Flirting (1991)

Intelligently written piece that combines sub-genres of Coming of Age and inter-racial films.

The plot is fairly straightforward and the message of the film is not deep. Nevertheless, it is an original film which is simply and cheaply made.

The first strength of the film lies in the exquisite performances from great cast of the then unknown actors, 3 of whom have gone on to great performances in many other films (Taylor, Newton and Kidman).

Secondly (assuming you are over 14 years old), the audience will have a strong feeling of resonation with the subject matter (growing up, alienation the school "norm", being allowed to behave differently etc). The fact that the film is by a British director about an Australian boarding school probably means that the film has a wider appeal to all anglo-saxon nations.

Finally, the humour is understated but engaging.

I loved this film on release. It has not lost any of its charm since, though you are slightly distracted by seeing well-known actors in their youth.

Fmovies: Before Nicole Kidman became an international superstar, she starred in this Australian flick about a romance between a white Australian boy (Noah Taylor, who played David Helfgott as a teenager in "Shine") and an African girl (Thandie Newton, of "Crash" fame) in a boarding school in the mid-'60s. It sounds like something that could easily be a total cliché, but they do it quite well, developing the characters beyond what we anticipate.

The main stars of "Flirting" certainly show the talent that they would bring to their later roles. A very young Naomi Watts - several years before watching a killer video and getting carried around by a giant ape - also stars.

I know this is a sequel but I never saw the first film but I am familiar with the actors. Noah Taylor from "Shine" and Thandie Newton from "MI2" and of course Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts. Newton is wonderful in a strong but understated performance. Her character is very complex as we watch her try and fit in but the school system always does its job of reminding her of where she comes from and who she is. Taylor is a good actor and does a good job of blending both his awkwardness and real heart at the same time. The romance between the two comes off unexpectedly well and you can't help but root for the two in a strict environment. On a trivial note, both Newton and Kidman would end up in films with Tom Cruise. I wonder how far off Naomi Watts is from being in one? Film is typical coming of age story but the unique angle is Newton's character as the daughter of an important African statesman and the result that we find out at the end of the film. Film is very nicely handled on every level.

Flirting fmovies. I enjoyed this movie. I particularly liked the way they referred to Camus and Sartre in such offhand ways. I think this is the type of move that you must see again and again to get the full impact. I plan to see it a few more times to soak in all the nuances of the plot and character formation.

This is a fantastic coming of age story. Noah Taylor as Danny Embling is brilliant. Thandie Newton and Nicole Kidman also do a wonderful job (Plus both are walking dreams) This movie definitely surpasses The Year My Voice Broke. It makes a giant leap in the quality of the picture and writing. Of course that's not to say that The Year My Voice Broke wasn't also very good, but this sequel adds much more to the tales that are coming of age stories. This movie not only follows up on how Danny Embling is doing, but it also shows a female perspective of growing up. The way Noah Taylor and Thandie Newton react to one another as their characters is exactly the way most of probably wish we could with our own first loves. They are without fear of each other.

The only reason I even watched this movie (at first) is because there was nothing else on tv, and I saw from the commercial that Nicole Kidman was in it. I'd seen Noah Taylor in the Tomb Raider movie and loved his dorky, scatterbrained performance. So I sat down and watched it. I was amazed. This movie is GREAT for a romantic person. The difficulty of the situation in Africa, combined with sad romance, repression, and brutality was enough to make me feel the emptiness that comes with the longing for true love that every girl and boy feels at one point or another. I rented the movie on video, and was surprised to find that very little was cut out; just a few slightly racier moments, and a foul word or two, plus one scene at the end was double-shot to have Thandie Newton in a bra and panties rather than naked. Rent it and watch if you're a longing romantic, or if you want to be one. Ah, love is such exquisite pain.