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The New Boy main poster

The New Boy

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5.5/10 • 22

2023-07-061h 56m

Drama

In 1940s Australia, a nameless nine-year-old Aboriginal orphan arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery overseen by a renegade nun, where his presence disturbs its delicately balanced world.

Directors
Warwick Thornton
Writters
Warwick Thornton
Editors
Warwick Thornton, Nick Meyers

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Cate Blanchett

    Cate Blanchett

    Sister Eileen

  2. Deborah Mailman

    Deborah Mailman

    Sister Mum

  3. Wayne Blair

    Wayne Blair

    George

  4. Aswan Reid

    Aswan Reid

    New Boy

  5. Kenneth Radley

    Kenneth Radley

    Policeman

  6. Shane Mckenzie Brady

    Shane Mckenzie Brady

    Michael

  7. Tyrique Brady

    Tyrique Brady

    Matthew

  8. Laiken Woolmington

    Laiken Woolmington

    David

  9. Kyle Miller

    Kyle Miller

    James

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Mar 27, 2024

6/10

Set against a backdrop of a strongly colonial and white Australia, we are rather violently introduced to a young, blonde, Aboriginal lad (Aswan Reid) who is conked out by a boomerang and awakens to find himself in the care of "Sister Eileen" (Cate Blanchett) and "Sister Mum" (Deborah Mailman) at a remote orphanage. She is pretty devout and he is very much in tune with nature - both people of faith, but not the same kind. The arrival of a large wooden crucifix to top their altar seems to focus both of them on what now becomes a rather dry and simplistic tale of spirituality. Reid does come across well. There is a spontaneity and naturalness to his performance, but Blanchett over-eggs just about all of the rest of it. She does this type of role well - shorn hair, manic eyes, slightly eccentric characterisation - but here there's just not enough story for her (or us) to get the teeth into. I got the sense that there was something almost "Oliver Twist" about the lad. Blonde? Sent away? Did he have a secret identity? That's not the story, though - and when he suffers his own rather personal misfortune at the end, I felt a rather overwhelming dislike of "Eileen" and her superstition-ridden church. Too be fair, this isn't a film that doesn't provoke a response - but with sparse dialogue and little character development, it's not really much more than a beautifully photographed vehicle for Blanchett to indulge herself and for Reid to be a boy facing a confusing future.

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  • The New Boy poster
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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
$780,646.00
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