Product: Flirting [VHS] (1992)
Rating: 5.0
Aussie 'Coming of Age' Classic Showcases Future Stars...
"Flirting", John Duigan's sly yet tender 1991 'Coming of Age' comedy is still, a decade and a half after it's release, one of the better teen comedies ever made, and is even more enjoyable today, as a showcase for future stars Nicole Kidman, Thandie Newton, Naomi Watts, and Noah Taylor.While the elements of the story are familiar (boys and girls boarding schools, separated by a lake...raging hormones...a geeky hero 'proving' himself, romantically), don't be too quick to lump "Flirting" in with "Porky's" or the "American Pie" films. Despite brief graphic nudity, and some coarse humor, the film has a depth that it's American counterparts never achieve, and characters that defy stereotyping. Danny 'Bird' Embling (Taylor) is caned, early in the film, and soon falls for black African girl, Thandiwe Adjewa (Newton), with the 1960s setting providing elements of racism and political upheaval in Africa to the story's mix. The 'virgin queen' of the girl's school (Kidman) isn't as 'full of herself' as an American film might have portrayed her; the imperious facade she presents to the world masks a shy, sensitive teen who hides her sexual curiosity and vulnerability.With intelligence and respect, Duigan never 'dumbs down' the leads (would a reference to Camus ever appear in an American teen comedy?), and makes the first sexual experience between Embling and Adjewa both naive and sexy, without being overtly graphic. This tastefulness extends to the motel climax of the children's affair; Duigan eschews the quick laughs of "American Pie II", focusing, instead, on the very real embarrassment all parties would face, if discovered 'in the act'.Another 'plus' for the film is the attention paid to the day-to-day activities of the boarding schools; rugby, debates, a school dance, a dramatic production, even the repetitive menu of the school lunch, 'grounds' the film in a reality that makes the characters' reactions even funnier."Flirting" is a joy!