Head On (1998 film)
| Head On | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ana Kokkinos |
| Screenplay by | Ana Kokkinos |
| Produced by | Jane Scott |
| Starring | Alex Dimitriades Paul Capsis Julian Garner |
| Edited by | Jill Bilcock |
| Distributed by | Strand Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Languages | English, Greek |
Head On is a 1998 Australian drama film directed by Ana Kokkinos. Based on the novel Loaded written by Christos Tsiolkas, it stars Alex Dimitriades as a young, repressed gay man of Greek descent living in inner city Melbourne.
The film gained notoriety upon its release for its sexual explicitness, including a graphic masturbation scene performed by Dimitriades. Controversy aside, the film received mostly positive reviews by critics who praised its stark realism, the lead performance by Dimitriades and the confronting subject matter.[1] One critic in particular, from The Washington Post, compared the film to the work of widely acclaimed German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.[2]
Plot synopsis
Over a 24-hour period, 19 year old Ari confronts his sexuality and his Greek background. Ari is obsessed with sex and has sexual encounters with multiple people, most of them gay, and attempts to fulfill one of his best friend's sister. At the same time, he's facing problems with his traditional Greek parents, who have no clue about his sexual and drug taking activities.
Cast
- Alex Dimitriades as Ari
- Paul Capsis as Johnny/Tula
- Julian Garner as Sean
- Tony Nikolakopoulos as Dimitri
- Elena Mandalis as Betty
- Damien Fotiou as Joe
- Eugenia Fragos as Sophia
- María Mercedes as Tasia
- Alex Papps as Peter
- Dora Kaskanis as Dina
- Vassili Zappa as Vassili
- Andrea Mandalis as Alex
Reception
Head On received mixed to positive reviews, earning a 61% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Awards and nominations
- Best Actor (Alex Dimitriades, nominated)
- Best Costume Design (nominated)
- Best Direction (Ana Kokkinos, nominated)
- Best Editing (won)
- Best Film (nominated)
- Best Original Score (Ollie Olsen, nominated)
- Best Screenplay - Adapted (Andrew Bovell, Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson, nominated)
- Best Sound (nominated)
- Best Supporting Actor (Paul Capsis, nominated)
- Grand Jury Award: Outstanding Foreign Narrative Feature (Ana Kokkinos, won)
San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
- Best First Feature (Ana Kokkinos, won)
References
- ^ "Head On - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ^ Thomson, Desson (25 February 2005). "A 'Head-On' Collision with Love". The Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
External links
- Head On at IMDb
- Head On at the National Film and Sound Archive
- "Surprising Results at Awards" by Joshua Smith.
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