LOVE IN THE TIME OF THE DYING GIRL // A FILM REVIEW OF "BABYTEETH"

BY MATEO MORENO

There are several types of tearjerker films. The Nicholas Sparks variety, with a young couple, beautiful and perfect on the surface, but with darkness underneath. There's the "macho tearjerker," the kind of film that a certain type of man, usually hailing from the Midwest, feels like it's okay to cry in (see Field of Dreams as a perfect example). There's also the typical teen drama where one of the two leads is definitely dying, tells no one and someone's life is going to change right after our heroine/hero has passed on (bonus points for a "powerful speech" set at a rain soaked funeral). Then there's BABYTEETH, a new Australia tearjerker that's none of these things. It sparks and shines with an originality that isn't typically found in films that are most definitely going to make you sob by the end. And that originality is sparked with a weirdness and authentic nature that makes you want to revisit it immediately. I know I wanted to.

Director Shannon Murphy's steady and powerful debut revolves around Milla Finlay (Eliza Scanlen), a high school girl struggling with Cancer. She doesn't fit into her school and doesn't really seem to have any close friends to speak of. But the moment Moses (Toby Wallace) bumps into her at a train station, their connection is assured. She's a 16-year-old dying but longing to live. He's a 23-year-old drug addict, struggling for his next fix but aching to reach out to something, anything.

Milla's parents, Henry and Anna (a psychiatrist and retired musician played by Ben Mendelsohn and Emily Barclay), are not thrilled about Moses. They are barely making it by as well, self-medicating and drifting, spending every last bit of energy into taking care of Milla only to see her continue to slip away. The smart, funny and carefully constructed script by Rita Kalnejais (based on her stage play of the same name) never goes the typical or safe route. There's the age difference, which the film doesn't shy away from: Milla's parents know that Moses is too old for their daughter, but they also know she doesn't have much time. We watch Henry offer prescriptions from his own stash to the drugged out Moses to guarantee that he'll stick around. Anna showcases the typical sharp edged figure these types of films often feature, but she also dances among her own prescription issues and fears of thinking she might have lost out on the best years of her daughter's life. And Milla is never in the dark. She's smart and well aware that Moses cares, but possibly not in the way she does. She also knows that her parents are a complete mess, but love her dearly. So where does that leave our characters? Often in shambles, putting together life piece by piece, making it all the more raw.

Eliza Scanlen and Toby Wallace shine brightly in their roles as the star-crossed lovers. Scanlen never plays "the dying girl" trope. She's a teenager finally giving in to grabbing what she wants while it's in front of her, and her performance is rooted in an adventurous glory. Wallace brings a playfulness that's desperately needed to the "bad boy" type. It would be so easy to play into Moses's bad behaviors. But Wallace brings a lightness and humanity to them, showing a young man struggling underneath an addition, without anyone to turn to. He's funny and sharp, even when he's making the worst possible decisions. As her messy parental units, Essie Davis has a quiet intensity that breaks your heart and Ben Mendelsohn's aching father is powerful. He's the central unit keeping everything apart and together, often at the same time. It's so refreshing to see a film deliberately telling you that the characters we're watching are often making the wrong decisions, but we should love them anyway. And you will. But don't forget the tissues. As unique as BABYTEETH is, it is still a tearjerker. You won't get off that easy.

GRADE: A

WRITTEN BY Rita Kalnejais DIRECTED BY Shannon Murphy STARRING Eliza Scanlen, Ben Mendelsohn, Essie Davis, Toby Wallace, Emily Barclay. Now Available on Virtual Cinemas.