The Home Song Stories - Review
August 21st 2007 02:06
It seems that there is a surge of Australian films out at the moment which is good to see: The Home Song Stories, The Jammed and The Bet.
On Sunday I was fortunate and won free tickets to see the preview of The Home Song Stories. It is written and directed by acclaimed Tony Ayres of Walking on Water (2002) and stars Joan Chen, Joel Lok ,Qi Yu Wu, Irene Chen, Steven Vidler and Kerry Walker.
The opening words of the film: If everyone has one story which defines them, this is mine’ immediately thrusts us into the story.
The film’s tagline is: how far do you have to journey to find your home? This is a big question, one I could relate to after moving around for much of my younger years. I feel Australia is my home but sometimes I miss being back in England.
There was a distinct feeling of displacement in this film. The film is framed by Tom as an older man, a writer, reflecting back on his youth and his mother through his writing.
It's a true story, one heavily burdened with pain and human wandering for a life better than the one the characters were living. Chinese born Australian filmmaker, Tony Ayres, delved deep into his past to create The Home Song Stories which I consider brave. As I knew this fact, the story was somewhat more personal and affecting, knowing this was actually someone’s life and not just a story. The film continues to be narrated from young Tom’s point of view and seen through his perspective. The young son’s acting was superb, as they all were but he stood out, probably because of his young age.
The opening scenes are colourful and alluring showing a beautiful glamorous Shanghai woman singing in a club. Through the narrator we learn that Rose, (Joan Chen )who, after marrying an Australian sailor, Steven Vidler, a kind man who genuinely loves her, moves to suburban Melbourne with her two children. She does not stay in Melbourne for long and soon leaves her husband and moves to Sydney.
Years pass with a succession of ‘uncles’ for the two children Tom, (Joel Lock) and May, (Irene Chen), until Rose returns to Melbourne where she finds work in a Chinese restaurant and falls in love with the young chef Joe, (Qi Yuwu). When difficulties arise with this relationship Rose is further pushed down her road of instability.
May is like a tragic heroine with fatal flaws. She moves through her life using her sexuality and charisma to get what she needs, sometimes for herself, often for her two children. She is opportunistic, sometimes out of desperation and sometimes almost like a childish foot stamp to get what she wants. She places a lot of pressure on her children to be responsible for her and in one scene says all those awful phrases that can be used to destroy a child such as ‘’I wish I never had you, if I die it’s your fault’. The children had the awful heavy burden of keeping their mum alive, a responsibility no child should ever have, but of course this does happen. Rose confronts this alien culture with admirable bravado. The cultural difference (it was set in the 70s) was strongly evident; I could feel it through the screen.
The Home Song Stories is a finely chiselled story of Rose, a glamorous yet unstable woman, who struggles to survive in seventies Australia with two young children. She does what she needs to do to continue to exist. Sometimes that survival barely happens.
This is a film that shows the non-black and whiteness of people in our lives. I felt a surge of various emotions towards the Rose, empathy, anger, frustration, sympathy. To me that show that a film is working if a viewer is affected by the story and having a reaction. It shows how personal difficulties that can be passed down the family line impacting others around.
It deals with mental instability, family relationships and suffering. It is painful tale of passion, displacement shown with an extraordinary honesty about it, an often confronting honesty. Its striking honesty made me hard for me to watch at times, but nonetheless the tale was well-told and deeply affecting.
I have a few small quibbles with the film. To use a tree analogy, it sometimes felt as though there were too many branches stemming from the tree without enough resolutions or at least a tightening of the branches. Some seemed to just be there with its presence not being obvious enough. Sometimes it felt as though the director was trying to go in a certain path yet he pulled back, leaving a feeling of almost a non-conclusion. Maybe because it was a true story there were some parts he could not delve into because of the hurt, it’s hard to say or know. My other quibble and others may not agree with me, was that I couldn’t laugh at some scenes that were supposed to be humorous. I couldn’t feel the jocularity; I was feeling the strength of their anguish too strongly. The other part that I didn’t gel with were the dream sequences seen through Tom’s mind, I could understand what they were trying to portray, his yearning for freedom, but to me they bordered on being cheesy.
This is a harrowing story, one with much pain. It was difficult to watch all the characters bounce from one raw situation to the next in the hope that life will get better. There were no scenes of physical hurt, but the emotion agony was strong, at times uncomfortably hard to endure.
The resolution of the film was apt, it wasn’t a tidy Hollywood ending, it was believable and tenderly illustrated.
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Just a quick flick but I liked what I saw,
katyzzz
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Byee
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
Do I get paid for that, the usual Google cents or nocents at all really, which make it seem like nonsents to me [replace ts with ce for better clarity.]
katyzzz
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I can only offer you my cyber gratitude I'm afraid... I hope that counts for something though
Tracy
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
I can really relate to these stories. Great review!
Mis
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Thank-you, I'm glad you liked the review. I also could relate to portions of it.
Tracy
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
sometimes simple, home-spun movies turn out to be the most enjoyable and the most touching...
Haven't seen this one yet, but I really enjoyed your review...
Take care,
Nick
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I heard a reviewer last night review this movie as well. It sounds a really interesting kind of movie. Definitely not one for when I'm after a bit of escapist fun!
Great review
Kylie
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Thanks for popping in, it's an interesting movie but at the same time, not really light viewing. Yes, I would recommend seeing it when you feel like a film that will be affecting and make you think. It's well-made and certainly different which I liked.
Good to see you
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Your review makes me wnatto check it out, may have to see it when it's on DVD.
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Glad you liked the review, I think it would be a good one to see if you get the chance,
Tracy