Indie Gems: Disclosure

Not to be confused with the documentary on trans representation in media of the same name, Australia's disclosure centers around two couples. We have Danny and Emily Bowman, (Mark Leonard Winter and Matilda Ridgway) a normally care free couple who are dealing with with a confession from their four year old daughter that their friend's son assaulted her. Those friends are Bek and Joel Chalmers. (Geradline Hakewell and Tom Wren) Joel is in politics and while they took what the Bowmans told them seriously initially, they're now doubling down and defending their son. They want them to remove their son's name from the report they plan to file so that Joel's reputation isn't ruined.

We never see what happened between the children. In fact, we barely see them at all. The majority of this film takes place around the Bowman's pool as the couples argue about who's right and who's wrong. While the film attempts to make you question both sides, I was always firmly on the Bowman's. But even that, the concerns brought up felt very real. The script is the strongest point of this film. 

All the actors were wonderful but Matilda Ridgway steals the show for me. I loved how she defended her daughter. That made me love her even more, because child victims of abuse often aren't believed. 

The one thing that brings this film down is the way it's shot. The cinematography is atrocious. They attempt to do these slow motion shots that don't fit with the rest of the film and the lighting is very awkward. You can tell this was made on a budget, so I feel bad for pointing this out, but it was very distracting at times.

Thankfully, the actors really bring everything they've got to the table. It's been so long I've written an Indie Gem post. It feels like the right time to bring it back.

Watched on: Amazon Prime

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "I wasn't talking about you." - Emily (Matilda Ridgway)