Flirting

The second part of a trilogy which began with The Year My Voice Broke. Teenage student Danny (Taylor) divides his time between being bullied for his stutter and being bewitched by Thandiwe (Newton), a Ugandan pupil from a nearby girls' school. Both misfits, the two find solace in each other's affection, crossing the lake in search of adulthood. Beautifully written and directed by Duigan, the film maintains a delicate balance between wry satire, childish laughter, and dark, brooding malevolence. Not since Bill Forsyth's Gregory's Girl has a movie so precisely captured the goose-bumps, grunts, giggles and gorgeous rapture of teenage love. Taylor is a jowly delight, while 16-year-old newcomer Newton throws savage glances and sensuous smiles with the assured air of a seasoned professional. Electrifying and heartbreaking; cherish it.