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Pulse
Australia 2017
produced by Stevie Cruz-Martin, Gemma Hall, Daniel Monks, Simon Camp (executive), Annie Murtagh-Monks (executive), Roslyn Walker (executive)
directed by Stevie Cruz-Martin
starring Caroline Brazier, Daniel Monks, Scott Lee, Sian Ewers, Isaro Kayitesi, Jaimee Peasley, Troy Rodger, David Richardson, Lee Jankowski, Jad Abid, Alex Malone, Kate Neylon, Evan Williams
written by Daniel Monks, music by Featurette
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Olly (Daniel Monks) is a disabled high schooler - and he's sick of it,
he's sick of always being pitied and being made to feel like the fifth
wheel on the waggon, even by his best friends, being taken care of by his
over-bearing mother (Caroline Brazier) and her posterboy boyfriend Mark
(Troy Rodger), someone he has never felt a connection to, while never
being even considered as a sexual being - after all, the only reason he
has never come out as gay is because nobody even wondered. So when a new
miracle cure for his condition is presented, he jumps right onto it - even
if that cure is being transplanted in a whole new body ... and that's not
enoubh, Olly has chosen a woman's body to be his new me - so welcome
Olivia (Jaimee Peasley), she's hot, she's sensual, she likes to party. Of
all of Olly's friends, Britney (Isaro Kayitesi) is the first who warms up
to her, but mainly because she's a big partygirl and sees Olivia as a
great partner in crime. Having never been the center of a party as OIly
though, Olivia is just overwhelmed by all the attention she's getting, and
she quickly loses control, drinks too much, has random sex ... and
weirdens out her best friends Luke (Scott Lee) and Nat (Sian Ewers). And
what's worse, he/she's secretly in love with Luke and has been for some
time (even back as Olly), and her confessing his love to him and him
turning her down really doesn't do anything to ground her. And thus Olivia
just goes on making one bad decision after the next due to not been
prepared for her new life, to more and more learn that now she can have
everything, she has exactly nothing ... A premise like Pulse's
is an almost surefire recipe for disaster, as it feels like the invitation
to a dumb comedy or heavy-handed, overly preachy drama - but Pulse
is neither, basically since it really makes the effort to understand its
lead character and bring his/her struggle across to the audience, rather
than just hammer a message of a joke home. And thanks to a very clever
script that refuses to condemn anyone, a directorial effort that makes
Olly/Olivia's struggle palpable and shows great understanding to her
flaws, and a solid cast, this has actually turned out to be a very fine
movie that's well worth a watch.
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