Perfect 10, 2019.
Directed by Eva Riley.
Starring Frankie Box, Alfie Deegan, Sharlene Whyte, Billy Mogford, William Ash and Nicola Wright.
SYNOPSIS:
An aspiring teen gymnast’s world is turned upside down with the arrival of the half-brother she never knew she had.
Perfect 10 is the poignant charting of a new relationship between a brother and sister, previously strangers, thrown together by circumstance. In a potentially volatile, dysfunctional family setting, a camaraderie builds between them. With Leigh’s (Frankie Box) mother recently passed, the heartbreaking lack of care from her feckless father (William Ash) is even more stark. Half-brother Joe’s (Alfie Deegan) disruption to her life teeters on dragging her into danger and petty crime, as she considers packing in her hobby of gymnastics.
The film, belying the title, is much about the fallout from grief than it is about the actual gymnastics. There’s real time spent exploring and reflecting on how Leigh may feel. A mental block over her competition routine is clearly linked to missing her mother’s presence and support. But gymnastics – and her dedicated coach (Sharlene Whyte) – are the only things keeping Leigh away from acting out and making poor decisions.
However, against initial expectations, the relationship between Joe and Leigh blossoms into an awkward but sweet relationship. These positive vibes are welcome, slightly unexpected – and much needed in a film like Perfect 10, where things could easily spiral down into the depths. Local gang leader Reece (an intimidating Billy Mogford) lurks around the edge, willing to include Leigh in the schemes on which he sends the slightly hapless Joe. This temptation sustains a nice amount of tension throughout the film.
With Joe’s characterisation, it’s refreshing to show that even the most lost of souls don’t always make the wrong decisions or have dark motives at heart. Leigh’s half-brother has been more successfully shrugged off by his father, and kicked out of home by his mum. His options are limited and the outlook is grim, but what he wants most, however, is family – and he and Leigh find comfort in looking out for one other. The performances of both Box and Deegan are natural and winningly unpretentious, which is where the film draws a lot of its strength from.
Perfect 10 can be a little ponderous at times, dwelling on slower scenes and sometimes taking its time to establish important states of affairs. The scene transitions are disjointed too, but in a way that reflects reality and still permits the audience to draw the right conclusions.
Like its characters, Perfect 10 isn’t in fact perfect, but it’s endearingly rough around the edges.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Tori Brazier
