Worth: $18.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Les Chantery, Buddy Dannoun, Waddah Sari, Rachael Taylor, Martin Henderson, Dan Mor
Intro:
...slick and exciting...
The Lebanese migrant experience has things that everyone can identify with – fitting in, getting ahead, the family and friends divide, etc. Serhat Caradee’s accomplished 2009 debut (he finally followed it up in 2020 with the excellent and wonderfully intense A Lion Returns) explores these themes within the guise of a crime caper flick. It’s a powerful, well-made Australian film boasting a strong story and identifiable characters, all packaged in a truly slick and exciting way.
Tarek (major discovery Les Chantery, now a highly accomplished acting teacher and author), Sam (Waddah Sari) and Nabil (Buddy Dannoun) are friends from way back, and as they enter adulthood, each follows a different path. Tarek is a mechanic, Sam is a small time drug dealer, and Nabil works for his family’s cleaning business. When the latter spots a possible top-tier drug operation in one of the buildings that he cleans, he convinces Tarek to help him case the joint in the hope of pulling off a perfect crime that’ll allow them to move beyond their inevitable stations. This scenario parallels Tarek’s burgeoning romance with Amie (Rachael Taylor), a girl from the other side of the tracks, and his relationship with his brother (Bren Foster), locked away for a life of crime that he deeply regrets.
The really exciting thing about Cedar Boys is its economy. The acting is rarely over-stated, and the themes are played out naturalistically through the action. It’s also funny, and the visual palette is to be commended, creating an urban look that few Australian films achieve. Beautifully restored in 4K high-definition and enjoying a well-deserved big screen re-release, the visually impressive Cedar Boys still feels fresh, and is even more relevant and topical now than it was on its release over ten years ago.
Cedar Boys is screening at Event Cinemas, George Street, Sydney on November 13 at 3:00pm. Click here for all ticketing information.
