STREAMLINE

Australia, 2021, 86 minutes, Colour.

Levi Miller, Laura Gordon, Jason Isaacs, Jake Ryan, Tasia Zala, Robert Morgan, Hunter Page-Lochard, Steve Bass Tony, Sam Parsonson, Isaac Drandic.

Directed by Tyson Wade Johnston.

A strong, very strong, drama about a young athlete, 15 turning 16, a swimmer, Olympic talent and possibilities. But, there is his family and the burdens he is carrying from the past. A Queensland setting.

For the first 15 minutes, the focus is on swimming and training, close-up, intense, coach demanding, shouting. The exercises, the massage, the strict regimen, up early hours, his mother driving him to the pool, watching, careful, discipline. If an audience wanted to know what it is like to be a contender for competition swimming and the demands that it makes, this 15 minutes certainly demonstrates it powerfully.

But, this is also the story of a boy growing up in a dysfunctional family. The boy, Ben, has tormenting memories, nightmares, his father attempting to drown him in the bath, his older half-brothers, No wonder he does not smile, generally a stoic expressionless face. He goes to school, has a strong friendship with Patty, fellow-student, daughter of his teacher (who is heard giving a class on Jung, the conscious, repression and suppression, the unconscious). He lives with his mother who is always supportive.

The point about athletes and competitiveness is that they need to want to be a champion. If not, stop, pull out. And, to the dismay of his mother, the coach, Patty, he does. And not only does he pull out, he packs his bags, his mother upset and badmouthing him, going off to live with his brothers who work in the mill, a reckless life of drinking and fights. The key element is that his father has been released from jail. And it is clear, whatever the repression, whatever the bitterness towards his father, Ben needs a father presence in his life.

The film has a comparatively brief running time and packs a lot into this picture of the dysfunctional family into violent episodes, including the sons confronting their released father, whom they despise, at the diner where he works in the kitchen. But, there is some hope in the screenplay, Patty being always a strong challenging presence to Ben, his mother trying to make amends, and a powerful scene in a frank confrontation with his father.

We know in our hearts that Ben will return to the pool but we need to see how he gets back, why he gets back, the consequences for him. With those powerful 15 minutes at the opening of the film, there is no need for us to go through the rigorous training again, but just to see where his talent might lead him. We hope.

The film is well written, well directed, a first-time film from Tyson Wade Johnston. We hope that this is the beginning of a strong film career. Levi Miller, already a film star with such films as Pan, Better Watch Out, Red Dog: True Blue, Jasper Jones, creates a challengingly enigmatic character in Ben. Laura Gordon is his mother, and Jason Isaacs quite compelling as his father. Tasia Zular is Patty. There is quite a gallery of well-written supporting characters with persuasive performances.

Olympic gold-metal swimming champion, Ian Thorpe, serves as an executive producer and spent time with Levi Miller coaching him in the finer points of swimming performance.

1. The title? Swimmers? Olympic swimmers, talent, technique, training, perseverance, achievement?
2. A Queensland story? Ian Thorpe, his background, executive producer, helping to train Levi Miller, his cameo? Audience seeing aspects of the film as reflecting Thorpe’s career, emerging young as a champion, his medals? Post-swimming career, sexual orientation issues, depression, business success?
3. The first 15 minutes, then going to the pool, with his mother, age, 15 turning 16, the discipline, the coach and his vigorous shouting and encouragement, demands, the physical care, exercise, massage? The detail of the lapse, the swimming techniques? These minutes sufficient to give credibility to the rest of the film, especially Ben and his final comeback?
4. The dysfunctional family background? Ben, memories of his father, the picnics, the half-brothers, yet his father’s attack on him in the bath? His father in jail? Being released and Ben watching it on his phone in class? The reputation of the brothers, their working in the mill? Ben, morose, not-smiling, in class (and the teacher, aboriginal, talking about Jung, the conscious and subconscious, suppression and repression)? After school, the yard, physical fights? Patty, the teacher’s daughter, aboriginal family? Common-sensed? Liking Ben, being with him, good advice, supporting him? Ready to challenge him?
5. Ben and depression, the need for a father-figure in his life, support from his mother, yet her demands, the fight, his packing, her shouting at him, his going to stay with his brothers?
6. The brothers, big and tough, the lifestyle, work in the mill, drinking, drugs, friends? Taking Ben in? The passing of time, getting Ben to drink, the women, homosexual atmosphere in the background? The teaching Ben to drive? Taking him to school?
7. Ben, at school, morose, Patty and the challenges? Her family? Sympathetic father, the challenge from Patty’s brother? The invitation to the birthday party? His drinking, the woman, the touch of desperation, getting the car, the crashes, his mother visiting with the cake and the older brother’s treatment of the cake?
8. Ben, his brothers, the confrontation with their father, his working in the diner, their humiliating him, throwing the food over him? The impact for Ben?
9. Ben, going to see his father, the talk, surfacing of the memories, the father and his grief, apology, their reconciliation, his father delivering him home to his mother?
10. Encouragement, his mother, Patty, the coach? Resuming his training, his dream?
11. A sports film? A dysfunctional family drama conflict? A portrait of a person with talent, dreams, really wanting the dreams, able to give them up or not? Perseverance and achievement?