Milla (Eliza Scanlen) is from the first view, an innocent appearing girl going through the usual changes and challenges that face all schoolgirls of her young age. When she meets Moses (Toby Wallace), she is mysteriously seduced by his bad-boy demeanor but obvious intelligence.

At first, looking all the world like a crackhead with his shrunken eyes and manic energy, his wisdom and insight as it unfolds are unanticipated. As the story expands, we meet Milla’s surprisingly dysfunctional family, psychiatrist father Henry (Ben Mendelsohn), and drugged-out mother, Anna (Essie Davis).

As the motivations for their idiosyncrasies become apparent, you get to see beneath the obvious and grow to care about them. Deeply sad and effecting, Babyteeth is an examination of the impact grief makes on one family and how some of their actions while seeming misguided at first show true care and feeling in the end.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

When seriously ill teenager Milla (Eliza Scanlon – Little Women) falls madly in love with a smalltime drug dealer, Moses (Toby Wallace – Romper Stomper), it’s her protective parents’ (Ben Mendelsohn – Captain Marvel / Essie Davis – The Babadook) worst nightmare. Things get messy and morals go out the window as the lives of those around the family: a sensitive music teacher, a budding child violinist, a disarmingly honest pregnant neighbour become intertwined and Milla shows those in her orbit how to live like you have nothing to lose.

In a story about life, grief and the chaos of family, Babyteeth joyously explores how far we will go for love and how good it is to be alive.

Babyteeth will be released in Australian cinemas 23 July!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

This time the adventure is set in the Middle East and involves Bedouin tribes and ancient curses. It also visits the English aristocrats while they drink champagne and nibble on cucumber sandwiches. There are murders and prison escapes and Miss Fisher does her best to stay one step ahead of the action.

It must be said that those expecting an expanded palate with the move to the big screen will be disappointed. The film plays out like a TV movie of the week and has incredibly average writing and next to no build up of anticipation for resolution. You see the end result of every plot twist way before it plays out.

One area that the expanded budget does pay dividends is in the location shooting. There are some impressive vistas on display. It all feels quant and harmless, something you could take the olds to without causing any friction. It just never raises the pulse with its pedestrian writing and unadventurous stance. It’s a shame they didn’t do more with what they had.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/roadshow

The film’s title is quite the misnomer as this is a highly stylised account of Ned Kelly and his family. Some of the creative choices yield engrossing scenes while others feel forced and dissipate momentum. This includes not capitalising on the acting of Nicholas Hoult who persuasively plays against his nice guy persona as the sadistic Constable Fitzpatrick. Odd that the chemistry between him and George MacKay’s Ned Kelly is so under-utilised.

Their scenes together hint as something substantial but their characters’ arcs jump too many steps at a time. The mental breakdown of Kelly also feels like it’s missing quite a few beats. He goes from a lucid and introspective man to a dress wearing loon much too quickly. In a film with a generous running time of 124 minutes, it feels like another missed opportunity.

During the final 20 minutes, as events conspire to bring a conclusion to the tale that most are familiar with, the filmmakers make their boldest moves yet. It will challenge the audience with its overt symbolism and visual attempt to recreate the claustrophobic last minutes of life for the Kelly gang. The success of this approach is completely subjective and one that cinema goers will have to make up their own mind about.
Rob Hudson

True History of the Kelly Gang is currently playing at Dendy Cinemas for a limited time – head to www.dendy.com.au for more information and tickets.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears takes fans on an exhilarating new journey of mystery and mayhem through exotic 1920s British Palestine to the opulence of grand London manors.

MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS is directed by Tony Tilse and stars Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Rupert Penry-Jones, Isabelle Yella, Miriam Margolyes and Ashleigh Cummings.

MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS releases in Australia in theatres on February 27, 2020.

www.facebook.com/roadshow

Variety has said: “The Venice competition gets a bracing blast of air from Shannon Murphy’s freshman feature, a dynamic, devastatingly curtailed coming-of-age dramady…that marks an arresting feature debut from…director Shannon Murphy”

IndieWire says: “Ben Mendelsohn, Eliza Scanlen, and “Babadook” star Essie Davis bring heartbreaking truth and realness to a film with shades of Jane Campion”

FirstShowing offers: “The film exceeds on numerous levels, from the performances and focused storytelling, to the song selection and uplifting vibe throughout. Murphy balances levity and genuine humanity with fresh filmmaking, delivering a smart film that is completely satisfying in every sense”

The Playlist: “Babyteeth is a gentle, affecting tearjerker from director Shannon Murphy”

Babyteeth will be released in Australian cinemas next year.

About Babyteeth:
When seriously ill teenager Milla falls madly in love with smalltime drug dealer Moses, it’s her parents’ worst nightmare. But as Milla’s first brush with love brings her a new lust for life, things get messy and traditional morals go out the window. Milla soon shows everyone in her orbit – her parents, Moses, a sensitive music teacher, a budding child violinist, and a disarmingly honest, pregnant neighbour – how to live like you have nothing to lose. What might have been a disaster for the Finlay family instead leads to letting go and finding grace in the glorious chaos of life. Babyteeth joyously explores how good it is not to be dead yet and how far we will go for love.
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

Coming to Australian theatres in 2020, Babyteeth will have its world premiere in official competition at the prestigious Venice Film Festival on Wednesday 4th September.

Having previously directed television dramas including Offspring, Love Child and Sisters, director Shannon Murphy is one of only two female directors who have features in this year’s official competition.

A warm-hearted and bittersweet comedy about love, loss and family, BABYTEETH was shot on location in and around Sydney, and the film is an adaptation of the successful Belvoir Theatre play by Rita Kalnejais.

About Babyteeth
What might have been a disaster for the Finlay family leads to letting go and finding grace in the glorious chaos of life. When seriously ill teenager Milla (Eliza Scanlon – HBO’s Sharp Objects, the upcoming Little Women) falls madly in love with a smalltime drug dealer, Moses (Toby Wallace – Romper Stomper), it’s her protective parents’ (Ben Mendelsohn – Captain Marvel / Essie Davis – The Babadook) worst nightmare. Things get messy and morals go out the window as the lives of those around the family: a sensitive music teacher, a budding child violinist, a disarmingly honest pregnant neighbour become intertwined and Milla shows those in her orbit how to live like you have nothing to lose. In a story about life, grief and the chaos of family, Babyteeth joyously explores how far we will go for love and how good it is to be alive.

Babyteeth is coming to Australian cinemas in 2020!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

A warm-hearted and bittersweet comedy about love, loss and family, BABYTEETH is being shot on location in and around Sydney. The film is an adaptation of the successful Belvoir Theatre play by Rita Kalnejais.

Sydney-born Eliza Scanlen is best known for her role as Amma Crellin in HBO’s award-winning miniseries Sharp Objects, in which she starred alongside Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson. Scanlen will also feature as Beth March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women with Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet.

Toby Wallace broke onto Australian screens as a young Michael Hutchence in the telemovie Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS, before starring in the lead role of Kane in Romper Stomper, streaming service Stan’s sequel to the classic Australian crime drama. Next, Wallace will be seen inAcute Misfortune, a film adaptation of Erik Jensen’s award-winning biography of Adam Cullen and Netflix’s new YA 10-episode drama The Society.

BABYTEETH is a bittersweet comedy about learning to let go and finding grace in the glorious chaos of life. Milla is a supernova about to explode. When the seriously ill teenager falls madly in love with a small-time drug dealer, it’s her protective parents’ worst nightmare. But Milla is teaching those in her orbit how to live like you have nothing to lose.

Building on a string of successful television credits, Shannon Murphy (On the Ropes, Offspring, Rake) makes her feature film directorial debut, with Alex White at the helm as producer and Jan Chapman (The Piano, Lantana, The Daughter) as executive producer.

Producer Alex White said, “It’s been a true joy to watch our incredible crew bring this story to life. Eliza Scanlen and Toby Wallace give breakout performances alongside the electrifying duo of Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn, who returned home to make this film with us. BABYTEETH is about family and how far you go to protect the people that you love, and we’re thrilled to share this story with audiences.”

Said director Shannon Murphy: “I have loved every minute of directing this shoot with our glorious cast and dedicated crew. It has been a journey of discovering the comedic and dramatic tension within the Finlay family as they are forced to accept Moses, an intruder, into their already dysfunctional home.”

BABYTEETH is a Whitefalk Films production with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Create NSW, and was financed with the support of WeirAnderson.com, Whitefalk Films, Jan Chapman Films and Spectrum Films. It was developed by Whitefalk Films in association with Katherine Slattery and Jan Chapman with the assistance of Screen Australia, Create NSW and Waking Dream Productions.

BABYTEETH will release in Australia via Universal Pictures on behalf of Entertainment One, with international sales by Celluloid Dreams.
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU