Blessed (Ana Kokkinos, 2009) wr. Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas, from their play Who's Afraid of the Working Class; Miranda Otto, Frances O'Connor, Deborra-Lee Furness, Sophie Lowe, Tasma Walton; lost children wander the night streets while their mothers await their return home
I've only recently seen Blessed (Ana Kokkinos, 2009) and it's going to be a wonderful film when I've seen it another couple of times. But unlike the re-viewers with their press kits and their advance information I'm just a poor bloody viewer with a capacity limited to three main characters, say. And here there are more than I have fingers. So I'll get back to you when I've seen it again (and maybe again). Seems pretty good so far. Frances O'Connor's performance is right up there with any on film I can think of right now. Mrs Jackman continues to get plainer.
I've now seen this again. It's superb. I'm reminded of the rich, fruitful complexity of Lantana, also written by Andrew Bovell. This film adds raw emotionality, especially on the part of Ms O'Connor, who may never give a better performance, for which she won a well-deserved AACTA Award.
Crafted by a team of Australia's finest filmmakers, like cinematographer Geoff Burton, composer Cezary Skubiszewski, editor Jill Bilcock and production designer Simon McCutcheon, Blessed is a serious work of cinema that challenges and confronts us, touching on a myriad issues, never judging its characters and endlessly engaging with its profound sense of humanity. Andrew Urban, Urban Cinefile.
Garry Gillard | New: 22 October, 2012 | Now: 7 January, 2020