Through the eyes of 11-year-old Adrian, the world is a dark and dismal place. Living in a rundown metropolitan suburb somewhere in New Zealand, he is bullied at school and lives with his dysfunctional grandmother and uncle. There seems little hope or happiness, causing him to become fixated on the news of three missing children in his area.
When new neighbours move in, he finds a soul mate in 11-year-old Nicole whose quirky and sometimes pretentious behaviour masks her own sadness of a dying mother and a father who can’t provide the parental guidance she needs.
Their outward focus provides our insight into their world while preventing them from realising their own inner strength.
Writer/Director Daniel Joseph Borgman’s debut feature film is a touching and curious affair, slow moving yet absorbing. In his own feature film debut, Demos Murphy is absolutely stellar as the young central character, providing both warmth and depth to Adrian’s emotions; and Angie Cottrell is also quite fine as Nicole, progressing from an angry stranger to a close friend. Both juvenile leads provide believable personalities despite their quirky natures.
The adult leads are secondary to the children and are played with suitable detachment by Catherine Wilkin as Gran, Matthew Sunderland as Uncle Rory and Finn Holden as Clinton.
Danish composer Kristian Selin Eidnes Andersen provides a warm but sometimes menacing undertone to the film, with his score only taking centre stage in the haunting opening sequence that is sure to make you catch your breath.
With the closing cry, “Don’t leave me!”, The Weight of Elephants is an elegant film that is sure to touch your soul.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Rating out of 10: 8
The Weight of Elephants is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital copy.
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