1985 wasn’t a film I’d seen before this project, it was new to me. I didn’t know much about it before I bought it, and I didn’t as I set it into the DVD player. All I knew was it had Virginia Madsen in it, which is enough for me.

It’s a 2018 film from writer and director Yen Tan and is based upon his short film from 2016 of the same name. And, I think, in hindsight not knowing much about it may have been the best way to watch this film. I’m glad I watched it that way at least.

Unsurprisingly, the film is set in 1985. Adrian (Cory Michael Smith) returns home for Christmas after a few years away. It’s obvious from the start there is some tension between him and his Dad, Dale (Michael Chiklis) as they meet at the airport. And there is a definite vibe in the air when he reaches the family homestead. His brother, Andrew (Aidan Langford) doesn’t seem particularly happy to see him after spending so much time away, despite what his Mother, Eileen (Virginia Madsen) says.Adrian tries his best to slide back into his family life, but it’s kind of obvious he doesn’t fit in the same way he once might have done. He does however make short work of getting his brother back on side as they bond over their love of music. Christmas day is particularly awkward as he buys presents for the family which are a bit more extravagant than what they’re used to.

I’ve tried not to spoil any film I’ve written about, and I think it especially applies to this film. As I mentioned earlier I was glad that I didn’t know anything about it before I watched it and I want to pay this forward so I shall refrain from the details of the story.

The whole film is in black and white. It honestly reminded me a little of Clerks at the start. I don’t know why, maybe it was the black and white and it has a whole amateur vibe. Not in a bad way. It’s just obvious there isn’t a massive budget behind the film. There isn’t any music behind most of the scenes, it relies on its acting, dialogue and atmosphere and it pulls it off for the most part. No comedy either. It was filmed from May to June in 2017 and would premiere just under a year later in 2018 at South by Southwest.

There are a couple of scenes that – I don’t know – They’re just, odd – It’s almost like a play, there are purposefully awkward moments that make you feel uncomfortable.

And, it works.

There isn’t a bad performance in the film. It’s what helps make it all work as well as it does.
Virginia Madsen is right at home here. It’s very much her Mother thing she’s doing, but at the top of her Mother thing game. It’s a very, natural performance we get from her in this one. Almost like she’s not acting and that just adds to the whole, voyeuristic nature of the film.

And, it is nice to see Virginia do this kind of role with good backup for a change otherwise it’d be another one where she carried the whole damn thing. But she doesn’t on this one, it’s a joint effort.

Cory Michael Smith is excellent as the out of place son. The way Adrian interacts with his family without saying anything, says it all. He left home at a young age for a reason, he doesn’t share the same values as they do. Adrian has little in common with his Dad, there isn’t animosity between them as such and they both acknowledge that they are two different people. There is a great scene between Father and Son where they share a beer for the first time. Dale obviously has a lot to say to his son, but doesn’t know how to. Adrian knows this and does his best to accommodate his Dad but without giving up who he is.

I’d only really seen Cory play Edward Nygma in the Gotham TV show before this film and the characters couldn’t be further apart, impressive stuff and I’ll be sure to watch out for him in the future.

I don’t recall seeing Michael Chiklis play a part like this before, and it’s a shame. You almost forget with some actors that they are actually actors and it’s a shame they don’t get to pull it out of the bag more.

When Adrian is leaving to go back home to his other life there is a scene with Eileen in the car, and. It’s, sad – Genuinely sad. So much said with looks and body language.1985 is very much like that though, it’s a film that says so much without really saying anything at all. You’re left to fill in the blanks for a lot of things. You might not know straight away what’s happening with Adrian but you suspect. Some things are confirmed outright and other things not so much.

Virginia Madsen has a deep respect for her character in the movie, speaking with Outsmart magazine in 2018 she had this to say;

“I’m a mother. It’s the most important thing I’ll ever do in my lifetime. I’m very close to my son. Also, I lived during that period of time when friends were dying and people were getting really sick. Nobody wanted to talk about it, and everybody was getting scared. Those are two defining moments in my life. It was my feeling that this mother, like most mothers, knows her son is gay. I think for the vast majority of young people—certainly not all—when they hide their true identity because they have to, most mothers know their child is different.”

Would I recommend it? – Well, to some people I would. If you don’t like proper story and character driven stories then you might be in for a bad time with this one. But, if you do then you’re in for a treat.

Availability:

Good. No problem finding this on DVD or Blu-Ray, averagely priced. Its also available on streaming channels but as always this might very well depend on your location and or your access to a VPN…

Gallery:

Trailer:

(Though, don’t watch the trailer if you want to go in blind)

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