Babyteeth

Where to start with this fantastic film?

Firstly every single performance is flawless. Eliza Scanlen as the lead is magnetic, impossible to take your eyes off. She plays the role so well, showing great vulnerability and warmth balanced with such fire and spirit in her character. It's such a well written part and so well played. Toby Wallace as Moses is equally brilliant, and the on screen chemistry and interactions between the two are so captivating.

In terms of the story it is so compelling. Each character has such different reactions and ways of progressing through the unfolding events of the plot, with everything feeling very real and poignant. There's so much beauty in the story and so much emotion as well, it really will take it out of you after watching this.

To top it all off the film also has such a gorgeous feel to it. It looks beautiful, has such a peaceful and calming score, and has this vein of almost tranquillity running through it.

A beautiful hidden gem of a film.

Take any of the characters, they all behave legitimately from their perspective, a result of their personal and social circumstance.

A teenage girl on chemo befriends a rogue, much to her parents dismay and their own dysfunctional relationship. A film about how we interact, with ourselves and with others. Beautifully performed, written and directed.

It takes guts to take a subject like this and not play it safe, to give every character flaws, every relationship twists and turns and many quirks to the story line. I knew that there would be tears from the off but didn't anticipate feeling as emotionally invested in every character. Superb directing too - cinematic in places and claustrophobic in others. A beautifully crafted film. Not soppy, just really believable characters.

This movie is kind of like going to your favourite holiday spot, you know what your'e going to get when you arrive but the drive is wonderful.

The story of a dysfunctional family as they try and cope with 'life' as it currently presents itself to them.

The film carries this emotional melancholy which the actors use to float through the events they are met with.

Not dramatic for the sake of it, no epic speeches, just the honest (feeling) expressions of emotions.

Its a very worthwhile film.

Well acted but very depressing.

Eliza Scanlan gives a fascinating performance as a young woman who's going through cancer treatment and falls for a drug addict who may or may not be good for her. Her parents (Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn) are dysfunctional and unraveling and have drug problems of their own. They don't like her daughter's boyfriend and under normal circumstances probably wouldn't tolerate him. But he's the only thing that brings their daughter some respite from the hell she's going through, so they sort of adopt him as their own.

"Babyteeth" is a coming of age movie that's set apart from others like it because of the protagonist's existential crisis. Scanlan's character is as immature in some ways as any sixteen year old, but at the same time is being asked to summon up reserves of maturity to deal with the ultimate curve ball life has to throw at us. How do you balance the emotional and hormonal ups and downs of teen romance with the possibility of your impending death?

The film is a bit monotonous in tone and starts to feel like a grind after a while. But again, it's worth seeing for the performances and for the unsentimental treatment of the subject matter that would have possibly segued into the maudlin in different hands. The ending scene is the most devastating thing I've seen in a movie this year.

Grade: B+