Lover Boy (1989)

Not to be confused with the American film of the same name starring Kirstie Alley, Carrie Fisher and Kate Jackson, this short independent Australian film has shy 16-year-old Mick (Noah Taylor) braving the zone of adult love and sex with Sally (Gillian Jones) – a woman three times his age – in the industrial western suburbs of Melbourne.

Their relationship outrages her violent ex-husband, Lex (Peter Hosking) and amazes Mick’s drunken, unemployed friends, Gaz (Ben Mendelsohn) and Duck (Daniel Pollock), and Gazza’s girlfriend Rhonda (Alice Garner).

Throughout the film, the viewer is invited to see what is going to happen before it actually does. Gillian Jones’ loving Madonna-whore Sally is always provocatively dressed, and we wait for Mick’s reaction – as she does.

The love/sex scenes are gritty, as are the fight scenes at the end when Mick approaches a night service station to beat Lex with an iron bar. Mick’s death scene is then drawn out with drips of rain, abstract sharp edges and half-frames, and we don’t have to see to know what will probably happen.

Sally wakes and goes out to find her young lover but misses his dying form in the dark and returns inside, allowing us to experience the simplest possible suspense, which purely serves to recapture the tragedy of this tiny, fragile relationship.

The movie – filmed over three weeks – had limited funding. The final running time of just 59 minutes was down to necessity – the production simply did not have enough money to tack on an additional 20 minutes.

Mick
Noah Taylor
Sally
Gillian Jones
Gazza
Ben Mendelsohn
Duck
Daniel Pollock
Rhonda
Alice Garner
Lex
Peter Hosking
Mick’s Mother
Beverley Gardiner
Mick’s Father
Brian Worth
Dean
Jon Concannon

Director
Geoffrey Wright