Movie review: Satellite Boy

A QUIET, unhurried and graceful Australian drama, Satellite Boy is going to experience much hardship finding an audience during a limited release in coming weeks.

David Gulpulil and Cameron Wallaby

MOVIE REVIEW: A quiet, unhurried and graceful Australian drama, Satellite Boy is going to experience much hardship finding an audience during a limited release in coming weeks.

Not only is the marketplace less than receptive to homegrown product at the moment, there are just too many bigger, brighter and better-promoted titles elsewhere for a little flick like this to get itself noticed.

Sadly, it is just the way things happen to be in 2013.

The film takes place in the far northern reaches of Western Australia, where a young Aboriginal boy and his grandfather face eviction from the unusual place they call home.

The pair live at the site of an abandoned drive-in cinema, which has been marked for demolition by a local mining company.

Incensed by the news, 11-year-old Pete (Cameron Wallaby) and his trouble-making best friend Kalmain (Joseph Pedley) take off for the big smoke to see if he can change some corporate minds.

Along the way, Pete and Kalmain - who are travelling by BMX bicycle - wander off the main road and find themselves hopelessly lost.

To get everything back on track, Pete is going to have to call on some of the ancient bush wisdom always being imparted by his grumpy grandpa (David Gulpilil). There's just one problem: Pete has rarely paid attention when he should have.

The film could be construed as a bit slow and airy for some tastes. Nevertheless, Satellite Boy's insightful fascination with a fading way of life in the outback (and a people determined to keep living it as vividly as they can) is a small triumph.

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Satellite Boy [PG]

Rating: 3/5

Director: Catriona McKenzie (feature debut)

Starring: Cameron Wallaby, David Gulpilil, Joseph Pedley, Rohana Angus.

"In through the outback door"