Babyteeth (2019)
Directed by Shannon Murphy
Review written by Owen Selby
Babyteeth follows Milla (Eliza Scanlen), a terminally-ill teen who forms an unusual relationship with Moses (Toby Wallace), a 23-year old drug addict who has been kicked out of home and is not welcomed by Milla’s parents, Anna (Essie Davis) and Henry (Ben Mendelsohn). Milla forms an immediate connection with Moses, finding him interesting and latching onto someone who appears to care for her. I was concerned that the age difference between the two might make the whole film too uncomfortable, but it is dealt with well and the characters feel real, meaning most of the developments in their interactions feel organic and earned. Scanlen is excellent, fleshing out every aspect of Milla and giving her all to every scene she’s in — expect Scanlen to be a big name in Australian film-making soon enough.
The film serves as a good study of a family unit which might initially appear functional, but each of the three is troubled in their own way, with Henry and Anna proving to be complex characters. Davis’ performance is impressive, as the layers of Anna’s character are slowly unveiled over the course of the film, and at the heart of her relationship with Milla is music. Anna is a retired pianist and Milla is learning violin even though she appears to lack passion for it, and at the end of the film this thread is given a lovely emotional resolution. However, despite Mendelsohn being easily the biggest name in the film, his performance was my least favourite component. Unlike Anna, I was never really able to get a handle on Henry, with every new detail about him muddying the waters, and I didn’t receive closure on his character like I did with the others.
One other impressive element of the film is the way it’s broken up into
chapters, of which there are quite a few. This is done in a less
conventional style than I was used to, and allows the story to skip to the
important moments. Often when the film seems like the plot is going to
necessitate delving into the details of Milla’s struggles with treatment and
illness, a new chapter starts and a small time-skip has occurred, with a
character moment taking the place of less important exposition details.
This use of chapters and slightly jumping forward in time gives the film
strong pacing, and a focus on the aspect which matters — the characters.
Overall, Babyteeth is a strong Australian film. It is very sad at the end,
so definitely don’t watch it if you’re in the need of something to raise the
spirits. Otherwise, I do recommend a film that doesn’t shy away from
some of the more uncomfortable aspects of life, and has a brilliant lead
performance.
Verdict: 4/5
Babyteeth is available on DVD or to rent/buy digitally.
