Hearts and Bones is a 2019 Australian drama film directed and co-written by Ben Lawrence. The film follows a war photographer and a refugee. It stars Hugo Weaving, Andrew Luri, Hayley McElhinney, and Bolude Watson.
| Hearts and Bones | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Ben Lawrence |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by | Matt Reeder |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Hugh Miller |
| Edited by | Phillip Horn |
| Music by | Rafael May |
Production company | Night Kitchen Productions |
| Distributed by | Madman Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Hugo Weaving as Dan Fisher
- Andrew Luri as Sebastian Ahmed
- Hayley McElhinney as Josie Avril
- Bolude Watson as Anishka Ahmed
- Toni Scanlan as Ada Williams
- Ling Cooper Tang as Ruth
Production
editHearts and Bones was directed and co-written by Ben Lawrence, and produced by Matt Reeder. It was co-written by Beatrix Christian.[citation needed]
Cinematography was by Hugh Miller, while Phillip Horn was responsible for editing the film. The score was composed by Rafael May.[citation needed]
Release
editHearts and Bones premiered at the Sydney Film Festival on 15 June 2019,[citation needed] and was then shown at a number of film festivals in 2019. It was originally slated for an April 2020 release into Australian cinemas; however, the release was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, which forced the shutdown of the many cinemas for some time.[1] Instead of delaying the theatrical release, the film opted instead to release directly onto digital platforms on 6 May 2020.[2]
The home-video release was planned for 3 June 2020.[citation needed]
Critical response
editOn review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Hearts and Bones has an 82% approval rating, based on 28 reviews The site's critical consensus reads, "Hearts and Bones is more powerful in concept than execution, although strong work from a deftly assembled cast adds much-needed heft."[3]
Variety's Eddie Cockrell called it "an impressive narrative feature debut".[4] Harry Windsor from the The Hollywood Reporter gave his bottom line as "A drama about good intentions that pulls up just short of the abyss."[5] Sarah Ward from Screen Daily wrote "An intimate film tackling an expansive subject — the treatment of refugees around the globe, and the way the world processes the traumas that lead to such urgent, widespread immigration — this is a poignant and morally complex drama".[6]
Accolades
editMembers of the cast received three nominations at the 9th AACTA Awards.[7] Hugo Weaving was nominated for Best Actor, Andrew Luri for Best Supporting Actor, and Bolude Watson for Best Supporting Actress.[citation needed]
Hugo Weaving won Best Actor at the 2020 Fargo Film Festival.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Australia coronavirus shutdown: what is open, closed and banned under the current rules?". The Guardian. The Guardian Australia. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
Banned or closed" ... "Cinemas and entertainment venues
- ^ "Hugo Weaving's new film 'Hearts And Bones' released direct to living rooms". 7 News. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ "Hearts and Bones (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Cockrell, Eddie (20 June 2019), "Sydney Film Review: 'Hearts and Bones'", Variety
- ^ Windsor, Harry (16 August 2019), "'Hearts and Bones': Film Review", The Hollywood Reporter
- ^ Ward, Sarah (17 June 2019), "'Hearts And Bones': Sydney Review", Screen Daily
- ^ "Winners & Nominees".
- ^ "Best Actor | Fargo Film Festival". Retrieved 16 June 2023.