Simon Baker tackles his first directorial film head on in ‘Breath’, an all telling, true to the bone coming of age tale written by Tim Winton in 2008. The film premiered in Sydney last week, and is a showcase of Aussie film done right.
Taking on a novel and resurrecting it on the big screen is never easy, particularly if it’s distinctly Australian, poetic as hell and written by Tim Winton… Baker went head on in to the film with a clear vision, and came out the other side with the audience glued to the screen, hanging off every word. The dialogue itself is a surf-rat dictionary of Australian vernacular and vulgar language, something that seems to populate most of Winton’s books. But it wasn’t the bold and effective use of language that was most impressive, it was the cinematography that stole the show.
The sprawling Indian Ocean of WA was captured in it’s overwhelming power by the means of on shore panorama, top to bottom drone shots, and most importantly, the ambitious gritty close shots that made the film what it was. As far as honouring the natural beauty put to paper by Winton, the film does a masterful job of it, as they filmed in various locations in which the novel was set. In the Q&A after the film, it became known to the audience that ‘Breath’ was originally to be shot in LA if it wasn’t for a stubborn Simon Baker, who refused to deceive the audience with even the slightest twist to the tale. This stubbornness is what makes the film what it is; as it seeps realism from start to finish, be it through the environment or the depiction of the archetypal Aussie home.
The story is centralised around two young budding surf-rats who are finding themselves, their passion and most importantly, their fear. Sunshine scenery is present through their shared triumphant moments of mate-ship and mentorship, in contrast to that, in the darker times of loneliness and unrest there is a downpour of rain saturated in trademark WA humidity. Baker and his team do a splendid job of portraying emotions through nature, which is straight out of the Winton cook book. Speaking after the film, Winton said that this reflection of his work is “true art” and that he “couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the film.” The writer holds his home dear to his heart, and it’s humbling to hear that this representation has his approval. Winton also praised the film crew for their respect in the filming location, mentioning that they left no one unhappy and didn’t leave a trace behind.
The two young actors playing Pikelet and Loonie were showcasing talent well beyond their years, seamlessly adapting to the surfy, swear-happy teen role with a consummate ease. This may be because they really ARE surfy, swear-happy teens plucked straight from the coast. Both of the young actors growing up around the ocean, the boys received emails from Surf Australia about the role and leaped at the chance. I’m sure that their film debut won’t be their last, as they were a pleasure to watch. The combination of the two young sprouts working in tandem with a wrinkled and wise Simon Baker was a recipe for success, as the experienced Baker seemed to feed off their energy, putting out an authentic, heartfelt performance as ‘Sando’, the salty surfing mentor of the two boys. Elizabeth Debicki also features, playing a leggy American Goddess… and as for her touch on the movie, it’s irrefutably noticeable and her character crafts most of the drama.
All in all, Breath is a testament to Australian film, doing justice to our landscape, our cinema prowess and most importantly, Tim Winton – the author of a number of excellent Aussie novels. If you like the film, I’d recommend checking out Winton’s short story ‘Big World’, and his poetic novel ‘Island Home’.
Let me know what you thought about Simon Baker’s directorial debut in the comments!
