Jasper Jones * * * 1/2

     One thing I took away from Jasper Jones is the impression that this was a labour of love. The effort and determination to get it right just seemed to shine through.  Like they really honoured the source material - the very popular novel of the same name.

    Unfortunately such loyalty is what gives Jasper Jones its weaker moments, which are created by a desire to include all incidents, some of  which could have been omitted when translating to film. Like a speaker who has suddenly run out of time, the rushed explanatory dialogue toward the end tended to deflate the drama rather than elevate us with an epiphany.  

     But overall I quite enjoyed Jasper Jones. It is certainly one of the best Australian films I have seen in a while.

     Most impressive was the meticulous recreation of time and place.  You really do feel the sense of an  Australian Country Town, Summer 1969.  It  is a beautiful looking film.  The acting from all players is outstanding, which is to be expected from Toni Colette and Hugo Weaving, but every other player is convincing, and a welcome screen presence.

     Although Jasper Jones is the title, interestingly the character Jasper Jones is not the main player in this film; it is  a thirteen year old boy called Charlie. Jasper Jones is a local lad who is part aboriginal.  He is a boy who is always in trouble, giving him an unintentional intimidating presence. One night he taps on Charlie's bedroom window to wake him and ask him to help dispose of a dead body…..  
To tell you more would be to tug at the threads of the plot and spoil it for you, but I’d have no hesitation in recommending it.