Review by Raymond Murray
By: Raymond Murray
In-House Review - Jul 23 2013
Two high school outsiders meet and fall in love in this sweetly innocent, heartfelt and ultimately shocking melodrama from Down Under.
Geeky, alienated 17-year-old Mike (Tristan Barr) attends a suburban Melbourne high school. He is tease...
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Two high school outsiders meet and fall in love in this sweetly innocent, heartfelt and ultimately shocking melodrama from Down Under.
Geeky, alienated 17-year-old Mike (Tristan Barr) attends a suburban Melbourne high school. He is teased by the jocks for his looks and refusal to fight back. Life changes for the excitable boy after he meets and befriends the very handsome Wil (Lucas Linehan), the new kid in the school.
Wil seems to be out of Mike's league, but with a nearly catatonic mother in a psychiatric hospital and a violently abusive father at home, he is a similarly lonely outsider who is quick to respond to Mike's advances. The two young men now need to navigate their nascent love through the social pressures of school and the tensions of an unsupportive home life.
With an emotional intensity rarely found in gay films (but befitting the hormone-crazy world of teen boys), Monster Pies will tug at your emotions and possibly even bring back memories of one's own exciting and agonizing first love.
Review by RES
By: RES
Unabashedly using the conventions of the coming-out narrative, the writer-director has fashioned an intensely moving film that rings true. Believably set in the mid 1990s, it deals with (unfortunately) still relevant issues like parental abuse and ga...
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Unabashedly using the conventions of the coming-out narrative, the writer-director has fashioned an intensely moving film that rings true. Believably set in the mid 1990s, it deals with (unfortunately) still relevant issues like parental abuse and gay teen suicide. The performances by the leads are shattering, their chemistry overwhelming, and the film virtually never belies its nonexistent budget. "Monster Pies" should be a staple in every DVD collection. At the conclusion of the December 2013 review posted here: http://www.wellingtondailynews.com/article/20131210/BLOGS/312109930 , the author notes, and I agree, that "When the film began, I did not expect to be crying by the end of it."
Review by Casey
By: Casey
I loved this movie, but after seeing the movie, and literally weeping, I'm torn whether If I had it to do over if I would have watched it. I do believe that anytime a movie can move emotions in someone such as this, it's typically an excellent movie...
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I loved this movie, but after seeing the movie, and literally weeping, I'm torn whether If I had it to do over if I would have watched it. I do believe that anytime a movie can move emotions in someone such as this, it's typically an excellent movie. Heartbreaking and extremely emotional. Watch if you dare, but prepare yourself for some serious tears.
Review by Steven
By: Steven
I agree with the other articulate reviews of this film. Regardless of the ending, it is so unnecessary, and the bridging of the emotional moments in this story are unrealistic and convenient. Realistic tragedy: Beautiful Thing and Brokeback Mountain....
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I agree with the other articulate reviews of this film. Regardless of the ending, it is so unnecessary, and the bridging of the emotional moments in this story are unrealistic and convenient. Realistic tragedy: Beautiful Thing and Brokeback Mountain. This movie would be worth $2.00 and two stars.
Review by chromoman
By: chromoman
This film would profit from a few less subplots, a few less desperate elements of bleak backstory. And while the actors in the two lead roles are much more than adequate, few of the supporting players are convincing. That said, the core of this sto...
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This film would profit from a few less subplots, a few less desperate elements of bleak backstory. And while the actors in the two lead roles are much more than adequate, few of the supporting players are convincing. That said, the core of this story is a semi-sweet retelling of adolescent first love. It is not coincidental that the plot involves a school project to rework the tale of Romeo and Juliet. Everyone seems to want a happier denouement; but I do not think it necessary for either Mr. Galea or Mr. Shakespeare to supply a sweet and sappy one for every tale. While there well may be a few too many tragic elements heaped onto the shaky structure of this story, the moments of joy that we witness between the two boys provide reason enough to recommend that you see it.
Review by Sean
By: Sean
I loved this film as ive watched a few films and it captured australia, it captured school and it captured love
great film ive not got the time to give a 20,000 word thesis watch it and enjoy.
Review by Blackmanz
By: Blackmanz
My title says it all! I expected a bit more creativity from the Australians in this regard - this kind of film was being made years ago - same kind of story line - same kind of ending. Get a grip and get innovative!
Review by Achilles
By: Achilles
I second Kevin's review. My boyfriend and I just watched this film. I'm not sure if the goal of these filmmakers is to make us depressed to the point that we just sob for eternity. Or just drown the grief in alcohol and switching on a Disney movie to...
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I second Kevin's review. My boyfriend and I just watched this film. I'm not sure if the goal of these filmmakers is to make us depressed to the point that we just sob for eternity. Or just drown the grief in alcohol and switching on a Disney movie to try and feel better. I loved 80% of this film, It's so awkward and adorable (love Lucas Linehan, like a younger Sam Worthington) then of course you can feel the shift in tone as this movie nose dives into a cornfield at 400 mph. By the end we both felt that the ending direction was unnecessary. There are enough edgy/depressing gay coming of age stories out there. If you want to give us edgy, fine. But please for the love of god can we have a happy ending?
Review by Kevin
By: Kevin
I just watched this movie last night and I want to be careful to give an honest review but not give away any spoilers. The movie starts out great. Yes, it's a bit clichéd with a gay high school guy getting picked on by the school bullies, and he en...
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I just watched this movie last night and I want to be careful to give an honest review but not give away any spoilers. The movie starts out great. Yes, it's a bit clichéd with a gay high school guy getting picked on by the school bullies, and he ends up meeting the love of his life. And the love is reciprocated, and just when you start to think that things might turn out ok for this guy and his lover, the whole thing turns south and becomes a big fat depressing bummer! I'm so tired of these depressing coming of age (and coming out) stories. Somehow, there are literally millions of us who came out in the 80's and 90's (and now) and things turned out pretty darn good for all of us. So why is it you rarely see positive up beat gay films with happy endings?? Is there so much self-loathing and self-deprecating with these gay screenwriters that this is the best they can come up with? I think we can do better. But if you like feeling totally bummed out, and crying and feeling utterly depressed after you watch a movie, then by all means watch this one.
Review by Amos Lassen
By: Amos Lassen
Mike is a high school student who feels alone and alienated and has felt that way for as long as he can remember. But when Will, a new boy, comes to his school feelings within himself come to the fore and he dreams of a world he had never dared to th...
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Mike is a high school student who feels alone and alienated and has felt that way for as long as he can remember. But when Will, a new boy, comes to his school feelings within himself come to the fore and he dreams of a world he had never dared to think of before. His English teacher gives him and the new boy an assignment to work on together and as the two spend time together, they both realize that they feel something very strong for each other. The film is a coming-out and coming-of-age drama firmly set in the 1990's- a snapshot in time, a moving teen romance that is not afraid to tackle the contradictions and complexities of the male adolescent heart and mind.
The assignment has to do with making a new movie version of "Romeo and Juliet" and like the star-crossed lovers, Mike and Will seem to have that want them apart-their classmates, each boy's dysfunctional family and their own confusion about sexuality. Australian director Lee Galea shows us a coming-out story that is sincere and honest and he actually embraces the clichés that go along with stories of this kind and does not hesitate to use them. Mike is played beautifully by young Tristan Barr. He lives with his single mother (Rohanna Hayes), works in a video store and spends his free time with Jenine, his best friend who is also something of an outsider due to her extra pounds and awkwardness. Will (Lucas Linehan) is the new boy at school and the story continues.
Sure, we have seen this all before several times but Galea handles the whole thing with style and tends to ignore that today's young people are sexually self-assured and therefore pushes the movie back in time. He also sets his film in Melbourne's inner west which I have learned is the inner-city, lower socio-economic part of town. He adds absent and abusive fathers and student bullies to the mix and we quickly understand the boys' need for love. So what is new here? The young leads of the film are amazing and they bring an old story to a whole new level. They are able to show us the gay high school experience by totally complementing each other with Will's self-confidence letting us know that he is his own self and really can stand on his own in any situation. This is a beautiful story of young love that is powerful in its subtlety and we are completely aware of the tenderness that holds the boys together and while we feel it, the rest of the world becomes unimportant. Using montages as a way to impel the film forward is a new trick and it works beautifully here. The audio makes us think-especially the silences when not a word need be spoken. I want to say that this is simply a love story and the fact that it is about two high school boys is really unimportant. What really makes this movie so good is its honesty and the truth that we feel resonating through the entire film makes us think about the beautiful experience we share as we watch this amazing gem of a movie.