Juniper at Perth Festival

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 15 December 2021

Marton Csokas (as Robert) and Charlotte Rampling (as Ruth)
Photo Credit: Juniper

On a cool summer’s evening, my partner and I eagerly headed to UWA Somerville to watch Juniper under the stars.

The movie tells the story of how a family, whose members are emotionally distant, are brought together by challenging circumstances.

Teenager Sam (played by actor George Ferrier) has been in boarding school since his mother died. He is not close to his father, and is suddenly tasked with looking after his grandmother from the UK who is unwell and spending some time at his home in scenic New Zealand.

The movie portrays well the terse relationships between the different family members as they navigate unknown territory during unsettling times and unearth some painful memories along the way.

Add into that mix the complication of feisty grandmother Ruth (played by Charlotte Rampling) dealing with her mortality and there are many a patch of rough waters to navigate in this storyline.

Director and Writer Matthew Saville brings to the fore with sensitivity and poignancy the very heart of what brings meaning to life – close connections with our loved ones.

The scenery of the movie (set in West Auckland, New Zealand) was nothing less than spectacular and along with some very funny moments peppered throughout the movie made for an entertaining drama.

All up – Juniper was an enjoyable and interesting movie to watch and my partner and I were glad to enjoy another pleasant evening under the pines at UWA Somerville.

The pizzas from Charlie's Pizza were outstanding as always. Thank you to the team at Charlie's Pizza.

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