The first film in
The Five Frequencies saga,
Harmony will be in cinemas Thursday October 4.
Harmony (Jessica Falkholt) is one of five orphans, all born on the same day. Each is governed by a universal power: balance, attraction, nature, soul evolution/ wisdom, and unconditional love. Harmony's purpose is to bring balance to a world plagued by fear and destruction.
As a super-empath, Harmony absorbs fear from others. This is not one of those superpowers that you leave the cinema thinking, "
if only I could...". No, this one is pretty much a burden - as Harmony absorbs others fear she also absorbs their suffering. Suffering which must be washed away by the element of water.
Falkholt, known for her role as Hope Morrison in
Home and Away, who tragically died in a car crash earlier this year, delivered an outstanding performance. She captured a strong woman, burdened by a super large mantle and struggling to do her best in a world filled with chaos.
As you can image, as an orphan plagued by the fears of others, Harmony faces ever-present danger. Living on the streets, she faces all the dangers of the night. Most presently, Harmony is haunted by the very nasty Jimmy (Eamon Farren), who thrives on fear. Farren is the perfect villain - with an alarming subtlety he delivered a character void of empathy who derives pleasure from others pain.
In addition to the street dangers, Harmony could die if she is exposed to too much fear at once - she must continually check out and wash away the fear she has absorbed; this leaves her totally vulnerable.
When Harmony meets Mason (Jerome Meyer) she feels a peace she hasn't experienced before. They fall in love, but their connection goes well beyond the romantic sphere. Mason is a difficult character to play, awkward and not able to effectively express or control his emotions. Meyer, also introduced to us in
Home and Away, managed this character effectively, however at times, editing was his enemy - some moments were a little too awkward.
Australian writer/director Corey Pearson, who previously brought us
Message Man, has delivered an interesting film that speaks to concerns we all hold for the state of humanity. As the first film of five,
Harmony is full of promise. However, by necessity, it is loaded with backstory and at some level, this detracts from Harmony's story. Telling a story in its own right, without the need to set up a future film, always allow for more character development and ultimately connection with the audience.
None the less this is an Australian film worth seeing. With a strong female lead and exploration of purpose and power,
Harmony would hold particular appeal for young women/teens.
