This movie was good, just not my cup of tea. If you are into sport movies or swimming then this will be a treat. I am thankful got subtitles or this movie would have been so hard to understand. Really, this is a movie about a kid who is really confused and selfish. Trying to figure life out, while trying to deal with all the adult drama in his life. I recommend if there is nothing better on to see.
13 Reviews
Not bad..
brettgriggs-4629917 September 2021
There is a true grit of honesty in Aussie film and it's portral of people and language. This movie has it. A very confident film debut for Tyson Wade Johnston writing and directing. It's true blessing is the rising super star of Levi Miller. Amazing child actor who is growing into an talented actor (see Better Watch Out and American Exit for starters) and will be a superstar.
Solid
Movi3DO17 March 2022
Men are made by their mistakes. It's only when you lose everything you find out who you are. You find the best part of yourself.
For a directorial debut, Tyson Johnston did a solid job making a touching and investing story. The performances were all solid. And hey, there's Jason Isaacs, who did a great job even though he had little screen time.
The story itself still was a bit too quick. The relationship between the estranged dad and the kids should have been explored further.
Overall, it's a good drama with potential. 7.5/10.
For a directorial debut, Tyson Johnston did a solid job making a touching and investing story. The performances were all solid. And hey, there's Jason Isaacs, who did a great job even though he had little screen time.
The story itself still was a bit too quick. The relationship between the estranged dad and the kids should have been explored further.
Overall, it's a good drama with potential. 7.5/10.
Why Bother
elsie-399289 March 2022
Throughout this film, I had to keep asking myself, "Why bother?" The acting is competent. The production values are adequate for the job. But the script is sadly wanting. The adjectives that come to mind are: predictable, tedious, labored, timid, muddled. I can only hope that the writer meant to do better but felt constrained. If this film is the result of an unconstrained talent, there is much to lament.
Nothing to be seen here
Moviedog2617 September 2021
Darkness
jopas-0260618 September 2021
What posesses many modern directors to so underlight films it is often impossible to see what is happening on screen! Even in daylight scenes the picture is dark and gloomy. Poor Levi starring as evil in his last film (total miscasting of such a face as demonish) and now a story where characters cannot be seen clearly- not the way to go!
Men are made by their mistakes
nogodnomasters18 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Teenage Benjamin Lane (Levi Miller) has a great life ahead of him as a swimmer. Brisbane wants to train him for the Olympics. When his abusive father (Jason Isaacs) is released from prison, it gets into Benji's head and he self destructs and begins to figure out who is really there to help him.
It seemed like biopic but turned into a mediocre drama.
Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No nudity.
It seemed like biopic but turned into a mediocre drama.
Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No nudity.
An amazing film.
sdonahoo28 September 2021
Streamline is such an impressive and captivating film. Easily the best Australian film I've seen in years. This is a coming of age film about a young swimmer that defies all the cliches of the genre. Levi Miller's performance as Ben is amazing; so much is said with so few words and he never betrays the role. Ben leaps off the screen and my concern for his welfare left me holding my breath for most of the film. Jason Isaacs is Ben's estranged father whose release from prison prompts Ben's world to suddenly overwhelm him. The movie unfolds beautifully, with incredibly natural performances that anchor it firmly among the best Australian films. The photography is brilliantly understated, supporting and never distracting from the story. The sound is similarly masterfully used. Tyson Wade Johnston, the writer and director, is so effortlessly confident that it's almost incredible this is his feature debut. Highly recommended.
Boring and Depressing
cjgmusic26 April 2022
The life got sucked out of this movie by the downtrodden writing. There was just not much excitement in the movie in any way. It's supposed to be inspiring but my god, you just want to rescue this kid from his life. Awful parents, awful friends, in an awful environment that beats you over the head with bullies and despair. I watched 38 minutes in and had to give up. Just nothing to hope for here, except that prospective viewers read this and skip it. Started this on a whim and couldn't wait to turn it off.
Fantastic raw emotional tale of reconciliation
wrxsti5422 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Streamline is one of the most powerful and raw movies to come out of Australia. At first it is the story of the dark side to Australia's rise to the top of global Olympic swimming success, that of the clubs, coaches and sporting institutes that recruit, train and drive hard up-and-coming teenage swimmers. The movie centers on 15 year old championship swimmer Benjamin Lane (Levi Miller) who hails from the Gold Coast in Queensland. Under the constant driving tutelage of his mother Kim (Laura Gordon) and Coach Clarke (Robert Gordon), Ben is on the cusp of Olympic selection due to his supreme athleticism and punishing training regimen.
Suddenly into his life steps his absent father Rob (Jason Issacs) who has been released from jail after a lengthy sentence for corruption as a high ranking cop. Years of domestic violence and abuse leaves Ben disoriented and scared to see his father again. This dramatically interrupts the intense training regime that Ben has been under and eventually he cracks at a crucial meet and is diagnosed as overworked and overtrained and takes a month off. On his first return to training, relentlessly pushed by his coach and mother, he snaps in a fit of pent up rage and frustration at being the athletic plaything of their aspirations (and who both demeaningly call him Boy) and he dramatically quits swimming, fighting with his coach dragging him into the pool. His angry and disappointed mother kicks him out and he goes to live with his older adult brothers who bear numerous emotional scars from the years of violent abuse suffered at the hands of their father. Relentless training is replaced with boozing, smoking and skylarking around. Ben is taken to watch his older brother Dave (Jake Ryan) humiliate their father who works at a prison release kitchen cleaning job where they throw food at him and re-create humiliating acts from his childhood. Witnessing the humility of his father throughout this abasement and the drunken dysfunction of his older brothers begins to have a salutary effect on the young impressionable Ben.
Ben's girlfriend Patti (Tasia Zalar), her father is one of his teachers at school who tries to be a good mentor to Ben during his emotional upheaval, she encourages him to return to swimming. Meanwhile Ben rides his bike at night to watch his mother go into her apartment and his dad finishing his work both from a distance.
On his 16th birthday, his mother brings him a vegan cake (that his brothers mock) and a change of clothes but Dave had organized a boozy, drug fueled party and sets Ben up with a sleazy girl that he has sex with only to have Patti walk in at the end of it. He steals his brother's car crashing it twice as he chases after her, she breaks up with him, he has a fight with her older brother and then his older brothers show up and get into the fight and at that point, Ben realizes that his messed up older brothers are seriously messing him up.
Drunk and high, covered in blood from fighting, hurting from being dumped, realizing his life is a mess, as the police are called to arrest Dave, Ben runs to his Dad's work to angrily confront him and his father has great advice delivered with the humility of a man broken by years of incarceration. The money line of the movie: "Men are made by their mistakes". There is a beautiful tear jerking moment of forgiveness and reconciliation as he encourages Ben to get back on track. It is the best part of the entire movie and beautifully and powerfully acted.
Ben reconciles with, and returns to, his mother, tries to get back with Patti, starts back his intense swim training and his formally hard nosed coach tells him "enjoy yourself" at his first meet back. A joyful newly minted Olympian Ben is interviewed by the great Aussie swimming legend Ian Thorpe making a cameo as a reporter and it is clear Ben is at much more peace because of the repair in his relationships with his parents. Be aware: This scene is lodged in the credits so anyone not watching all the way through will wonder if Ben was successful in his Olympic qualifying race.
A very shredded and athletic looking 17 year old Levi Miller certainly looked every inch the championship swimmer he plays which required training under the tutelage of Ian Thorpe who also advised the director on matters to do with the swimming culture. Miller had had a string of great child/teen performances already (Pan, Red Dog:True Blue, Better Watch Out, Jasper Jones, American Exit and A Wrinkle in Time) but his role as Benjamin is so good that it is a true breakthrough performance akin to DiCaprio's "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" or "Basketball Diaries", that elevates him to the upper echelon of all time great teen actors and positions him brilliantly to take on more mature and demanding young adult roles. The intensity, the brooding adolescent nuances, the explosive pent up volatility of a boy whose whole life has been planned and organized for him and the volcanic suppressed anger towards his dad after years of childhood abuse and neglect, are all portrayed with fabulous understated intensity. Had this been set in the US looking at a similar trend in US Olympic swimming with say Michael Phelps playing a cameo and had it been marketed extensively in the US, there would mentions of an Oscar nomination so good is this performance. Levi Miller has the potential to join that small group of great teen actors who have gone on to become some of Hollywood's leading adult male stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Jamie Bell, he's that good. Miller's performance is scaffolded by superb performances from all the supporting actors.
Suddenly into his life steps his absent father Rob (Jason Issacs) who has been released from jail after a lengthy sentence for corruption as a high ranking cop. Years of domestic violence and abuse leaves Ben disoriented and scared to see his father again. This dramatically interrupts the intense training regime that Ben has been under and eventually he cracks at a crucial meet and is diagnosed as overworked and overtrained and takes a month off. On his first return to training, relentlessly pushed by his coach and mother, he snaps in a fit of pent up rage and frustration at being the athletic plaything of their aspirations (and who both demeaningly call him Boy) and he dramatically quits swimming, fighting with his coach dragging him into the pool. His angry and disappointed mother kicks him out and he goes to live with his older adult brothers who bear numerous emotional scars from the years of violent abuse suffered at the hands of their father. Relentless training is replaced with boozing, smoking and skylarking around. Ben is taken to watch his older brother Dave (Jake Ryan) humiliate their father who works at a prison release kitchen cleaning job where they throw food at him and re-create humiliating acts from his childhood. Witnessing the humility of his father throughout this abasement and the drunken dysfunction of his older brothers begins to have a salutary effect on the young impressionable Ben.
Ben's girlfriend Patti (Tasia Zalar), her father is one of his teachers at school who tries to be a good mentor to Ben during his emotional upheaval, she encourages him to return to swimming. Meanwhile Ben rides his bike at night to watch his mother go into her apartment and his dad finishing his work both from a distance.
On his 16th birthday, his mother brings him a vegan cake (that his brothers mock) and a change of clothes but Dave had organized a boozy, drug fueled party and sets Ben up with a sleazy girl that he has sex with only to have Patti walk in at the end of it. He steals his brother's car crashing it twice as he chases after her, she breaks up with him, he has a fight with her older brother and then his older brothers show up and get into the fight and at that point, Ben realizes that his messed up older brothers are seriously messing him up.
Drunk and high, covered in blood from fighting, hurting from being dumped, realizing his life is a mess, as the police are called to arrest Dave, Ben runs to his Dad's work to angrily confront him and his father has great advice delivered with the humility of a man broken by years of incarceration. The money line of the movie: "Men are made by their mistakes". There is a beautiful tear jerking moment of forgiveness and reconciliation as he encourages Ben to get back on track. It is the best part of the entire movie and beautifully and powerfully acted.
Ben reconciles with, and returns to, his mother, tries to get back with Patti, starts back his intense swim training and his formally hard nosed coach tells him "enjoy yourself" at his first meet back. A joyful newly minted Olympian Ben is interviewed by the great Aussie swimming legend Ian Thorpe making a cameo as a reporter and it is clear Ben is at much more peace because of the repair in his relationships with his parents. Be aware: This scene is lodged in the credits so anyone not watching all the way through will wonder if Ben was successful in his Olympic qualifying race.
A very shredded and athletic looking 17 year old Levi Miller certainly looked every inch the championship swimmer he plays which required training under the tutelage of Ian Thorpe who also advised the director on matters to do with the swimming culture. Miller had had a string of great child/teen performances already (Pan, Red Dog:True Blue, Better Watch Out, Jasper Jones, American Exit and A Wrinkle in Time) but his role as Benjamin is so good that it is a true breakthrough performance akin to DiCaprio's "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" or "Basketball Diaries", that elevates him to the upper echelon of all time great teen actors and positions him brilliantly to take on more mature and demanding young adult roles. The intensity, the brooding adolescent nuances, the explosive pent up volatility of a boy whose whole life has been planned and organized for him and the volcanic suppressed anger towards his dad after years of childhood abuse and neglect, are all portrayed with fabulous understated intensity. Had this been set in the US looking at a similar trend in US Olympic swimming with say Michael Phelps playing a cameo and had it been marketed extensively in the US, there would mentions of an Oscar nomination so good is this performance. Levi Miller has the potential to join that small group of great teen actors who have gone on to become some of Hollywood's leading adult male stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Jamie Bell, he's that good. Miller's performance is scaffolded by superb performances from all the supporting actors.
Great True Portrayal of Australian teenage sport
tgvcllc1 October 2021
Gritty movie showing a true side of Australian teenage turmoil in combining sport with life. Johnston drew from personal experience both being an Australian and his experience in competitive swimming as a teenager. Levi Miller portrayed the role beautifully and the cast showed a very accurate portrayal of Australian life for many. Loved it.
Boring, boring, boring
rfsf-fatica27 October 2021
Actors and characters with zero personality or emotional connection, makes non engaging viewing. Australia desperately needs to do better, especially with selecting and casting its actors. Are they told to be bland and scripted?
Absolutely, heart-rendingly brilliant
marydm-434706 August 2023
This isn't about sports glory or gold medals. It's not about glibly glorifying and deifying sports "heroes", a notion that's so puerile anyway. It's a gritty depiction of the complexities of family life, the hurt and the glory of familial relationships and love.
So easy to mistake this as a "typical" Aussie sporting legend. Except that sport is a mere background to the human trials and tribulations, simply a metaphor to underpin the way the characters manage to overcome their "loved ones" and themselves and break through to the other side of survival.
Absolutely brilliant work on every front. No scenes of glorious swimming pools and beaches bathed in the strong Aussie sun, but 3 am training starts in the dark, where a growing boy is fighting to breathe caught between the pressure his well meaning mother and coach are exerting on him and the memories he has of an abusive father.
The young boy is late for training one day and the coach makes him wait till everyone else has finished by which time he does his turn in the pool in pouring rain. A scene that epitomises the struggle and darkness that the protagonist and to an extent the rest of the characters must overcome to survive their situations.
Outstanding dark hued cinematography, outstanding editing restraint (not a frame that's superfluous and doesn't advance the story and characterisation), outstanding direction to get the most nuanced emotional responses from the actors, outstanding, utterly believable scripting.
A masterclass in quiet cinematic achievement that leaves the viewer with lasting impressions.
So easy to mistake this as a "typical" Aussie sporting legend. Except that sport is a mere background to the human trials and tribulations, simply a metaphor to underpin the way the characters manage to overcome their "loved ones" and themselves and break through to the other side of survival.
Absolutely brilliant work on every front. No scenes of glorious swimming pools and beaches bathed in the strong Aussie sun, but 3 am training starts in the dark, where a growing boy is fighting to breathe caught between the pressure his well meaning mother and coach are exerting on him and the memories he has of an abusive father.
The young boy is late for training one day and the coach makes him wait till everyone else has finished by which time he does his turn in the pool in pouring rain. A scene that epitomises the struggle and darkness that the protagonist and to an extent the rest of the characters must overcome to survive their situations.
Outstanding dark hued cinematography, outstanding editing restraint (not a frame that's superfluous and doesn't advance the story and characterisation), outstanding direction to get the most nuanced emotional responses from the actors, outstanding, utterly believable scripting.
A masterclass in quiet cinematic achievement that leaves the viewer with lasting impressions.
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