Saturn's Return (2001 TV Movie) User Reviews

It's all about relationships

[silver-3 · 10/10 · 2 July 2004]

I caught this film on late-night cable as part of the gay focused programming that appears each June. There is a gay relationship at the center (Barney/Dimi), but that is only one of the orbits in this universe.

How one relates to family, lover, lover's family, self, and life and death are all important considerations of this short. Well done, very well acted.

The device of the two using a video camera spills over to the feel of the entire film. One experiences a real "slice of life" and is all the richer for it.

I would really like to see this make a DVD anthology of shorts. I would want it in my collection.

Terrific performances, a really good film

[javirafter · 19 February 2002]

I saw this short film tonight at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras film festival. It was screening in competition with 7 other films. It was first runner-up as judged by the judges...but most importantly, it won the Audience Award. Great performances from all four leads. The film was touching, funny and sexy. It was interesting to see that it came from the same writer as the movie 'Head On'.

27 minutes of excellence - little spoiler

[amberbaer · 10/10 · 25 June 2005]

Admittedly - I'll watch anything with a gay-theme to it these days! Thank you 10000+ cable system with no bloody commercials! And a huge thank you to SUNDANCE for showing this little slice of cinema heaven.

While on a trip to see his father - two Aussie young men, both in love with each other deeply spend what should have been 9-11 hours on the road, into a lovely 3-day journey to themselves.

The lead character - a young JOEL EDGERTON handles his character with great ease. He knows why he on the journey and is prolonging the inevitable "Coming home" part of the journey to spend time with his lover.

His lover, albeit, along for the ride, takes the time to follows his families trail across Austrailia and film the place where his mother and father first met. Something of a pilgrimage for his own people's way of life, since he is obviously a native and his lover is the white man descendant in the land.

The use of the hand-held camera is quite good, changing from the director's point of view to their own personal point of view as the journey to see The Hippie Dying Father.

The two young men are beautiful together - their highly intimate sex scene is visually unmated due to the used of the "personal angle" taken by the director.

All around, this is how smart and short gay cinema is done. Keep the dialog to a minimum, the action to a maximum, the personal drama as check point references, and the conclusion comes swiftly and with tender looks, and touches between the lovers as the inevitable death of the father is played out.

BRAVO ALL AROUND!

a visit

[Kirpianuscus · 25 November 2023]

For many reasons deserves appreciation.

First, for splendid acting of Harold Hopkins. For great construction of story. For the chemistry between Damian Washe Howling and Joel Edgerton. For the cold portrait , precise in each detail, proposed by Tina Bursill. And, no doubts, for the end.

A man , living his life in intense manner is very sick.

His son, with his boyfriend, visits him. And the last days of venerable man are rich in impressions, crumbs of fall, a belly dance show and the reconciliation with himself.

A wise crafted film, scene by scene, offering, in fact, not exactly a story but a superb seed for few feelings, emotions and rediscover of the precious significance of family.