Movie Number 31 of 2022
Movie: Juniper
Theatre: Village Cinemas - The Rivoli in Camberwell
Stars: 4
There's so much to like about this quiet, direct little movie which comes out of New Zealand. It got my attention when I saw it was partly about a woman who drinks quite a bit of gin. But it's so much more than that.
Sam (newcomer George Ferrier) is a troubled teen, acting out after the death of his mother. When he's suspended from school, his father, Robert (Marton Csokas) sends him to the family home to help look after his cantankerous grandmother, Ruth (played by the wonderful Charlotte Rampling) while he goes to England to sort out the family affairs.
This is partly a coming of age film, as Sam faces his demons, he also has to develop a functional relationship with the chairbound, alcoholic Ruth, who gets through a case of gin in a fortnight as she treats everybody with the disdain that only the elderly can summon. It's only when the two of them learn that they need to rely on one another does their bond grow. It's also an end-of-life tale, as Ruth comes to terms with her lot and decides to go out with as much dignity and fun as she can
A film about families and their nuances, their highlights and their blindspots.
Yes, it's a little predictable, as just as Sam comes to grips with his amazing grandmother and her iconoclastic life, the movie turns into what is really going on with Ruth, and how the family come to terms with this. The pair move through this beautifully, with some assistance from Nurse Sarah (Edith Poor). It's her presence which makes you feel a bit better about their predicament.
There is a lot to love here. Charlotte Rampling is superb as the crotchetty Ruth, a woman who's used to living on her own terms. She gives an added poignancy to a role which could have gone in many other directions. Sam's father, Robert, is also played with an understated angst, showing a man riddled with grief trying to make the best of things. But it's George Ferrier's Sam that steal the show. Okay, yes, he's easy on the eye, but he plays the 16-year-old Sam with a sensitivity I was not expecting.
Set in the mid-mid eighties, there's plenty to enjoy about the setting and the area around Auckland where this was filmed. Matthew J. Saville's script and direction are on point. One certain scene, with a horse, is incredible - some of the most moving cinema I've seen in a while.
This is a little film which few people will have heard of and fewer will see - which is a pity. It's a film which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. A film, which though a little predictable, navigates the emotions of loss, grief and dying with a hell of a lot of grace.
Unfortunately Juniper has nearly finished its run in the cinemas, but look out for it on the art house channels and streaming services. It's well worth a look.
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