No. 43. (2020) HEARTS AND BONES. July 26th.

Film No. 43 (2020)  July 26th.  8:45 PM.  NETFLIX  Living Room  Mt. Hawthorn. W.A. 

"Why is that you find it easier to talk to a stranger than to me?". (Josie, Dan's partner needs an answer to an aspect of their relationship causing her concern).

I saw it written somewhere that Ben Lawrence is Australia's answer to the U.K.'s Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake). As this is Lawrence's first feature it's too difficult a comparison to make, but if Hearts and Bones is anything to go by, I for one am hoping I can draw the comparison for years to come. This film, like so many of Loach's is an important one.

While the themes are of international interest the story has its roots deeply embedded in the Australian landscape. Dan Fisher (Hugo Weaving) is a world renowned war photographer. He's returned home from a recent assignment to ready himself for a much anticipated  exhibition. Dan himself is ambivalent about the show, but his world shifts when he is alerted by refugee Sebastian (Andrew Luri) that one of the photographs depicts a disturbing event which would quite likely wreck Sebastian's new life, with new family in his newly adopted country. It's a great premise.

Life in secure western society is asked some key questions here. Dan has his partner Josie (Hayley McElhinney) and agent pleading with him to retain the photo. It's his art  and it shouldn't be compromised. Dan has to decide. But the spine of Hearts and Bones comes in the form of relationship building. Australia is still a young growing country, and in a hundred years the cultural mixes in its society will be many and varied. It will be a vastly more tolerant society built on the sorts of stories and issues exposed in this deeply affecting film. Hopefully Ben Lawrence will have gained the same accolades as Loach as a social enforcer in cinema. 10GUMS.