No. 80 (2018) Lean On Pete Sept 28th.

Film No 80 (2018) Sept. 28th.  7:15 PM  Flight SQ 215 Singapore to Perth.

"Look, if we are going to be working together, you got to get some manners. You got to chew your food. What does your mom say?" (Del lectures Charley about his habits which leads to a reasonably prophetic answer).

A touching coming of age road movie bereft of Hollywood cliche; it is legitimately touching because Charley's (Charlie Plummer) plight is real. One heart breaking challenge after another threatens to break this fifteen year old's soul. Director Andrew Haigh (45 Years) has a knack of peeling back layers of the human condition via extended takes and lingering close-ups. Charley requires the security of a home and mates (school) but life with his sole parent dad Ray (Travis Fimmel) lacks balance. Enter Del (Steve Bescemi), a third rate horse trainer. He offers Charley part-time work strapping and tending his horses. Charley's affiliation with Pete, a fifth class nag in Del's stable leads to some fertile growth in Charley's emotional world. I found Lean on Pete a profoundly moving experience, even from an aircraft seat 10,000 metres above earth. I'll be actively seeking a re-run, this time in a cinema. 10GUMS.