Around the Block (film)

Around the Block is a 2013 Australian drama film directed and written by Sarah Spillane. The films stars Christina Ricci, Hunter Page-Lochard, Jack Thompson and Damian Walshe-Howling. The films revolves around an American drama teacher (Ricci) who develops a friendship with a sixteen-year-old Aboriginal Australian boy (Page-Lochard) during the 2004 Redfern riots.[2]

Around the Block
Theatrical film poster
Directed bySarah Spillane
Produced bySu Armstrong
Brian Rosen
Written bySarah Spillane
StarringChristina Ricci
Hunter Page-Lochard
Jack Thompson
Damian Walshe-Howling
Music byNick Wales
CinematographyMartin McGrath
Edited byVeronika Jenet
Production
company
Kick Pictures
Distributed byArclight Films[1]
Release date
  • 1 January 2013 (2013-01-01)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

Plot summary

An American drama teacher named Dino Chalmers (Christina Ricci), who has a passion for Shakespeare, gets the opportunity to work at a school in Sydney, Australia, where she attempts to introduce theatre as an alternative to life on the tough streets of Redfern in Sydney. She meets a 16-year-old Aboriginal student named Liam (Hunter Page-Lochard), who lives around the block in Redfern and lives a life of drugs and violence. Chalmers presents Liam with a possibility of a life without drugs and violence by giving him the lead in the production of Hamlet, and so he must choose between pursuing his newfound dream of acting or following his family into a cycle of crime. In addition to this, Dino is in an unhappy relationship with her boyfriend and occasionally finds herself parked outside a shop to watch a woman. It is later revealed the woman is actually a former lover of Dino and the relationship fell apart as Dino was unable to come to terms with herself. Dino later breaks up with her boyfriend after having a sexual encounter with a woman called Hannah (Ruby Rose) and realizes she doesn't want to be with him. She later attempts to reconcile with her former lover but is rebuffed as she has since moved on. Liam is wanted for questioning by the police after his brother murdered a man, the police allow Liam to finish the play before taking him away.

Cast

Production

Filming began in June 2012 in Sydney and Redfern, New South Wales. Christina Ricci was in Australia for the four-week shoot.[1]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, earning a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 63%.

References
  1. Swift, Brendan (15 June 2012). "Around the Block, starring Christina Ricci, begins Sydney shoot". if.com.au. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  2. Buchanan, Matt (13 July 2012). "Around the Block one final time". smh.com.au. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
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