CIFF 2018 Review – Flammable Children (Capsule)

*NOTE: This review is going to be a CAPSULE review, which means it’ll be a tight, quick critique of the film as opposed to the more in-depth reviews I usually do.

A lot of people have a negative connotation of film festival movies.  A lot of people think that a lot of them are dense, or have a heavy subject matter, or are too vague and ambiguous.  This is the case for some movies, but not all.  Flammable Children is not one of those movies.  This is a wild, funny, cringe-worthy coming-of-age Australian sex comedy that is a true delight.

Set in a small town in Australia in the 1970’s, Flammable Children looks a three families and how all of their lives change after a 200-ton whale washes ashore the local beach and causes a tizzy all over town.

The movie’s main focus is on Jeff (Atticus Robb), a sweet kid who aspires to be a filmmaker after seeing Jaws.  He records the other local kids doing all sorts of stuff, from making actual movies to crazy stunts.  After a failed sexual activity by the parents, tension grows between the families, yet Jeff wants to continue to make movies and follow his dreams, but soon realizes that everything is changing right before his eyes.  Robb gives a sincere performance and really guides us through the movie, letting us feel the emotional swings that happen when everything you once knew is changing right in front of your eyes.

The stellar cast, including an unrecognizable Guy Pearce, are superb, and the Australian backdrop make for a vibrant, gorgeous looking film.  The laughs never stop coming and the film is filled with a lot of heart and tenderness.  Flammable Children is one of the best times I’ve has the 2018 Chicago International Film Festival.

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