I saw this film for the first time at MQFF (Melbourne Queer Film Festival) and it blew me away with it's sensitive characterizations, elegant cinematography and beautiful use of music. This film was made on a micro budget and should be used as a yard stick for other indie film makers to live up to. This movie shows what can be accomplished with determination, drive and vision.
The plot is a straight forward coming of age story and whilst we have seen this type of thing before, we've never seen it told in quiet the same way with sparse beauty and compassion. The two main leads are destined for future success if this is any indication of what they are capable of. They are both charismatic and charming. They anchor the film and give it a gravity, sense of humor and emotional core. All the support actors are outstanding as well - they range from heavy and down right nasty to quirky, off beat and genuinely funny.
The location filming in Melbourne's western suburbs gives the film a real slice of life feel that every Australian growing up in the burbs will relate to. The local area portrayed in the film becomes almost a character unto itself.
Both the score and songs are well used and add huge production value to this little film. The editing is slightly rough around the edges but it actually adds to the character of the film. I found it worked even better on a repeated viewing. We do tend to be so used to seeing bigger budget films that are slickly cut together whereas Monster Pies is a personal vision and works on a purely personal, one on one level. That is all part of the films magic.
The direction and writing from Lee Galea show a maturity and depth of understanding of both film and the subject matter. For a second feature with a tiny budget this film rocks. Lee is obviously a child of the 90's and pays loving homage to them with great attention to detail. From local video libraries to phones with cords. I for one cannot wait to see what he makes next!
Try watching this film with an open mind and heart and I think you'll walk away from it slightly changed forever. I know I have.
The plot is a straight forward coming of age story and whilst we have seen this type of thing before, we've never seen it told in quiet the same way with sparse beauty and compassion. The two main leads are destined for future success if this is any indication of what they are capable of. They are both charismatic and charming. They anchor the film and give it a gravity, sense of humor and emotional core. All the support actors are outstanding as well - they range from heavy and down right nasty to quirky, off beat and genuinely funny.
The location filming in Melbourne's western suburbs gives the film a real slice of life feel that every Australian growing up in the burbs will relate to. The local area portrayed in the film becomes almost a character unto itself.
Both the score and songs are well used and add huge production value to this little film. The editing is slightly rough around the edges but it actually adds to the character of the film. I found it worked even better on a repeated viewing. We do tend to be so used to seeing bigger budget films that are slickly cut together whereas Monster Pies is a personal vision and works on a purely personal, one on one level. That is all part of the films magic.
The direction and writing from Lee Galea show a maturity and depth of understanding of both film and the subject matter. For a second feature with a tiny budget this film rocks. Lee is obviously a child of the 90's and pays loving homage to them with great attention to detail. From local video libraries to phones with cords. I for one cannot wait to see what he makes next!
Try watching this film with an open mind and heart and I think you'll walk away from it slightly changed forever. I know I have.