As the AFI awards draw ever closer, Australian films begin attracting more and more attention to themselves, and the latest horse out of the gates is Home Song Stories. Based upon the true childhood experiences of writer/director Tony Ayres, this film is essentially comprised of the memories of Tom (Joel Lok), who, as a young boy, found himself growing increasingly disenchanted by his unstable, slowly disintegrating mother, Rose. Brought to life by the formidable Chinese starlet Joan Chen (best known to Westerners as Josie from Twin Peaks), Rose is a veritable fire-cracker of a woman, shifting violently through partners and plans, exploding without warning and dragging the torn remnants of her family behind her. She is utterly unsympathetic, but also completely intoxicating, enlivening the film with her fiery temperament.
Ayres’ attention to detail in this film is nothing short of sublime. Reconstructed from his personal photo collection, the set and costume design instantly draw audiences into his 1960s reality. The soundscape is equally fascinating, with every background sound, from the slightest bird chirp to the loudest car engine, clearly polished to perfection. Ayres himself has commented upon how the sound detail was designed to reflect the way in which memories capture only particular sounds, while entirely disregarding others, and, once you notice this, it is extremely effective. The narrative core, however, is not quite as imaginative, and, though it may seem facile to say this about a true story, rather repetitive. Ayres’ use of flashbacks and dream sequences does little to revive the story’s flavour, and in fact seem rather at odds with the rest of the film’s style. Nonetheless, Ayres’ ability to cloak the entire film in an appropriately childish honesty is commendable, and does provide a layer of complex contradiction which cancels out the story’s tendency to lag. Furthermore, Chen alone is a pleasure to watch, as she maintains the film’s energy levels throughout and vigorously drives the narrative towards its powerful conclusion.
Rating: 8.6
Ayres’ attention to detail in this film is nothing short of sublime. Reconstructed from his personal photo collection, the set and costume design instantly draw audiences into his 1960s reality. The soundscape is equally fascinating, with every background sound, from the slightest bird chirp to the loudest car engine, clearly polished to perfection. Ayres himself has commented upon how the sound detail was designed to reflect the way in which memories capture only particular sounds, while entirely disregarding others, and, once you notice this, it is extremely effective. The narrative core, however, is not quite as imaginative, and, though it may seem facile to say this about a true story, rather repetitive. Ayres’ use of flashbacks and dream sequences does little to revive the story’s flavour, and in fact seem rather at odds with the rest of the film’s style. Nonetheless, Ayres’ ability to cloak the entire film in an appropriately childish honesty is commendable, and does provide a layer of complex contradiction which cancels out the story’s tendency to lag. Furthermore, Chen alone is a pleasure to watch, as she maintains the film’s energy levels throughout and vigorously drives the narrative towards its powerful conclusion.
Rating: 8.6
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