Claysaba
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Dirtylogy
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Justina
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
esjara97
This film was Australia's bad attempt to make a gay film similar to Shelter. It was okay, at times, but mostly it was just f*cked up. There was no point at all to the talking pictures and they just seemed out of place in the movie and there was no reason as to why they were talking. The whole relationship between Cass and the geography teacher was just about as f*cked up as they come. At least Midget was a sympathetic character, although it was quite mean of him to always have Cass as a second choice to Alice. There wasn't any real progress through the movie, in the end all the characters were stuck in the same place: Cass had run away again, Midget still lived with his mum and Alice stayed with her Aunt, another f*cked up character that didn't belong in the movie whatsoever. The only progress that was made was that Midget had had sex with a guy.There was one thing though, that I liked very much and that was Midget's mother. I liked how she was portrayed, by always being in bed and that the viewer never gets to see her face.On another note, I'd like to say that I'm a fan of realistic movies about realistic people, but this was like the director was trying to make the movie realistic but yet somehow, come up with such an unrealistic ending that I just wanted to turn the movie off.
Donald Thomas
I'm not sure why people rated this film so poorly. I enjoyed it a great deal. It all depends on the main reason why one watches a film, I guess.To me, the most important thing is the characters. Are they interesting? Would I like to spend the next 90 minutes to 2 hours with them? Do I care what happens to them? In the case of "Tan Lines" the answer is "yes".Some reviewers find that there is no plot. Well that's pretty much how real life is. And this is a slice of real life.The fact that the actors are not professional ones helps the film to be believable. They are all excellent, and I can't imagine why we have not seen them in anything else. Jack Baxter is especially good, depicting the uncertainty of a 16 year-old, which he was at the time. He is also very cute, which doesn't hurt. :-)Director Ed Aldridge shot a fine film and should be congratulated. I also enjoyed his commentary tremendously. He is informative and funny, which is great considering that many commentaries are neither.Bottom line: if you need a super plot and huge special effects, other films will suit you better. If you want to relive your teenage years with believable characters played by good actors, you will spend a nice 109 minutes!
kezzajam
Anyone who thinks this is a good film has obviously never seen a decent gay coming-of-age film. The acting and camera work are akin to a no-budget high school film, there are several characters that exist solely as a one line joke that isn't even funny, and the plot boarders on confusing with the main characters motivation jumping from 'love' to 'lust' from scene to seen.The least negative thing I can say about it is that the sex scenes were reasonably well shot, but that doesn't give you much else to look forward to for the other 90 minutes.Casting eyecandy does not excuse sloppy acting.
John Frame
It would be difficult to imagine a worse plot, crummier script, sloppier direction or more lack-lustre acting (but I don't blame the actors).Tan Lines pushes the envelope only in terms of what a viewer is willing to put up with in an effort to support queer cinema.There's some very careless film-work e.g. with the reflection of camera crew in clear view in one indoor night shot.No budget is so small that it would excuse what we see here as the final edit.The technical quality of the DVD is particularly low - but I'm guessing it is as good as it would ever get.The storyline is pure farce mixed with a liberal dash of the absurd. The intention is supposedly to tell a gay teen surfer's coming of age story, but the characters are simply not believable - and they're all terminally morose. This film has far too much teen angst and far too little heart.Only "Crazy Richard" gives "Tan Lines" a run for its money as the all time worst Australian film.
