I really don't know what happened here. I don't normally like this type of movie, so I expected to see a movie that wasn't my cup of tea, but still a high standard so I could enjoy it for what it was. Instead, I got a jumbled mixture of good actors shown in the worst light or B-grade acting.
Rocky McKenzie had a lot put on his shoulders. In the first half hour, he needed to portray a boy who was relatively happy with his life, struggling with normal teenage emotions. He is then ripped from his home from lack of assertiveness, yet his disappointment is not well displayed. He is then expected to explore an inner-conflict between his good nature and the poor direction that this church institute offers, then have his emotions get the better of him, and then be stuck without a home and as far as he is aware rejected by his family. This is a massive requirement, and for all this to be expressed properly in a short space of time you need a brilliant actor and great directing. We were not drawn into his story however because of breaks in dramatic tension (such as the song when he leaves the church placed in the middle of being told off, rather than before or after).
To the movie's credit (and the only reason it even got 3 points from me), the first scene with Ernie is very good. This is the only scene where the acting and scripting came together to form that picture of their sad existence, even the humour came with a cynical touch that kept the sad state of their existence in our minds. This brought about some form of textual integrity, in which all parts of the scene formed a purpose, in contrast to the haphazard and incoherent distribution of techniques and ideas present throughout the rest of the Movie.
I am not faulting Actors such as Geoffrey Rush, because they are amazing, but in the roles they were given these actors could not save this movie. So much rested on the twists and turns of Willi's life, that his part and his movement between the rest of the scenes had to be scripted with more purpose, such that the movie conveyed its ideas coherently. Some amazing acting was also required to draw together the cabaret elements in this movie to form something that doesn't look like it's been made by my local musical society.
Rocky McKenzie had a lot put on his shoulders. In the first half hour, he needed to portray a boy who was relatively happy with his life, struggling with normal teenage emotions. He is then ripped from his home from lack of assertiveness, yet his disappointment is not well displayed. He is then expected to explore an inner-conflict between his good nature and the poor direction that this church institute offers, then have his emotions get the better of him, and then be stuck without a home and as far as he is aware rejected by his family. This is a massive requirement, and for all this to be expressed properly in a short space of time you need a brilliant actor and great directing. We were not drawn into his story however because of breaks in dramatic tension (such as the song when he leaves the church placed in the middle of being told off, rather than before or after).
To the movie's credit (and the only reason it even got 3 points from me), the first scene with Ernie is very good. This is the only scene where the acting and scripting came together to form that picture of their sad existence, even the humour came with a cynical touch that kept the sad state of their existence in our minds. This brought about some form of textual integrity, in which all parts of the scene formed a purpose, in contrast to the haphazard and incoherent distribution of techniques and ideas present throughout the rest of the Movie.
I am not faulting Actors such as Geoffrey Rush, because they are amazing, but in the roles they were given these actors could not save this movie. So much rested on the twists and turns of Willi's life, that his part and his movement between the rest of the scenes had to be scripted with more purpose, such that the movie conveyed its ideas coherently. Some amazing acting was also required to draw together the cabaret elements in this movie to form something that doesn't look like it's been made by my local musical society.