Bosch and Rockit (Tyler Atkins, 2022) wr. Tyler Atkins, dp Ben Nott; Rasmus King, Luke Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Leeanna Walsman, Savannah La Rain; release 18Aug
As someone who has been watching Australian films for over fifty years, the thing that most struck me about this film was the extent to which wonderful photography like Ben Nott's is now taken for granted. (I think I saw a separate acknowledgement in the film credits for underwater photography. Surfing footage is something else that is no longer singled out for praise because such a high standard has been established, over many of those fifty years.)
The working title of the film was Ocean Boy, and the main actor, Rasmus King, being a professional surfer, the story was probably confected so that a large number of scenes involve him being in the water. It appears that Luke Hemsworth does his own surfing, and that is probably part of the reason he got the gig, another part being his Thor-like body. (He is the older brother but smaller version of Chris Hemsworth, who is currently getting $20mill per movie for playing the Nordic god.) I should add that I find him an attractive and effective actor as well.
In summary: I found it faultless, and thoroughly enjoyable.
I usually admire Luke Buckmaster's reviews, but I think this one is a bit trivial. Here's an excerpt.
Luke Buckmaster:
... This evergreen story trajectory is once again rehashed, in Tyler Atkins’ cloying and sometimes flat-out cheesy film Bosch & Rockit. Opening with the words “inspired by true events”, Atkins goes on to demonstrate why these words tend to mean very little: a well-crafted, entirely fictitious feature can feel much more plausible than a goofily executed one – like Bosch & Rockit – claiming some connection to reality. The Guardian.
Fun facts: Tyler Atkins has also surfed all his life. He is a practising Sikh.
as above
Garry Gillard | New: 7 September, 2022 | Now: 14 February, 2023