Danny Embling (Noah Taylor) is your typical teenager stuck at
boarding school in the late 1960s. With a burgeoning relationship with
Thandiwe (Thandie Newton), a girl at the neighboring female sister
school, he doesn't have much else to do but... flirt. A coming-of-age
movie that quietly but perceptively examines the mating rituals - and
castigation of male rituals - by boarding school officials, Flirting
was produced in Australia, which granted it a low-profile release here
in the States. It has retained that low profile, or so it would seem
from the relative lack of hype this DVD release received on the
Internet; yet many critics liked the film, including the often
generous Roger Ebert, who gave it four stars.
Ultimately,
Flirting is just a sweet little movie with appealing characters,
reveling in the kind of innocence that will inspire many a viewer to
hearken back to their teenage years. It is a testament to the quality
of the screenplay that the film seems as if it was adapted from a book
thanks to the intelligent dialogue (director and writer Duigan tried
his hand at novels before switching to filmmaking). It also is in many
ways a sequel to The Year My Voice Broke, also featuring the Embling
character and directed by Duigan. (Unfortunately, I might have to wait
a little longer to see it, as it is not currently available on
DVD.) What Flirting is not is a Nicole Kidman film, despite
what the geniuses at the MGM marketing department would have you
believe. 2002 is shaping up to be The Year of the Putrid DVD Covers,
and Flirting is a perfect example. Kidman and Thandie Newton's faces
have been carelessly plastered on the cover, with Noah Taylor, the
star of the film, nowhere in sight. Admittedly, it would be difficult
for any marketing department to ignore Kidman, and by no means is her
character a throwaway part. But the cover really conveys nothing about
the movie, so don't go in expecting any titillation. This is just a
sweet, funny look at growing up, and a third in Duigan's alleged
trilogy is not such a bad idea.
Video: How Does The Disc
Look? 
Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, Flirting
looks better than I expected. The print is almost entirely free from
blemishes and any signs of age-related defects. Blacks and contrast
are average, with accurate colors and nice fleshtones, which are the
only aspect of the film's look that actually have any vibrancy. Detail
is good, though often the movie takes on a flat, somewhat soft
appearance. Overall, rather fine.
Audio: How Does The Disc
Sound?
The English 2.0 Dolby Digital surround track is
quite pleasing. The music is dated, although it has a liveliness that
makes you want to hear it again and is nicely rendered. There are a
few directional effects emanating from the rears, but usually as a
minor complement to the front soundstage. While the source tracks are
in fine shape, dialogue can be a problem due to the thickness of the
accents, but at least the indecipherable utterings can be revealed by
turning on the subtitles.
No alternate language tracks are
included, only English subtitles and Closed Captions.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There?
An anamorphic
widescreen theatrical trailer is the only extra.
DVD-ROM
Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
No ROM extras have been included.
Parting
Thoughts
Flirting is one of the best movies that remains
largely unknown to most filmgoers, despite the presence of Kidman. The
DVD is weak in regards to supplemental content, but it is a treat just
to have the movie in widescreen and with a nice transfer to boot. For
only $19.95 list, worth checking out.
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