Sequin in a Blue Room **** (2019, Conor Leach, Simon Croker, Anthony Brandon Wong, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) – Movie Review

Samuel Van Grinsven’s 2019 accomplished and imaginative coming-of-age Australian independent film eye-opener Sequin in a Blue Room stars Conor Leach in his feature film debut as high schooler Sequin, a teenage big-city boy who hunts dangerously and obsessively through the world of a hook-up app to track down the much older mystery married man he meets in a chance encounter at an anonymous sex party.

It is written by Van Grinsven and Jory Anast, and filmed on location in Sydney, and is the director’s graduate work from Australian Film, Television and Radio School, so it was filmed for only $45,000. It is showy enough for people to take notice. It had its world premiere on 14 June 2019 at the Sydney Film Festival, where it won an award for Best Narrative Feature.

Leach gives a fearless, full-on, credible performance that is the making of the film. But Van Grinsven matches him for energy, intensity and style in both writing and film-making. Visually, it’s a bit look-at-me flashy but it certainly holds the attention and it works. It sets out to be noticed. Van Grinsven wants a career. The colour blue is made invisible apart from the pivotal scene of the group sex party in The Blue Room. This one decision dominates the film’s entire visual texture. There seems no particular reason for it but it’s fascinating and stylish. It helps the whole idea of mixing realism and fantasy that seems to be the film’s game plan.

Story-side, all the joys and pain of gay growing-up are here, and that’s very valuable. As a film about love and sex, it is quite take-no-prisoners frank, so it could be annoying or alienating. Its story is undoubtedly a personal, individual one, sending off some strong personal messages. Social media and gay hook-up apps get a hammering, along with anonymous sex, but it makes a good case for responsibility and careful behaviour as part of the process of growing up. That’s got to be good.

Apart, arguably, perhaps for the sentimental wish-fulfilment ending, it all feels right, honest and true. Van Grinsven says the storylines were based on his own coming-of-age experiences, and he’s recorded them with considerable brio and intelligence.

Sequin in a Blue Room (2019, Conor Leach).

The film stars Conor Leach, Simon Croker, Anthony Brandon Wong and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor.

Simon Croker  who plays Tommy is an alumnus of Australian Film, Television and Radio School, along with the film’s producer, editor and cinematographer.

The cast are Conor Leach as Sequin, Simon Croker as Tommy, Anthony Brandon Wong as Virginia, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor as Dad, Samuel Barrie as Edward, Joshua Shediak as A, Ed Wightman as B, Patrick Cullen as C, Damian de Montemas as D, Tsu Shan Chambers as Teacher, Darren Kumar as Henry, and Nancy Denis as Ari.

Its UK release was delayed till 9 April 2021 (internet).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com

Simon Croker and Conor Leach in Sequin In A Blue Room.