Sunflower *** (2023, Liam Mollica, Luke J Morgan, Olivia Fildes, Daniel Halmarick) – Classic Movie Review 13,216

Liam Mollica stars in the 2023 film Sunflower.

Liam Mollica stars in the 2023 drama film Sunflower as Leo, a 17-year-old Italian Australian schoolboy, who struggles to come to terms with his sexuality in Melbourne’s homophobic working class suburbs.

Liam Mollica stars in writer/ director Gabriel Carrubba’s 2023 drama film Sunflower as Leo, a 17-year-old Italian Australian schoolboy, still living at home with his tough love, controlly parents, who struggles to come to terms with his sexuality in Melbourne’s working class suburbs, where homophobia is the norm.

[Spoiler alert] His boorish best friend Boof (Luke J Morgan) turns on him and badly after he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to him, but his brother is a slight support. Luckily, Leo finds a friend, a quiet introverted boy at school named Tom (Daniel Halmarick).

[Spoiler alert] Liam Mollica’s sweet and appealing performance sells this beguiling if rather too easily optimistic and hopeful Australian LGBTQ coming-of-age romantic drama film. It’s easy to believe in all the homophobic bad guys, and less easy to believe that it’s all gonna work out quite so beautifully as this. The nice new friend comes in at just the right moment, and the hero accepts his love very quickly. And the parents come up good. But, yes, we all need optimism and hope right now, and here it is, bright, sunny, shining and golden, among the Aussie sunflowers.

Mollica perhaps looks a little too old and wise and too handsome to be 100 per cent Leo, but he acts his way convincingly and enticingly through it. Luke J Morgan makes a strong bad guy and Daniel Halmarick fits the quiet charmer bill exactly.

To be fair, the film doesn’t melt on its harsh attitude to the nasty best friend, or the other homophobic schoolboys, or the Melbourne area’s toxic masculinity. That’s its target and it hits hard and central. And it does well with the hero’s struggles with his homosexuality, especially with his clumsy attempts to prove himself with an uncomplicated and uncomprehending girl (Olivia Fildes as Monique) and his anguish in the changing rooms and showers: where to look? best not to look at all.

With its sweet hero and convincing Melbourne suburbs atmosphere and characters, it’s a very nice, attractive must-see film, well written and well made. There are several very effective scenes, some violent, some romantic, and there’s a tremendous emotional surge at the end.

Director: Gabriel Carrubba. Writer: Gabriel Carrubba.

Stars: Liam Mollica, Luke J Morgan, Olivia Fildes, Daniel Halmarick.

Genre: Drama.

It premiered on June 15, 2023 at the Sydney Film Festival and was screened on August 12, 2023 at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Release date: July 4, 2024 (Australia).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,217

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