Hearts and Bones is a 2019 Australian drama film directed and co-written by Ben Lawrence. The film follows a war photographer and a refugee. It stars Hugo Weaving, Andrew Luri, Hayley McElhinney and Bolude Watson.
| Hearts and Bones | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Ben Lawrence |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by | Matt Reeder |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Hugh Miller |
| Edited by | Phillip Horn |
| Music by | Rafael May |
Production company | Night Kitchen Productions |
| Distributed by | Madman Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
Cast
- Hugo Weaving as Dan Fisher
- Andrew Luri as Sebastian Ahmed
- Hayley McElhinney as Josie Avril
- Bolude Watson as Anishka Ahmed
- Toni Scanlan as Ada Williams
Release
Hearts and Bones was shown at a number of film festivals in 2019, after which the film was originally slated for an April 2020 release into Australian cinemas. The April wide-release was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the shutdown of the nation's cinemas.[1] Instead of delaying the theatrical release, the film opted instead to release directly onto digital platforms on May 6, 2020.[2] The home-video release was planned for June 3, 2020.
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Hearts and Bones has an 82% approval rating, based on 28 reviews The site's critical consensus reads, "Hearts and Bones is more powerful in concept than execution, although strong work from a deftly assembled cast adds much-needed heft."[3]
Variety's Eddie Cockrell called it "an impressive narrative feature debut".[4] Harry Windsor from the Hollywood Reporter gave his bottom line as "A drama about good intentions that pulls up just short of the abyss."[5] Sarah Ward from Screen Daily wrote "An intimate film tackling an expansive subject — the treatment of refugees around the globe, and the way the world processes the traumas that lead to such urgent, widespread immigration — this is a poignant and morally complex drama".[6]
Accolades
Members of the cast received three nominations at the 9th AACTA Awards.[7]Hugo Weaving was nominated for Best Actor,Andrew Luri for Best Supporting Actor,and Bolude Watson for Best Supporting Actress. Hugo Weaving won Best Actor at the 2020 Fargo Film Festival.[8]
