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Esther
Blueburger is the near perfect coming of age comedy that Looking For Alibrandi
almost was just under a decade ago, exploring to perfection what it's
really
like to be an outsider in your own world (without ever really going
into the weird absurdist "wacky" territory most Aussie films tended to
do throughout the '90s and early '00s).
This
delightful little flick follows the oddly named Esther (superb
newcomer, Danielle
Catanzariti) who is unlike any other girl: she's a nerdy Jew (a pretty
rare mix in Australian society), she befriends a duck, talks to God
through the toilet and break-dances at her Bar Mitzvah. Add to this
the fact her
uppity all-girl private school is a daily torment of mind-numbing
conformity, as well as a mum who is so up tight (to borrow a phrase
from Ferris Beuller) "if you stuck a lump of coal up her a**, in two
weeks, you'd have a diamond".
However life soon
changes course forever when Esther meets free-spirit Sunni, (Whale Riders' Keisha Castle-Hughes) and her like minded mother
Mary (Toni Collette in fine form as always) as she soon learns that it’s okay to be different and being
true to yourself is more important than fitting in.
The
message of the film is by no means new territory, it's just something
which often isn't explored very well within Australian films. Would it
stand up just as well if it didn't have the home ground advantage?
Perhaps. It at no point makes Esther infallible (there is a scene in a
back alley way which may disturb some), but at the same time, never
allows her to be totally to blame for her predicament.
The real star of the film
is Catanzariti who gives such a superb performance as Esther, it's almost a
shame that she was born Australian (and will likely miss out on the
opportunities that Dakota Fanning or Abigail Breslin received in their
home country). She conveys such passion, yet with the kind of comedic timing that most
hardened female comedians would die for. In fact, the entire cast are
at their peak, with not one performer giving an "Aussie Soap" delivery of lines - everyone's playing their "A Game" here.
We failed with Hating Alison Ashley, we got close with Alibrandi
- but it seems Australia has finally created a strong, likable and
relatable female lead which we can be proud of (and hopefully) support within our local industry. DVD EXTRAS
You are often hard pressed to find any kind of Australian movie on
DVD in stores, let alone one that has so many Special Features packed
into it.
There are over ten featurettes loaded onto the disc,
ranging from the usual "Cast and Crew" fluff, to the more indie
friendly look at the music created by Paul Mac.
And in a rare
treat for the dads sitting down to watch this with the family - there
is a rather racy interview with Toni Collette (who looks the best she
ever has in this movie) in which she talks candidly about learning to
pole dance!
Well worth checking out.
Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 75%
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