The New Boy

Overall, a beautifully photographed film amongst the beautiful landscapes and county of Australia. OK acting by the main cast and a beautiful soundtrack to accompany it. The sound design is terrific as well as the production and costume design and that's where the beauty stops. The films narrative is convoluted and not clear and is left to major interpretation which in storytelling means it's a weak premise with no real strong intention. It dances around the ideas of faith and indigenous culture, but it's never fully fleshed out, disappointed coming from a first nations director. There was definitely potential there in a conceived spiritual essence of an idea which was left underdeveloped and a missed opportunity to mix faith and spirituality. The imdb synopsis stated that it's about a renegade nun (Cate Blanchette) but that doesn't really describe the character. The film is easy to watch, pacing is better than most Aussie films, but it just needed so much more, Aussie films have this real problem in being able to do the simplest of things - Tell a good yarn on screen. Why is that? We get this idea that we must continue to tell first nation stories BUT we cannot find a new angle or a GREAT story to tell, this story is mediocre at best and Cate Blanchette can't save this. Doesn't matter how many AACTA or award nominations this film gets - your larger GENERAL audience can see through the pretentious arty-fartyness of underdeveloped narrative storytelling and by attaching known actors - it tries to sell you that this a film worthy of accolades. Films are political now, not made or judged by their merit but by the politics of the government agencies and the people who have power to get them made.

The film s well-made and it shows from the decent budget it was made with - but that deserves no accolade - tell a story and move me, make me feel emotion - I felt nothing watching this - disappointing because the hype didn't watch the viewing experience.

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.

An aboriginal boy is taken from his home and dumped at a remote church school in 1940s Australia. The new boy impresses his classmates and instructors by taking the adversity in stride, showing empathy, sharing instead of taking, and working some magic in order to heal others from their wounds.

I loved Warwick Thornton's previous film Sweet Country, and enjoyed the gorgeous images here of the wheat fields in the twilight, but even Cate Blanchett the nun can't resurrect such a weak script and thin plot line. The entire film should be compacted into five minutes and audiences will be thankful for it. I sympathize with the film's anticolonial theme and appreciate that it is generally uplifting and positive, but c'mon, let's have an interesting conversation somewhere along the line! North American premiere seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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.

My Review- The New Boy My rating 9/10

This film reminds me so much of the 1947 classic movie Black Narcissus which is also about an isolated community of nuns written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

The New Boy is a totally different story written by Warwick Thornton set in a totally different location but in my opinion there are some striking similarities.

Black Narcissus like The New Boy also deals with conflicts of faith and extreme culture clashes .

The New Boy produced by Cate Blanchett's production company Dirty Films also like Black Narcissus has an ethereal quality some sets almost look artificial but this adds to the drama.

I also noticed in one pivotal scene the label of a bottle of wine reads Blue Narcissus.

What's The New Boy about ?

This is open to interpretation all I'll say is it's a movie you have to think about .

My interpretation of this fine film is that it's about clash of cultures and a crisis of faith when two spiritual beliefs one Christian and the other indigenous First Nation spirituality collide by an accident of fate.

Mixing realism with the magical aspects of a fable, The New Boy is set in 1940s Australia and centres around an Aboriginal child (played by 11-year-old newcomer Aswan Reid) with mysterious 'powers'.

Eleven year old Aswan Reid gives the finest debut performance of an indigenous boy since David Gulpilil in the original Storm Boy he only has two words of dialogue in the movie but his emotive and spiritual performance doesn't need dialogue.

Cate Blanchett is brilliant as a kind but troubled Head nun Sister Eileen who runs a school for boys that have no mothers themselves - even though we know this to be a lie, as they have been taken from their families and their fate is governed by the Protector of Aborigines.

The New Boy is brought to the monastery after being captured by a Native Policeman.

Sister Eileen who welcomes the new boy as she farewells an older aboriginal boy is desperately trying to maintain her outback community after the priest in charge died she seeks guidance praying to his spirit .

She is fiery and often unconventional but kind as she prays and try's to hide the fact that there is no longer a man in charge from authorities who wouldn't allow a woman in charge of the monastery.

The other nun is Sister Mum so beautifully and sensitively played by Deborah Mailman who assists in the property's farm running while also cooking and caring for the small group of "orphaned boys." Sister Mum's story would make a fine film on its own as we see her tearfully look at a photo of her own children we wonder how she became a nun and can only guess what happened to her two children?

Wayne Blair is also impressive as the Aboriginal overseer who supervises the boys farm work . He becomes suspicious and fearful of the spiritual power of the new boy.

Cate Blanchett helped to develop the story with Warwick Thornton and both decided to make the character a nun instead of a monk who was the original character.

Thornton had originally imagined a priest running the monastery and had given his film the working title Father and the Son but both thought this could add a dark connotation to the story.

Production of The New Boy began in October 2022 and wrapped in December that year. The outdoor scenes were shot on location near Burra in South Australia The wonderful music score of The New Boy was written by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis .

Warwick Thornton the writer of The New Boy is also director and cinematographer and I think this movie is as impressive as his 2009 movie Samson and Delilah.