Wellbeing
Published on May 12, 2018
Comments 32

Swim underwater with Australia’s Tim Winton in movie ‘Breath’

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Watching the surfers and Cardio fitness the fun way on the beach over 50

So grateful to walk early on the beach #selfcare #over50 #wellbeing #australia @boneAndsilver

Two nights ago I submerged myself in a 2-hour film called ‘Breath.’ Based on the novel of the same name by Tim Winton, with his contributions to the screenplay, and voice-over narration, it washed through me so deeply that I didn’t even want to keep talking over coffee afterwards, but went home to float through the ongoing swell of watery images and sensations.

My movie buddy asked me to articulate what I got from it, and I tried to sum it up in 3 main ways:

  • An immersion in the uniquely-Australian, beachside surf culture of the 1970s (which I didn’t live), but which ’17’s’ Dad did, and to an extent ’17’ still does
  • A reflection in the capacity to ‘lose oneself’ in one’s passion, as I feel when I dance, and yet also being more at one with yourself than at any other time. Also, seeing the  stunning natural landscape- it’s set in Western Australia- and hearing the torrential downpours of a typical summer
  • The crafting of the characters, where a simple sentence showed so much of each personality. Or the lack of a sentence, as Australian men do tend towards monosyllabic grunts in times of trouble
Watching the surfers and Cardio fitness the fun way on the beach over 50

So grateful to walk early on the beach #selfcare #over50 #wellbeing #australia @boneAndsilver

It made me want to get surfing lessons. It made me want to ride a dragster bike down a dirt lane without a care in the world. It made me want to rent a beachside shack with a lover, and sit reading beside the fire while it poured with rain outside, then make love under a mosquito net. It made me want to be 15 again. It made me want to smoke a joint and tell tall stories!

But here’s a much more articulate and mature professional review of the book in the New York Times.

Go see it. If you love the beach, surfing, swimming, fishing, nature, the 1970s, Australia, or coming-of-age movies, go see it. If you love Tim Winton, or actor/director Simon Baker, go see it. Dive in, and you’ll come up for air so glad that you did.

‘Breath trailer’

So grateful to walk early on the beach #selfcare #over50 #wellbeing #australia @boneAndsilver
So grateful to walk early on the beach #selfcare #over50 #wellbeing #australia @boneAndsilver

Let me know what you think of it if you go.

Now what’s the best movie you’ve seen lately and why?

In gratitude for the evocative smell of popcorn, G xO

32 Comments

  1. Diana says

    You are merely a little beyond 15 in the grand scheme of things! Just jumble the number, 51,15, 51…
    Get the dragster (or a Triumph as I have) and ride with the wind….. and go for the sub mosquito net melting moments. Grab life sweet lady ❤

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  3. Brizzy Mays Books and Bruschetta says

    Thankyou so much for this – you have made my day. I had been so looking forward to this movie as 1) I was a “ Puberty Blues” beach girl and 2) I was really interested in seeing how Simon Baker managed two roles, directing and acting. During the week I read a review in the Courier Mail that was so scathing, so bleak, that I decided that I could not bring myself to see the movie. I will see if I can hunt it down – after I’ve been to the flicks of course.

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    • bone&silver says

      I’m so glad you read this post Brizzy! It is so Puberty Blues- promise me you’ll come back here and add a comment after you’ve seen it? Simon did SUCH a good job- I was nervous too, about the adaptation of such a story- but Tim wrote the screenplay too, and I thought it was fabulous. So worth seeing on the big screen though, with the surround sound of the waves, the rain, the Aussie bush and kombis. Enjoy xx
      PS: The Courier Mail is not such a fab paper… and the movie is not a ‘normal’ movie- I still feel it washing around inside of me now 🙂

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  5. Robyn Haynes says

    I’m glad you loved the film. I absolutely loved the book (a big Tim Winton fan) so was reluctant to see the movie as they often don’t live up to the book version.

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  6. cathytea says

    Oooh! Best moving we’ve seen recently–and even on my top five best lifetime movies–is Wonderstruck, which is an Amazon Prime original. It’s magic. It evokes the 1970s and the 1920s. It’s about family, getting lost, and being redeemed–through love and magic and art!

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    • bone&silver says

      Wonderstruck hey- ok, I’ll look for it, thanks! That’s a big rating you’re giving it, so it must be good 😊👍🏼

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  7. Unleashing the Cougar says

    Love Tim Winton! I was lucky enough to see him live in my town for his promotional tour of Shepherd’s Hut. His talk is online about Toxic Masculinity and it’s really worth sitting down for an hour and listening to it – incredibly well done, understated, measured, funny and wise.

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  11. a piecemeal adventurer says

    Thanks for the review a great movie. Challenging theme in many ways. Wonder how we would view an older man seducing a school age woman in this current age. Got to say the cinematography and acting was great.

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    • bone&silver says

      Oh totally agree- there was a lot that was uncomfortable about this film, under the surface… just like the sea hey? Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂

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    • bone&silver says

      Oh I hope you do, it’s stunning- definitely better at the cinema than just on tv screen though. Thanks for commenting 😊 G (ps the book is a fab read too- he’s one of our best contemporary authors)

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  13. W Krischke says

    Great review! I’d like to share it on my website, if that’s okay with you. I’ll link to your site and give you credit. It will post Saturday, June 9.

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    • bone&silver says

      That sounds great W, thanks. Have you seen the film yourself? It has some adult content towards the end, I must caution

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