Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Noah Taylor | ... | ||
Thandie Newton | ... | ||
Nicole Kidman | ... | ||
Bartholomew Rose | ... |
'Gilby' Fryer
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Felix Nobis | ... |
Jock Blair
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Josh Picker | ... |
'Backa' Bourke
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Kiri Paramore | ... |
'Slag' Green
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Marc Aden Gray | ... |
Christopher Laidlaw
(as Marc Gray)
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Gregg Palmer | ... |
Colin Proudfoot
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Joshua Marshall | ... |
'Cheddar' Fedderson
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David Wieland | ... |
'Possum' Piper
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Craig Black | ... |
'Pup' Pierdon
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Les Hill | ... |
Greg Gilmore
(as Leslie Hill)
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Jeff Truman | ... |
Mr. Morris Cutts
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Marshall Napier | ... |
Mr. Rupert Elloitt
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Danny has been sent to boarding school, in this sequel to The Year My Voice Broke. Against a backdrop of bullying and sadistic teachers Danny strikes up an affair with an African girl, Thandiwe, studying at a nearby girl's school. Their affair blossoms while everyone tries to stop it. Nicole Kidman also appears as a sexually repressed senior at Thandiwe's school. Written by Matthew Stanfield <mattst@cogs.susx.ac.uk>
I absolutely loved this film. This is the best of all the adolescent/coming of age/high school genre films. Set in the mid 1960's Australia at an all boys school (St.Albans....across the river from the all girls school). Our protagonist is a sympathic yet strong/intelligent character. He is constantly picked on by his peers (mild stuttering, intellectual, a bit different), but he takes everything in stride with the viewpoint that he's "offering them a service", "people need to put down others to feel better about themselves" (great line and greatly written throughout.). His eventual love is a new student at the girls school, she is from Uganda (British educated) and is different enough to be a target of ridicule from her peers. They both find each other despite the prison camp like conditions of their respective schools. The story is great, the writing is poetic, and the acting is superb. I can't believe I didn't hear of it when released. I found it in a local Library video department. The only thing I didn't like about the film is the title....."Flirting" just doesn't do this film justice. I came away from this film with a great appreciation for the writing and directing of John Duigan... though I haven't come across anything from him recently as good. Noah Taylor is an amazing actor... I would like to see more of this actor... in better films. I also thought the whole cast in Flirting were perfect.