Somersault DVD Review:

Heidi is like any other sixteen year old, Down Under or anywhere else in the world. Confused about her looks, her family and her burgeoning sexuality, Heidi wants to know what love is all about. When her mother throws her out of her home, Heidi is forced to begin to look out for herself and in the process sort out her personal dilemmas. Semi road journey and sometime romantic fable, the movie attempts to reveal the emotional highs lows and confusion that inevitably comes with the advent of becoming a teenager in modern times.

The actress, Abbie Cornish conveys the young woman as a precocious and bewildered ingénue seeking for acceptance either sexually (so she thinks) or emotionally no matter what. Along the way she encounters many endearing characters such as Joe the farm hand who changes Heidi's world and has a huge influence on her, as does the maternalistic hotel owner, Irene who gives Heidi a place to stay.

Another character that figures highly in the film is the location. The director Cate Shortland, personalizes the landscape through overexposing the light and framing a desolate part of New South Wales through glasses and colour, which in turn creates a very poetic and atmospheric context for the rest of the characters. The film is an ethereal and emotional tale that is at the same time un- Australian in dealing with very deep hidden emotions, but very Australian in dealing with it in a mature manner.

Somersault is an Australian production and a continuation of the inventive and spectacular example of what can be done with celluloid and the immense raw talent that is emerging from the Antipodeans. It was the recipient of 13 Australian Academy Awards including Best Cinematographer, Best Director and Best Actress. It deals with adolescence in an adult fashion, while recent American cinema tends to romanticise, sexualise and trivialise to the point of annoyance. A true definition of honesty and a brutal acceptance of what it means to be truly intimate with another human being.

Features List

Flowergirl

The director's favourite short film depicts young people dealing with separation, death, meat and vegetarianism and one of the director's on going themes, intimacy.

Deleted Scenes

There are eight scenes that were cut from the film, alongside a director's commentary as to why they were not right for the final edit.

Inside the Snowdome: making Somersault

A short documentary about the making of the film. Shot on location and with interviews with the director, cinematographer and set designer, it is a real insight into the ideas that went into the making of the film, how different concepts for the look of the film were put together and the desired effect of the film coming to fruition.

Shooting Somersault: an interview with cinematographer, Robert Humphreys

For those true cineastes who love all things technical, this is a true pleasure whereby the colour man divulges his secrets including the use of lighting, colour and focus to convey the different emotions of each of the different characters and how these ideas came about.

Trailer

Token bits of the film put together for commercial reasons.

Personal Comment

I really did not know what to expect when I opened the cover to this DVD but it was a real pleasure in doing so. When a film buff gets to throw themselves into their obsession, it is wonderful to see cinema at its best especially from different parts of the world. This engaging film hit all the right points and leaves you questioning how you personally deal with intimate relations.

One thing I would say is that I would have liked some of the other characters to have been a little more developed like the hotel owner or the young boy with emotional problems. That said, watching a film like this is all in the mix. Get a glass of wine, turn the lights down, turn on the DVD player, watch the film and get intimate with yourself!!



Catherine Emenike