Head On (1998)
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61% of critics liked it
(23 reviews) -
66% of users liked it
(2,617 ratings)
In this gritty Australian drama, the nihilistic son of Greek immigrants indulges in 24 hours of hedonism in ethnically conflicted inner-city Melbourne. Ari (Alex Dimitriades), a 19-year-old layabout, spends his time picking up strange men for furtive sex; dealing, and doing, speed with his friends;… More In this gritty Australian drama, the nihilistic son of Greek immigrants indulges in 24 hours of hedonism in ethnically conflicted inner-city Melbourne. Ari (Alex Dimitriades), a 19-year-old layabout, spends his time picking up strange men for furtive sex; dealing, and doing, speed with his friends; fighting with his conservative father and beleaguered mother; and trying to look after his younger sister, Alex (Andrea Mandalis), who's involved in a clandestine relationship with a young Lebanese guy. Although Ari rails against the racism of Australian society, he's also a bit of a bigot himself. And despite his enthusiastic participation in Greek activities -- weddings, fortune tellers, music, and dancing -- he's also repulsed by his culture's intolerance. Best friend Johnny (Paul Capsis), who defiantly dresses up as his own dead mother, is an outcast, but the straight-seeming Ari refuses to drop him. During the course of a single day, Ari fools around with his friend Betty (Elena Mandalis) and several men of various ages and nationalities. He also pines away for Sean (Julian Garner), a dreamy college friend of his brother's, who may offer a loving alternative to self-destructive excess. When Ari and Johnny are arrested and brutalized by a pair of race-baiting cops, however, the chance for redemption seems more remote than ever. Adapted from the Christos Tsiolkas novel Loaded, Head On marked the feature debut of writer/director Ana Kokkinos, herself an Australian of Greek extraction. The film was shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ana Kokkinos
- Written By
- Andrew Bovell, Mira Robertson
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Aug 13, 1999 Limited
- On DVD
- Oct 3, 2000
- Studio
- Strand Releasing
Critic Reviews
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Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Director Ana Kokkinos has an eye for local color but spends little time developing the supporting characters.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
In a way, the film is a kissing cousin to the 1960s kitchen sink dramas of the British cinema and the working-class angst of German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
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Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Anyone of any generation who has ever felt at odds with his or her environment can identify with the characters in Head On.
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, E! Online
Although Head On has a certain rude power, it's definitely not a date flick.
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David Noh, Film Journal International
Ari comes off as little more than a self-centered, bigoted layabout, contemptuous of anyone who works for a living and a trial to his family.
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Cast
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Alex Dimitriades
as Ari
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Paul Capsis
as Johnny
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Julian Garner
as Sean
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Tony Nikolakopoulos
as Dimitri
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Elena Mandalis
as Betty
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Eugenia Fragos
as Sophia
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Damien Fotiou
as Joe
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Andrea Mandalis
as Alex
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Maria Mercedes
as Tasia
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Dora Kaskanis
as Dina
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Alex Papps
as Peter
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Vassili Zappa
as Vassili
