Juniper (film)

Juniper is a 2021 New Zealand drama film directed and written by Matthew J. Saville, starring Charlotte Rampling.

Juniper
Directed byMatthew J. Saville
Written byMatthew J. Saville
Produced by
  • Desray Armstrong
  • Angela Littlejohn
StarringCharlotte Rampling
CinematographyMartyn Williams
Edited byPeter Roberts
Production
company
Sandy Lane Productions
Distributed byTransmission Films
Release date
  • 26 August 2021 (2021-08-26)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryNew Zealand
LanguageEnglish
Box office$881,728[1]

It received generally positive reviews, with praise going towards Saville's direction and the performances of Rampling and George Ferrier.

Plot

Set in rural New Zealand in the 1990s, the film tells the story of the developing relationship of the adolescent Sam and his acerbic and alcoholic grandmother with an unconventional past, whom he has not met before.[2][3]

Cast

Production

Juniper is written and directed by Matthew J. Saville, in his directorial debut feature film.

It was produced by Desray Armstrong and Angela Littlejohn.[4]

The name derives from juniper berries, a key ingredient in gin, to which Ruth is addicted and drinks by the jugful every day.[5]

Release

Juniper screened in many film festivals:[4]

2021
2022

It was released in cinemas in New Zealand on 28 October 2021,[2] and in Australia in August 2022,[3] distributed by Transmission Films.[4]

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 92% of 50 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Juniper's story offers few surprises -- and it doesn't need any, with Charlotte Rampling holding the viewer rapt from start to finish".[6] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[7]

The Hollywood Reporter praised its writing in the dialogue between Sam and Ruth.[8] Australian Financial Review wrote "New Zealand films are known for their expansive feeling for landscape, and Juniper is no exception", and "Rampling is predictably good as the tough, intelligent, old woman, but Ferrier, on debut is excellent in the role of a teenage boy struggling towards a hard-won maturity".[9] The ABC's Jason Di Rosso said that Rampling's role was slightly reminiscent of her role in Swimming Pool (2003) and "Saville succeeds in creating an emotional authenticity to Ruth and Sam's difficult relationship...".[3] FilmInk wrote "...the real star here is Rampling. She is subtly sensational, conveying complex emotions with a single glance.", and praised Saville's direction, done "with great compassion and insight".[5]

References
  1. "Juniper (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  2. Tuckett, Graeme (22 October 2021). "Juniper: Charlotte Rampling shines, but Kiwi drama has other great qualities too". Stuff. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. Di Rosso, Jason (3 August 2022). "Juniper benefits from Charlotte Rampling's layered performance as a grandmother grappling with mortality". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  4. "Juniper". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. "Juniper". FilmInk. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  6. "Juniper". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  7. "Juniper". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  8. Farber, Stephen (21 March 2022). "'Juniper': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  9. McDonald, John (5 August 2022). "Movie reviews: Full Time (2022) and Juniper (2022) are two films with strong female leads". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
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