Somersault").
(Nominated)
Best Original Song Composed for a Feature Film, Telemovie, TV Series or Mini-Series-Amanda Brown. (For the song "Bitter Plum").
Best Soundtrack Album- Decoderring
*Tokyo International Film Festival (Nominated):
Tokyo Grand Prix
*Cannes Film Festival:
Un Certain Regard- Camera d’Or
Reviews
The Age, Oct 30th 2004, Philippa Hawker
Guardian / Observer, 2005, Peter Bradshaw & Philip French (2 separate reviews)
BBCi Films, Feb 2005,Nev Pierce
London Times, Mar 2005, James Christopher
Inside Film Magazine, Luke Banister
(The above reviews are also available on the web address)
www.entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
www.theage.com.au/articles
www.bbc.co.uk/films
www.film.guardian.co.uk
www.if.com.au
Reliable Web Information / Reviews
www.google.com web search receives around 100 000 entries in for “Somersault Film.” The film is found easily throughout the web; however care must be taken not to stumble upon amateur sites that lack credibility.
Many web reviews are simply audience comments, not professional reviewer’s material. Below are websites that contain strong reviews/ information of substance, from professionals.
www.villagevoice.com
www.moviemaster.de (German)
www.boxoffice.com
www.channel4.com/film
www.hopscotchfilms.com
www.sydneyfilmfestival.org
www.iofilm.co.uk
www.imdb.com
www.abc.net.au
www.ffc.com
www.infilm.com/review
www.smh.com
www.abc.net.au/atthemovies- An interview with Cate Shortland can be found both text and video. The interview is downloadable and is conducted by Margret Pameranz.
www.afc.gov.au
www.abc.net.au/triplej
www.if.com.au
www.redcarpetfilms.com.au - Official production company website and home to information on key cast and crew of Somersault.
*NOTE: Information on Somersault cinematographer Robert Humphreys can be found at these sites:
www.redcarpetfilms.com.au
www.cinematographer.org (Australian Cinematography Society)
www.atlab.com/showcase
www.realtimeart.net (Contains interviews with Robert Humphreys)
www.uk.movies.yahoo.com
www.entertainment.ie/movie_review/Somersault
Background information:
Cate Shortland, (Director) a graduate from the Australian Film Television and Radio School, produced four short films, achieving international recognition early in her career. She went on between 2001 and 2003 to direct episodes of Australian drama “The Secret Life of Us.” Somersault is Cate Shortland’s debut feature, the script being re-drafted since 1996. (www.redcarpetfilms.com.au)
Robert Humphreys, ACS (Director of Photography) has been involved in cinematography since his graduate degree in media. Winning several awards for Somersault his other major works are Mullet (Dir. David Caeser) and Walking on Water (Dir. Tony Ayre). (www.redcarpetfilms.com.au) & (www.realtimeart.net)
Anthony Anderson (Producer) started Red Carpet Productions in 1996 after working as a lawyer. Anderson worked on several of Cate Shortland’s earlier short films. Somersault is the company’s first feature film.
(www.redcarpetfilms.com.au) & (www.afc.gov.au)
Other Material:
*ABC TV screened the “At the Movie’s” on the 9th September 2004 reviewing Somersault, the film receiving 4 ½ stars. (www.abc.net.au)
*Documentary- “Inside the Snow Dome” Screened on SBS at 10:40pm Sun 26th September 2004. (The making of Somersault.)
PART TWO: REVIEW OF THE FILM
Synopsis.
Somersault is a story of growth, rites of passage, love and disillusionment. Heidi (Abby Cornish) is caught by her mother kissing her mothers boyfriend. Having destroyed her mother’s trust, Heidi runs away from home to the wintry wonderland of Jindebyne in the mountains of New South Wales. Unsure of what she is to do on this journey, occurring as a result of a whim, Heidi looks for companions in the hills. An exhibition piece for men, she meets Irene, motel owner, who takes her under her wing. Irene acts as a surrogate mother to a degree, unaware of Heidi’s sexual exploit with another young man who leaves town the next day.
The one male to stand out from the “crowd” is Joe (Sam Worthington) who despite his tough “working man” exterior is interested in Heidi to a greater degree than just her curves. Joe and Heidi form a relationship, the type of which neither of them can quite ascertain. Joe’s best friend Karl (Blake Pittman) is jealous of Joe’s new interest, both Joe’s relationships being pushed to the limit.
To finance herself, Heidi takes a job at the local service station (an occupation looked down and laughed upon by Joe’s mates). Through her job Heidi meets Bianca (Hollie Andrew) the cold and some what apathetic co-worker who Heidi works hard at reaching and befriending.
Heidi’s relationship with Joe is her own sexual awakening, also an introduction to the world of love. Joe meanwhile undergoes his own sexual awakening as he comes to terms with his attraction to his mother’s friend Richard (Erik Thompson). Their two worlds spinning out of control independently, Heidi with her new friend Bianca and Joe with his best friend and Father. Heidi’s actions carry severe consequences when she is almost raped.
Somersault is a story of awakenings. Joe and Heidi, despite their age difference really aren’t that different at all. Both embark on a journey of self discovery, both forming a bond, both never meant to be together.
Review
Debut feature film by Australian director Cate Shortland has been talk of the town since its release, and NO not just the “town” of Australia. Snapped up soon after its release, Somersault was the only Australian film to be screened at Cannes Film Festival in 2004, nominated for the (first film) prize. Back at home, Australia’s film industry was flexing its muscle, handing no more than 13 AFI awards over to the film, perhaps a comment on Australia’s quantity rather then quality within the industry. It may sound harsh, but it seems a little sad that one film can dominate the industry to this extent, no competition at all.
Having said that, I am a big Somersault fan, watching it at its release, first by myself and then taking my fiancée the very next night. There was certainly an aura about it. Those who I have talked to comment on its aesthetic beauty and performance, but hesitate when it comes to narrative strength. I can appreciate this attitude, but lay off… It’s possibly the best Australian film I have seen.
What also stands out upon first viewing is the films stark minimalist approach. It struck me that Australian film in general seems to be uncomfortable with creating and using “nothing” on an intelligent level. Shortland casts absence across the film with perfect precision. I offer as an example, the scene in which Heidi approaches a car in which an inquisitive man sits. The stares held by both forging the strong theme of voyeurism, although Heidi’s stare is more of a plea, for several seconds. The scene couched on each side by Heidi’s silent contemplative state. Each scene says what it needs to, without saying too much. Both dialogue and action are limited. Abbie Cornish holds many silent moments whilst still expounding so much about her character.
The subtly of the film is something that is pleasant to sit through. It is also a fitting stylistic approach to a story of its nature, a story of escape and growth invites a little quiet time. The effect of Heidi’s disillusionment is contrasted and emphasized as a result. Scenes towards the end tend towards an “in your face” effect, occasionally disconcerting. One does not feel comfortable with the loud and visually complex pub scenes toward the end of the film. Fitting; as it precedes the scene in which Heidi is violated.
The minimal dialogue and on screen action may also strike a chord with myself as a viewer because it detracts less from Bob Humphrey’s stunning cinema graphic work. Almost entirely handheld, the film carries a voyeuristic look that is suited to the theme. Humphrey’s cunning use of soft focus and focus pulling drifting us through a daydream of images, almost a departure from any reality, including Heidi’s.
The use of blues and reds through the film are a recurrent motif, drawing parallels between Heidi and Joe (Heidi with her red goggles, Joe with his red wine glass). Color is something that was no doubt considered to a large degree before production. The film in general switches between hot and cold colors, occasionally using extremes of both in the same shot, reds and greens in the pub come to mind.
Humphrey’s also worked hard to be congruent with the performance and soundscape, giving an equally haunting portrayal of Heidi’s journey. The moonlit scene inside Bianca’s fathers car chilling me to the bone, a cold and desolate scene that complements the subtle performances.
If there was to be one criticism about the film I would say it lay in the narrative strength. There is no doubt that the film is different, especially by Australian standards, but the coming of age story is something that has been seen before. Not exactly of course, but how different can you make stories of adolescent awakenings? The film plays out as a feature length version of Cate Shortland’s latest short film Joy, which follows the antics of a rebellious teenage girl and her sexual exploits. It is interesting that both films emphasis the use of the toilet mirror as an exercise in examining both interior and exterior beauty.
The film has been hailed as a breakthrough for Australian film by critics and audience alike. The story telling devices are fresh and a departure from the usual, delighting much of the world according to the reviews I have read (see bibliographic details). Much of the hype surrounding somersault I believe, is its acceptance into Cannes Film Festival in 2004. A common comment around the campfire, however, is the above mentioned generic nature of the “coming of age” narrative. Cate Shortland herself admits, in the documentary on the films making, that audiences have seen this narrative before, though not in this fashion (SBS, 2004). I assume she refers to the stylistic approach as well as the characterization, the two things that define it best in my mind as a “fresh” film. The films realistic feel is praised as being a contributing factor to its success, the characters and performances building a perfect film world (www.abc.net/atthemovies)
Somersault was originally to be shot in Canberra, ACT. Instead of snow, the environmental focus of the film was to be on the lake. Unfortunately the drought at the time rendered the water level of the lake to low and they were forced to re-locate. (www.imdb.com) A travel into the mountains would move them to the winter ski town of Jindabyne, I believe this was a lucky move aesthetically, as much of the film's beauty of the film is derived through the interplay of cold and warm colors with the surrounding snow and conifers.
But what sort of film is it? Certainly it is fresh in terms of performance, location and stylistics but this also seems to make it hard to categories in terms of genre. I find that most reviews I come across refrain from categorizing the film. Details of its romantic elements, dramatic elements and erotic elements are mentioned without coining it a romance or erotic drama. Yahoo film review places it as a drama (www.uk.movies.yahoo.com) but perhaps this is a little vague? Taking it further www.Entertainment.ie refers to it as a coming of age drama (www.entertainment.ie/movie_review/Somersault). There are other elements too. The teen flick with its parties and youthful enthusiasm? The touchy umbrella of the woman’s film (Gillard, 2004)? Perhaps some may label it as an Arthouse film, a term redundant in my mind and usually reserved for those films unable to be coined. The point is the film fits into all of these genres so one must question the validity of genre in this case.
One can’t help but compare genre within Australian cinema to find few congruencies. Leo Berkeley’s Holiday’s on the River Yarra (1990) comes close with the fish out of water story of an adolescent boy and his dealings with the law (www.cinephilia.net.au). The Goddess of 1967 (2000), whilst foremost a road movie, does involve the journey and awakening of a female lead, inclusive of a sexual journey. Nothing, however, that I have seen or read makes any overt parallels to Shortland’s film intertextually, its part of its drawing power.
Unfortunately I believe the film it has most in common with is Lost in Translation (2003) directed by American Sophia Coppola. Both films share their delicate approach to a love that can open your eyes and tear out your heart. Of course Lost in Translation has comedic elements that are not apparent in Shortland’s film, but overall they share a similar perspective. Stylistically also, the work of American cinematographer Lance Accord ASC who shot Lost in Translation is hand held and makes use of blues and soft focus.
I say unfortunately because it seems to me a shame that Somersault should trigger this reaction in me. I don’t want one of my first reactions to be “Oh yeah like that chick flick by that American” but it is the case. Somersault is overtly “Aussie” when involved in a comparison of this nature. Abbie Cornish captures the honesty inherent in our culture, Worthington giving an ocker yet sensitive performance of the Aussie male of the new millennium. Somersau t does seem todepart from Australian film as it ventures into a new environment, the mountains of Jindebyne potentially anywhere in the world. It is films like George Miller’s Mad Max (1979) Peter Faiman’s Crocodile Dundee (1986) and more recently films like Rabbit Proof Fence (2002) by Phillip Noyce that remains solid in their depiction of the “outback” and the desert heat. It is this that casts a fresh look at Australia and in the case of somersault the characters, more than the land itself.
Perhaps it is this that acts as the catalyst for a journey unlike any we have seen in Australian cinema. I have already mentioned that the environment is motivated stylistically. Is it this fresh “look” that has caught us off guard? (I also didn’t see Peter Phelps or Bryan Brown ONCE!). I suppose it is too early to predict the life of the film, although the internet and institutions around the world are still buzzing months later. I love most Australian film, but I do think that a film like Somersault has a special role carving a new approach for “Australianess.”
REVIEW BY PATRICK HERFORD
Other references for this review:
Gillard, Garry (2004) Murdoch University Lecture, April 2005
Crocodile Dundee, (1986) Dir. Peter Faiman
Mad Max, (1979) Dir. George Miller
Rabbit Proof Fence (2002) Phillip Noyce
Lost in Translation (2003) Sophia Coppola
The Goddess of 1967, (2000) Dir. Clara Law
Holidays on the River Yarra, (1990) Dir. Leo Berkely