The New Boy

Warwick Thornton's new film is a moving meditation on what it means to be caught between two cultures and the challenges of trying to bridge incommensurable spiritualities. Aswan Reid is the unnamed 'new boy' a nine-year old new arrival at a remote mission in 1940s South Australia, led by Sister Eileen (Cate Blanchett).

The new boy is a 'clever man' with the spiritual powers of his own Indigenous culture and a fascination for the Catholic spirituality he encounters at the Mission. This interest is interpreted by Sister Eileen as a conversion (with the miraculous overtones of bearing the stigmata) but the new boy's baptism leads to a disruption in the emerging 'two-ways' connections between Indigenous and Catholic spirituality.

The film is shot beautifully by Thornton who also writes and directs this semi-autobiographical film (though relocated to an earlier time period than his own). There is a scene where the new boy is running a foot race, goes beyond the finish line, and just keeps running. Sister Eileen calls out 'Come back!' while Aboriginal work-hand George (Wayne Blair) calls 'Keep going!' This litany continues for some time and serves as an interesting metaphor for the situation of so many caught between Blackfella and Whitefella worlds.

Deborah Mailman offers good support as 'Sister Mum' and all the boys offer good naturalistic performances. It's refreshing to see a film about dispossession and colonisation where genuine kindness and compassion is on display rather than straightforward cruelty and abuse. While it doesn't quite have the power of Thornton's other films, such as Samson and Delilah (2009) or Sweet Country (2017) it confirms his reputation as one of Australia's best film makers.

Full of wonder and careful consideration. Gently handled with lots of space. Nothing gets rammed home here. Warwick is one of Australia's clearest cinematic voices today, and his love for story and the craft shows in every single frame. The composition is always interesting, and the light beautifully natural. South Australia puts it's outback colours on full display. In one tiny location, the world feels vast and magical. The cast performances are all superb. Warwick is definitely of the school "show, don't tell" of which he is quickly becoming a master. One day I would love to be crew on one of his productions, and watch the man at work.

Set against a backdrop of a strongly colonial and white Australia, we are rather violently introduced to a young, blonde, Aboriginal lad (Aswan Reid) who is conked out by a boomerang and awakens to find himself in the care of "Sister Eileen" (Cate Blanchett) and "Sister Mum" (Deborah Mailman) at a remote orphanage. She is pretty devout and he is very much in tune with nature - both people of faith, but not the same kind. The arrival of a large wooden crucifix to top their altar seems to focus both of them on what now becomes a rather dry and simplistic tale of spirituality. Reid does come across well. There is a spontaneity and naturalness to his performance, but Blanchett over-eggs just about all of the rest of it. She does this type of role well - shorn hair, manic eyes, slightly eccentric characterisation - but here there's just not enough story for her (or us) to get the teeth into. I got the sense that there was something almost "Oliver Twist" about the lad. Blonde? Sent away? Did he have a secret identity? That's not the story, though - and when he suffers his own rather personal misfortune at the end, I felt a rather overwhelming dislike of "Eileen" and her superstition-ridden church. Too be fair, this isn't a film that doesn't provoke a response - but with sparse dialogue and little character development, it's not really much more than a beautifully photographed vehicle for Blanchett to indulge herself and for Reid to be a boy facing a confusing future.

If you're looking for a film that will transport you to a different time and place, challenge your assumptions, and touch your emotions, look no further than "The New Boy". This Australian drama, written and directed by Warwick Thornton, is a stunning cinematic achievement exploring colonialism, religion, identity, and resilience.

The film is set in 1940s Australia, where a nine-year-old Aboriginal orphan boy (Aswan Reid) is taken in at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun (Cate Blanchett). His arrival disturbs the delicate balance of the place, where other Aboriginal children are taught to assimilate into the white culture and forget their roots. The boy, who has no name, is mute and mysterious and seems to have supernatural abilities that attract curiosity and fear. He forms a bond with Sister Eileen, who sees something special in him and tries to protect him from the world's harsh realities.

The cinematography by Thornton is breathtaking, capturing the beauty and harshness of the Australian landscape. The film uses natural light and minimal dialogue to create a realistic and immersive atmosphere. The score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is haunting and evocative, enhancing the mood and tension.

The performances are also outstanding, especially by the young Aswan Reid, who conveys so much emotion and depth with his eyes and gestures. He is a revelation, and his chemistry with Cate Blanchett is palpable. Blanchett delivers another masterful performance as Sister Eileen, a complex and conflicted character struggling with her faith, duty, and compassion. Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair are also excellent as the other nuns with different views on dealing with the boy.

The New Boy is not a conventional or easy film to watch. It's slow-paced, subtle, and ambiguous. It doesn't shy away from the brutality and injustice of the colonial system, nor does it offer easy answers or resolutions. It challenged me to think and feel, to question and empathise.

"The New Boy" is a powerful and poetic film. It has stayed with me since seeing it. Check it out if you want to see something different, profound, and thought-provoking.

I declare misled. I saw the trailer, I learned that Blanchett is playing in the lead-role (although lately I have been disappointed by her choices...) and finally I read the reviews of some ''objective'' imdb - critics of the film. And they tricked me. Reviews deify an idiocy that lasts almost two hours. They are singing the praises of a sleazeball shot in the desert, with a dark-haired kid with odd-colored hair playing the beastly guy from the Green Mile.... Blanchett is a nun who cannot digest that the strange little boy works miracles. The curious little guy also does incomprehensible nonsense, though. And time goes by, and nothing happens. But the reviews are exciting because...who knows? Boredom! Be objective, guys! The scores of 10/10 for this &''film'' is madness.