The Loved Ones (2009) - Pain Is Love

Love makes you invincible. Rejection turns you invisible. When we explore intimacy in our pubescent years, there's an unspoken awkwardness that takes over our bodies and ultimately decides our fate. Sometimes we overcome that uncomfortableness and venture into those feelings that open our emotions and vulnerabilities. But when those feelings are never reciprocated, disappointment can manifest as anger and skew our perceptions of the world.

After a traumatic experience, while driving with his father, Brent creates a figurative barrier around him to keep the broader world at a distance. Aside from his girlfriend and one close school friend, Brent is content avoiding others. So when he rejects shy girl Lola's request to the dance, he's totally unaware of the significance this moment has in her life.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and nobodies more distressed than a horny teenager. Robin McLeavy plays Lola Stone with such duplicity and angst it's not hard to see why her career shot off. We see her embody the character in the most profound way. But for all her unruly behaviour, there's an almost palpable sense that Lola is, in at least her own mind, earnestly trying to improve her odds of finding the man of her dreams. How she wants to get there is another story, but that's all Lola seeks deep down, she just never lets herself reach that ultimate goal.

While Xavier Samuel, who plays Brent Mitchell, isn't given the same range to perform as McLeavy, it's not for naught. In fact, it's the deep loneliness he conveys that drives Brent in circles. He's not quite stuck in park as he still shares moments with his friend Jamie and engages in sex with his girlfriend Holly; it's more like he's sitting in neutral.

There are some great practical visual and sound effects in the film and the main music track is used well, to spice up the humour. But I can't help in feeling there's a missed opportunity here. It's obvious everything we see is supposed to be on the nose, but a lack of character development really hurts this from being memorable beyond the climaxes.

Look...love hurts - especially when you've been stabbed in the heart. And while you may not fall head over heels for The Loved Ones, there's no denying the picture has moments that'll stay stuck in your head for a while.