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Cinema Voyage - Akito Hirata, Filmhunter

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Review - Peaches

February 2nd 2009 07:48

Peaches is a beautifully shot coming of age tale centring around a teenage girl named Steph (Emma Lung), a so called miracle baby, who survived a car accident in which both her parents were killed. She was taken in and raised by Jude (Jacqueline McKenzie), an overprotective adoptive mum, who was best friends with Steph's mum, Jass (Sam Healy), when she died.

Filmed in South Australia and directed by Craig Monahan (The Interview), it is a story about a group of people growing up in a small town - namely Swan Reach. The beauty of this film is that it could be any small town in Australia and covers issues such as unemployment, alienation and unfulfilled dreams.

On her 18th birthday, Steph starts work at the local cannery factory, which is responsible for employing most of the locals in the area. An important day in her life, not only does she get her first job and her first mobile phone, her grandfather hands her a diary which was written by her mother. Unable to read the diary due to dyslexia, Steph befriends Brian played by Matthew Le Nevez, the younger brother of Alan (Hugo Weaving), her boss at the cannery.

The diary gives the film the impetus to move backwards and forwards in time and location giving a voice to Jass and Steph's father Johnny, a Vietnamese worker at the cannery (Tyson Contor). The diary also gives Steph insight into a very closed off Jude and her then boyfriend Alan who Jude is no longer on speaking terms with. Wanting to know more about her parents and Jude, Steph confronts Alan and a complicated relationship begins to develop between the two of them.

The dance sequence in the cannery involving Jude and Jass beautifully magnifies the idealistic youth, which Jude had, and the current life she is now facing. Steph sees this and realises she wants more than the small town can offer, although at the same time is unafraid to venture past the black spot on the road, where her parents died.

A sumptuous score by David Hirschfelder complements the movie and the film is in safe hands with the lead actors giving a very honest portrayal of their circumstances. While the diary does not open up any dark secrets in an attempt to avoid a stereotypical storyline, it seemingly succeeds where many other coming of age tales fail.

Voyage Review: 3.5/5

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Posted By: Michelle Sweeney - Category: Drama

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Comments

6 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Quin Goot

February 2nd 2009 23:24

Bagman's Gazette
Cinema Banana

You'd most likely have to be an Ausy to find this one

. I thought it was a nice little film, I loved the rural Australian setting.

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

February 3rd 2009 01:49

Competition Queen

Yes I am Australian although believe it or not - I picked the dvd up in a tiny dvd store in North East China! Go figure!

Comment by Quin Goot

February 3rd 2009 11:14

Bagman's Gazette
Cinema Banana

Oops, I meant if you are also wandering around North East China your chances are probably good too.
Lol!

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

February 3rd 2009 13:54

Competition Queen

Yes - imagine it is quite a popular little film in China! Lol!

Comment by Cibbuano

February 4th 2009 22:45

Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

Northeast China is a great place to pick up hard-to-find Australian and Canadian films!

How exciting is it to find a DVD like that?

man, I'd hate to work at a cannery...

Comment by Michelle Sweeney

February 5th 2009 01:39

Competition Queen

Yeah me too - not my ideal job that is for sure!

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