Bosch & Rockit. MA15+, 107 minutes. Three stars.
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At the start of this film, we're told it's based on true events. At the end we get the standard disclaimer about it being a work of fiction, without mention of real-life, composite characters et cetera. This is confusing, but apparently it's based on first-time writer-director Tyler Atkins' own life: if he was the boy, then he's lucky he came out alive and (presumably) well.
Anyway, the film's the thing, and, despite some flaws, this is an impressive filmmaking debut for actor Atkins.
In the 1990s, young surfing enthusiast and aspiring pro Rockit (Rasmus King, impressive) lives on the New South Wales coast with his single dad Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) who's loving but not very responsible.
Rockit is struggling at school - he has difficulty reading and is picked on by other kids, so he often wags to go surfing.
Bosch isn't much help with that sort of thing (Rockit's mother handled it): he's more concerned with keeping food on the table by selling the marijuana he grows (when he's not smoking it himself).
One of his associates is an old friend, a cop who turns up one night with his even more crooked superior who forces a bag of cocaine on Bosch to sell.
Bosch doesn't want to have anything to do with hard drugs but when a fire burns down his house and crop and the coke, he grabs Rockit and what cash he can and they skip town to escape the vengeance of the law.
Rockit is, understandably, confused but not wanting to upset the boy and in an effort to keep things as quiet as possible, Bosch spins him stories about going on a (sudden) holiday and, less credibly, being a secret agent.
This being the era just before the internet and mobile phones became ubiquitous and quick, they're able to hole up in a small beachside motel and hope for the best. Rockit is happy enough - he's not going to school (it would attract too much attention) he gets to surf and he makes a friend, Ash (Savannah La Rain).
Bosch, meanwhile, has a fling with the motel owner's daughter.
But this seemingly idyllic life can't last forever.
Bosch has to decide what to do - both for himself and his son.
But is he capable of making the right decisions and following through on them?
The relationship between the deeply flawed but loving Bosch and the naive and questioning Rockit is the heart of the film.
Hemsworth is convincing portraying the blokey and not-too-bright Bosch (a nickname that is explained during the film) but also conveys a sense of genuinely caring about Rockit even if he's not very good at parenting.
King - though more experienced at surfing than acting - is good at conveying the boy's love for his father as well as his frustrations, though a climactic speech doesn't ring 100 per cent true.
Later in the film, Bosch takes Rockit to his mother, Liz (Leeanna Walsman) but she's an unhappy alcoholic who doesn't seem any better at taking responsibility for their son than Bosch does (even though she's not on the lam).
While the surfing footage is beautiful - there are some impressive shots on the water and from on high - there's a bit too much of it. Atkins seems to be indulging a passion rather than spending time on the story and characters.
As a result, there are some caricatured performances (the lead cop is too broadly acted to be genuinely threatening) and actors given little to do. The only other patron at Dendy was audibly unimpressed by the surfeit of swearing (the reason for its MA classification).
The early part of the film seems to take place over a relatively short period but then it seems more time elapses but the sense of that, and any changes that take place, is lost.
It also all feels a bit too happy and upbeat: there's a darker side to the story that is seldom shown and the ending doesn't feel as bittersweet as it should.
Still, there's a lot to enjoy and it will be interesting to see what Atkins does next.