Jasper Jones

When a bookish teenager helps solve a mystery death to avoid his aboriginal friend being blamed, he digs deep to find the courage to sort out the mess of his family and friends' lives.

Set in a rural 1960s town, a young Levi Miller takes a worthy turn at a Mark Twain style hero who, sustained by a childhood wonder about important things like Batman's superpowers, is caught up in a tragedy which uncovers far more about the dark nature of people than any child should know. Toni Collete as a depressed mother and Hugo Weaving as a the town's recluse give the story emotional depth, and director Rachel Perkin brings out the simmering malevolence in an everyday setting.

Based on a contemporary novel, the casual racism and intolerance is particularly relevant to our times. Worth seeing for- Levi Miller & Hugo Weaving. 8/10

These days you have a hard time to select a movie to watch as a family. With the moral fiber of the world worn thin and the moral compass of the industry spinning out of control, it is good to find a gem ever so often. And where better to find it than Australia. I took note of the other reviews being a little from Aussie to Aussie, so I just had to break borders and rate from across the sea, albeit it still in the Southern Hemisphere. (I am sure that a Christmas tree in summer must seem a bit odd to the Northern viewers, but we are very comfortable with that, thankyouverymuch. The movie is very well acted and has the two talented youngsters Angourie Rice and Levi Miller supported by none other than Toni Collette (big fan) and Hugo Weaving. And I mean supported. They do not take center stage in this coming-of-age drama. The story is well told and the elements of racial tension and bias is well crafted and well resolved. 1969, and even if Australia is a world away, the world intrudes. We all enjoyed the movie tremendously, and even though it deals with adult topics, it makes it accessible for all ages. If you want an easy watching movie with the family, this is a good pick. You will be surprised.

Set in the small Western Australian town of Corrigan, in 1969, this Australian indie has loads of concurrent themes abounding, including a murder mystery, the blatant racism of the time, sexual molestation, infidelity, loyalty, friendship, and the list goes on.

Although the film may have thrown "one iron into the fire" too many, I still found it to be quite engaging, and it kept my interest as to how this would all play out. There's a strong cast here as well, led by Levi Miller, Toni Collette, Angourie Rice, Aaron McGrath, and Dan Wylie.

Overall, this coming-of-age tale, directed by Rachel Perkins, with a screenplay by Shaun Grant and Craig Silvey, based on his novel, may not always work, but it contains some solid twists and surprises and it kept my interest throughout.

My wife and I watched this movie at home on DVD from our public library. It is mostly unmemorable but has a number of good actors in it.

Set in a small Western Australia community, Corrigan, it is 1969 and some locals have lost sons in the war in Vietnam. This creates some racial tension with a local Vietnamese family.

Jasper Jones is a teenage boy living there, he is mistrusted because of his mixed race heritage, a white father and an Aboriginal mother. He is also angry because of the way he perceives himself.

The boys stumble upon a person hanging from a tree, they quickly assume it is the work of the old man that people whisper about.

So the movie is sort of a slice of life in this community, how people behave and react to what is going on. And the resolution of circumstances involving the deceased. Plus young Charlie's coming of age.

It is an interesting 1.5+ hour movie.

Rachel Perkins has directed another terrific, simple, Australian film here. Adds to illustrious titles including Radiance and Bran Nue Day. There was certainly good material to work with, being based on the young adult book by Craig Silvey, who has also co-written the screenplay. It looks nice, still has currency today and the acting is once again terrific from most of the players. Toni Collette as usual, Hugo Weaving in a cameo role. An understated but really good Dan Wylie, and a terrific performance from young Levi Miller. All in all a really well made film.