Somersault

An Australian teenager takes her new-found sexuality out for a test drive to Jindabyne in this award-winning film. As you might expect, her results are less than stellar. Our heroine is clearly drifting between childhood and adulthood but her focus is always tactile. Watch how she caresses her scrapbook or her lover's fingertips.

Winner of 13 awards at the Australian Film Institute in 2004, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor and Actress, I found this DVD (with captions!) at the city library. Yes, you may also expect wonderful editing and cinematography.

These four won those acting awards:

• Sam Worthington ("The Debt" and "Man on a Ledge") is Joe, a young man who works for his father on his cattle station and also does the occasional mechanic's job. He is a bit of a rounder, but next to our flighty heroine, he is a rock!
• Abbie Cornish ("Limitless" and "Bright Star") portrays Heidi, trying out her wings, making ill-advised choices for bad reasons and not yet settled enough to learn from them. Joe says "She's like my mom's perfume: Mom would spray a mist in the air and then walk through it. I can still feel Heidi on my skin..."
• Lynette Curran (lots of TV) is Irene, the generous proprietor of the Jindabyne motel where our heroine lands. This hard-working gal has her own set of problems but tries to help when she can.
• Erik Thomson ("The Boys are Back") has a small but pivotal role as Richard, the gay neighbor who is moving away. His character has an intelligence and a stillness that I found very appealing.

This PG-13 film has some fisticuffs, lots of nudity and alcohol (remember, it's Australian), but no vehicular mayhem or blowie uppie stuff.

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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2894332185/
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