Buoyancy (2019) User Reviews

More a Treat than a Tract

[stephen-624 · 8/10 · 1 October 2019]

The cruel business of Asian forced-labour fishing is no joke, but if you want to make a movie of it, it still has to work as a movie.

Rathjen largely succeeds, aided by fine camera work, and cinematic interludes that break up what would otherwise be an unbearably grim tale. The interludes might be a high-altitude shot of the death boat, a thoughtful moment of beauty, or a flashback to the young conscript's home village.

The ending strikes an apt note, neither too sad nor too sentimental. It's hard to imagine this one will do huge box office, so let's hope that Rathjen comes back for another round. Talented Australian directors are rare, and rarer still do they kick on for longer careers.

Touching, Powerful & Unforgettable

[WalkdenEntertainment · 8/10 · 14 January 2020]

A 14 year old boy, Chakra (Sarm Heng), is tired of working hard and receiving only a small amount of money from his family. Chakra believes he is the hardest worker within the family and wants something more. He decides to run away from home and work elsewhere. His goal is to earn more money and return home to his family in due time. Unfortunately, Chakra is soon sold off to a slave worker who captains a Thai fishing boat. Chakra soon learns the Captain has cruel ways of running his ship. When Chakra and his fellow slaves don't submit to the daily work required or obey the rules, punishment and cruelty is enforced.

Buoyancy as a film is shot wonderfully. The film's style is rather creative in creating tension, drama and showing wonderful landscape and scenery shots. The director appears to enjoy aerial shots which were also effective in key moments.

Performances were outstanding, particularly from the leading actor played by Sarm Heng. He is simply convincing and believable. Portraying the situation the character falls into would not have been an easy task, especially considering this is based on real themes and event. Supporting actors, particularly those who are also on the fishing boats, were also outstanding.

Tension is a key element. With quality all around performances there is also a suspenseful element in this film, especially in regards to the film's audio track. The audio track has a huge part to play. It is somewhat basic but highly effective during tense moments.

Overall, make no mistake, Buoyancy can be classed as a tough drama film to watch but I personally have no regrets in seeing it. This film was a positive experience filled with solid performances and I would gladly recommend this film to many others.

8.1/10 Walkden Entertainment

Good reminder about how cruel the real world is

[emred-94483 · 7/10 · 20 March 2020]

It was one of the interesting movies to watch during these corona lockdown days. There is actually a lot of injustice and violence in the world and we are very little aware of this. The movie does not only demonstrate the injustices in Cambodian seas, it makes us feel like we are sitting on those comfortable seats whithout doing anything.

Very good until the last 20 minutes which lowers the quality of the film.

[DarkSpotOn · 6/10 · 24 February 2024]

This movie is a powerful movie message wise, acting wise, camera shots are gorgeous but i had only one problem and that's the editing. There are shots that last way longer then it should of been. Also i think what could of benefited this movie is learning more about our main heroes life, and then like after 20 minutes we get on the ship, because we know very little about him and his family.

However my biggest issue with this film is the ending. Im sorry but the percentage of that happening in a situation where our main hero was, is just impossible. You are going to tell me that a 14 y old is capable of beating up 3 guys in their 30s. The whole movie lost it's build up, of a kid leaving his family, and get in a worse position.

The kid attacking the 3 guys was totally out of left field and feels like the writers had no idea how to end the movie, so they force fed us this ending. Minus the ending, everything else works. I enjoyed the film i just did not enjoy the ending. Yes of course im happy that he survived and he got back on this land, it's just that scenario does not seem how this movie would end.

I mean if you like revenge films like I spit on your grave, Hobo with shotgun, Thriller Cruel Picture, but in a slower tone, because this is a slow movie, where everything slowly builds up to a climax, you might enjoy this. I did, except i wish we had a bit more depth to our characters, and the ending is totally pulled me out.

According to the wikipedia page, the movie is based on a true story. However, i can not find anywhere source on what this movie is based truly on. I'd like to know. I just did not expect the main hero to attack those 3.

Just fantastic. What a story, and lead performance

[richinberlin · 9/10 · 13 February 2019]

What a joy to see this gem at the Berlin Berlinale. I went knowing and expecting nothing... and to be honest? Having seen another film made using young inexperienced Cambodian actors that somehow didn't touch me... i was not expecting a whole lot.

I go to films, wanting an immersive experience. It doesn't take much to snap me out of the moment. An actor with 2 lines who somehow manages to deliver them poorly, mood music that is masturbatory in its dramatic emotion levels.... poor scripting, silly, boring premises.

I got to the end of Buoyancy and was so sad for the moment to have ended. Just wonderful film making. Such a solid effort from the whole cast.... i believed every single one of them were living what i was seeing not just acting... but Sarm... the lead? Wow. What a performance.

The story itself I won't touch as I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen it.. but its gut wrenchingly realistic, brutal, human and inhuman all at once. I really can't think of another movie to compare it to.

Just wow.

Unflinching realism; grim but not exploitative

[mrmachachi · 9/10 · 7 October 2020]

So this is an Australian film about a very poor, 14 year old Cambodian boy, who gets sick and tired of being exploited by his family (despite many older brothers, he is forced to do all the work in his family and also forced to do free slave labor for neighbors basically sowing rice paddies - and that is major work, son). So he takes a debt to go to Thailand and work. But, because he doesn't pay up front, he is sold into slavery to a fisherman trawler, and from there he experiences all kinds of torture and abuse. The adults can't handle it; will he? This is an exceptional foreign independent film. The film is not brutal but is darkly realistic. The direction, acting, script, cinematography, editing, and score are all top notch. This is a film from last year worth searching out. SEE IT!

Bravery of a child slave shines through

[umchinagirard · 10/10 · 25 October 2020]

The Bravery of the 14 year old slave shines through, hope in a hopeless human story. Corruption of fishing Industry for dog and cat Food To sell in cans at Woolworths and Coles and supermarkets around the world involves Children slaves and humans being abused and exploited. PLEASE STOP BUYING CAT AND DOG FOOD

A brilliant forced coming of age film

[itrevorallen · 9/10 · 21 February 2024]

Story 9/10... Cinematography 9/10... Acting 10/10... Impact 9/10.

This film was a remarkable example of how to do traumatic drama correctly. If it existed, I would have watched another 2 hours and been completely engulfed in the story and lives on screen.

Typically, foreign films shot in 3rd world countries lack much of which is desired in a movie. For this reason I am often skeptical when one aims to address any sort of traumatic theme or disturbing topic. The normal approach is to overdo gore and take advantage of the locals or "conditions". However, Buoyancy balances realism and inserted facts with a well thought out plot to create an environment very unique to it. The film's intention was set out to spread awareness about the slave trade still occurring on shipping vessels, while evoking emotion from viewers. Both of which were completely engulfed within the film.

Many of the other reviews have already complemented the significance of the film and how well the entirety of it was. For this reason I will not echo what they have said. This film taught me something I was unaware of, and something widely ignored by mainstream media/news. I would rank this movie's quality alongside Precious and 12 Years a Slave.

Disclaimer: as others put it, this film can be tough to watch. If you are used to extreme cinema it is a refreshing break from over the top scenes, so much so I would argue this movie could warrant more intensity/gore. This type of thing I often look down upon but the movie's theme truly permits it to impact its viewers deeply. If you are used to sad dramas, be weary as this one truly has the capacity to stick with someone.

Violence cannot be the solution

[nyoburi · 9/10 · 5 July 2020]

"Buoyancy" shows how Chakra is affected by the violence and achieve his growth. The film does not show Chakra's mind inside but tells us his behavior. (He lives on the ship with a blank look on his face.) The question is whether violence is the only solution to run away from that situation. The director does not answer this question. He makes the audience to judge it. If he wanted to answer that question, he would have put more scenes about that. When Chakra leaves his home the second time, his face is different from the first.Because he didn't know the future at first but he experienced, so he does not hesitate to leave the house forever. This film has three drone shots. The first reason why the director uses drone is to express the isolation, and the second reason is to present the impossibility and hopelessness. The drone takes a film like a bird fly away from where he was but Chakra cannot do that. The most impressive scene is Chakra throws away the crab into the ocean.It shows different two views. One is that Chakra saves the crab's life but another view makes me to think to resemble captain who throws away the people into the ocean when people try to escape the ship or resist the captain. That scene depicts Chakra and captain have despotism. This movie is made based on someone's testimony. And if children like Chakra grow up and become adult, what adult they will be? We always think exploitation loop and reproduction.

Cheap Seafood for Our Pets

[westsideschl · 8/10 · 10 April 2021]

A docudrama on young (and very young) southeast Asian boys/men risking their lives in getting jobs on fishing boats. There are issues of abuse, and even death. In this movie a small rebellion has the captain tossing a worker overboard and says dismissively, "no more Khmer, just Burmese".

Caption: An estimated 200,000 men and boys are thought to be in slavery and forced labour in the Southeast Asian fishing industry; worth billions, and supplies fish products worldwide.

Sad but Good

[billcr12 · 8/10 · 9 March 2021]

A fourteen year-old Cambodian boy grows tired of carrying sacks of fertilzer to rice fields to support his mother, father, brother and sister. He seeks a better life after hearing of a chance to make decent money in the factories of Thailand. A broker picks him and a group of others and drops them off where they are broken up into smaller groups. The boy is put on a fishing trawler with a vicious captain and his crew. He and his fellow workers are treated terribly and couple of them revolt and the captain takes care of them in a horrible manner. The kid carries the film, which at ninety-two minutes moves along quite briskly. This is a great foreign movie.

Different

[MikeyB1793 · 8/10 · 16 April 2021]

This definitely presents us with a different world view - a world unknown to most of us. The three main actors, excellently portray the visceral tensions that they are all undergoing. There is a Third World authenticity that is largely ignored in most films.

The scenes on the fishing vessel are taut. And sometimes vicious. Think of this film the next time you open a tin of pet food.

Bleak and gut wrenching

[asmaelhadefelokki · 8/10 · 9 January 2023]

Chakra, 14 years old cambodian boy is tired of being the only one among his siblings of being exploited by his father carrying fertilizer to the ricing field every morning , without even being paid , he seeks freedom and independance, wanting to work somewhere else where he can earn money and live better, he then finds a job at a fishing boat in Bangkok but soon he realizes that he was sold off as a slave to merciless and cruel boat captain who has a savage ways of punishement for anyone refusing to submit to a working rules he set for them by using violence and torturing them to death , seeing all this ferocity around him , Chakra turns into a vicious boy himself as the only one to survive and freeing himself.

This was a moving , realistic drama with an aspect of suspense, that highlights a modern slavery in South Asia . I would like to give credit to the oustanding performance of Sal heng who delivered every emotion in such a unique and sensitive way.

The movie was beautifully shot, showing a breathtaking scenery and landscapes accompanied by an impressive music that added up to the tension that I felt throughout the story .

Modern Slavery

[Blue-Grotto · 8/10 · 28 March 2022]

No one can hear you out on the open sea. Nobody knows you exist.

A Cambodian boy runs away from his family and a life of poverty, only to discover that there are worse things. He survives by bringing choice fish to the captain and becoming his favorite.

You become afraid of people, even of daylight. If you are lucky enough to avoid the beatings, sicknesses, injuries, torture, and being thrown overboard, a cup of rice is the reward for working around the clock shoveling scraps of fish for dog food. You have nothing. This is your home forever.

An estimated 200,000 people are enslaved in the scrappy fishing industry of southeast Asia. The survivors want to "tell people about their nightmares." Buoyancy is their collected story. This truly captivating story is enough to make me not accept a drink from a stranger ever again.

Raw

[shellcleo · 9/10 · 30 July 2021]

I felt really sorry not only for the slaves/prisoners but also for all the fish 🐟 that died. It upset me immensely.....no wonder our Oceans are fished out.

Amazing story of survival

[evening1 · 10/10 · 30 March 2024]

I'd read something about slave labor on South Asian fishing boats, and if I'd had any question about what it was about, this movie savagely removed doubt.

We observe the understandable decision of 14-year-old Chakra (Sarm Heng) to abscond from the family rice farm in Cambodia, where he works backbreaking days for just rice in his bowl and a roof over his head, a seeming guarantee of a dead-end future of poverty and shame.

Someone tells Chakra that for just $500 -- which he can first earn and then repay through his first month of wages -- he can get a good factory job in Thailand.

With few if any questions asked, Chakra takes the bait and finds himself with a group of men who all pay their $500 up front. Because Chakra has no money, and an older guy, a father wanting to support his children, has little cash, they get placed on a boat where they'll presumably work for a month before the factory work. The dad is suspicious and says he's leaving, but a crack in the head with a gun shows him he has lost his freedom.

The boat is run by menacing Samnang (Chan Visal), who has his small crew heave up heavy nets full of fish, which they sift to collect the best of the haul, later to shovel the refuse into pits for pet-food manufacturing.

There is no talk of pay, or of any end to the work, and if anyone complains or slackens off, it's brutal discipline or worse. When one man passes out from exhaustion, sneering Samnang ("Miss your mother?") shoves him overboard to drown. Chakra's dad friend's fate is worse, and Chakra is sadistically made to shoulder the guilt.

Sadistic Samnang does to others what was done to him as a boy, and, as brutally as he treats Chakra, he likes him in a way because he's young, strong, and doesn't talk back.

Chakra's quiet, but nothing is lost on him. He sees that his survival will require fighting fire with fire.

His retribution is as stunning as his return to his village as a irreparably hardened young man.

I discovered this film serendipitously on a Delta flight to San Antonio, and I won't forget it. For thematic parallels, highly recommended are the equally powerful "Battleship Potemkin" of 1925 and "Manila in the Claws of Light" (1975).

Just wow

[bhong-sn · 10/10 · 10 November 2021]

A Cambodian boy got sold into slavery in the sea in Thailand . Hidden gem. Took my breath away. Purely realistic and reflective of the real issues happening now. It's a must watch if you want to understand how poverty is plaguing Cambodia and it's people.