SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

sol- Mixed feelings swell inside a scrawny, timid teenager as he watches his lifelong crush fall in love with a muscular jock in this Australian drama starring Noah Taylor. From the outset, 'The Year My Voice Broke' might sound like just another love triangle tale, but the character dynamics are rich and complex. Taylor hates the jock (played by Ben Mendelsohn) as he represents everything he is not and because he is able to get the girl (played by Loene Carmen). Taylor has several great, quiet moments in which all this scorn comes through his stares alone. Mendelsohn, however, believes Taylor to be his closest male friend, not thinking twice about rescuing him from bullies and obliviously telling him how much he fancies Carmen. Then there is Carmen, who seems to know that Taylor like-likes her, but yet does not consider his feelings when making out in front of him. All this tension leads to a curious degree of cynicism erupting (Taylor delights in Mendelsohn getting in trouble with the law as it means he is out of the way) but nothing is ever fairytale perfect. Some aspects of the film are confounding. In particular, we never see what Taylor sees in Carmen, who between her crooked teeth and tomboyish mannerisms is anything but a conventional love interest, but Taylor's performance is so solid that we believe his affection even if we do not understand it. Same goes for his scorn for Mendelsohn. Again, it is credible even if it seems rash on Taylor's behalf. In fact, Taylor delivers such a strong performance here that it is wonder that he never went on to much further acclaim.

st8mint This movie was DEFINITELY very true to life. The characters have a lot of depth -- even the minor ones -- and it allows you to definitely connect with the main characters. A very sentimental, very honest look at adolescence and growing up. Being the biggest Noah Taylor fan, bought it off ebay, unsure what to expect, as I am usually unwilling to just purchase movies I've never seen. This one did not disappoint and I recommend it highly. The girl that falls for the dumb jock instead of the guy she SHOULD have fell for, and Noah Taylor is a genius portrayal of the "boy next door." And if you're a Nicole Kidman fan, she's in the sequel, so this would give you a little background on Danny for "Flirting."

Pepper Anne The Year My Voice Broke is basically about three young kids growing up in a small, desolate town in Australia during the 1960s. The main character and narrator is Danny. His childhood friend is Frey, who also happens to be his first real love, although she doesn't know exactly how much he loves her--at least not at first. So to speak, Frey is like the only girl who he trusts and who he understands. But, Frey loves the reckless outlaw, Trevor. The movie reminds me a lot of the 1986 movie, Lucas, which starred a very young Corey Haim. Danny is like Lucas in that he is in love with his childhood friend, the only girl who seems to understand and appreciate him. Freya compares to Maggie because she finds herself falling in love with another. And Trevor is like Cappie. But 'The Year My Voice Broke' deals with much more adult situations than simply being a matter of 'puppy love,' and thus some of the results are tragic. Nonetheless, it is a movie worth seeing.

Howard Schumann John Duigan's The Year My Voice Broke stands out from other coming of age films because of its simple honesty and natural performances. Gorgeously photographed in Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia, the film avoids the usual "rites of passage" cliches and makes real the heartbreak of awakening sexuality and feeling alone. Set in 1962, Danny Embling (Noah Taylor) is a sensitive, scrawny 15-year old who is obsessed with his childhood friend, 16-year old Freya Olson (Leona Carmen). He writes poetry and tries to emulate rock stars to win her over but his voice is always breaking when he tries to sing. Freya, orphaned as a baby and now something of a wild spirit, shares her secrets with Danny in their private place on the nearby rocky crags. Both teens feel isolated, Danny from the macho attitudes of his schoolmates and Freya because of the truth she senses about her mother. Freya is increasingly attracted to Trevor (Ben Mendelsohn), a rugby player who is given to petty crime. Though the mood grows dark, Duigan uses humor to lighten things up when Danny attempts to hypnotize Freya into loving him, and when the boy tries mental telepathy to prevent Freya from kissing Trevor. Danny's loneliness is painfully evident when he tags along with Freya and Trevor on a date and has to endure the agony of watching them make love at a "haunted house". This house plays a significant part in Danny, Freya, and Trevor's relationship and in the film's dramatic climax. Duigan ties his story to the dark secret of the town whose discovery will change the lives of the characters forever and leave you reflecting on the pain of growing up.