Rocks (film)

Rocks is a British coming-of-age drama film, directed by Sarah Gavron and released in 2019.[2] The film stars Bukky Bakray as Olushola, nicknamed "Rocks", a Black British teenage girl in London whose troubled single mother abandons her and her younger brother Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu), forcing them to fend for themselves and try to avoid being taken into care by the authorities, with the help of loyal friend Sumaya (Kosar Ali) and others.[3]

Rocks
Film poster
Directed bySarah Gavron
Produced byAmeenah Ayub Allen
Faye Ward
Written byTheresa Ikoko
Claire Wilson
Starring
  • Bukky Bakray
  • Kosar Ali
  • D’angelou Osei Kissiedu
  • Shaneigha-Monik Greyson
  • Ruby Stokes
  • Tawheda Begum
  • Afi Okaidja
  • Anastasia Dymitrow
Music byEmilie Levienaise-Farrouch
CinematographyHélène Louvart
Edited byMaya Maffioli
Production
company
Release date
  • 5 September 2019 (2019-09-05) (Toronto)[1]
  • 18 September 2020 (2020-09-18)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Cast
  • Bukky Bakray as Olushola "Rocks" Omotoso
  • Kosar Ali as Sumaya
  • D’angelou Osei Kissiedu as Emmanuel Omotoso
  • Shaneigha-Monik Greyson as Roshé
  • Ruby Stokes as Agnes
  • Tawheda Begum as Khadijah
  • Afi Okaidja as Yawa
  • Anastasia Dymitrow as Sabina
  • Sarah Niles as Ms. Booker
  • Layo-Christina Akinlude as Funke Omotoso
  • Sharon D. Clarke as Anita
  • Joanna Brookes as Geraldine
  • Angelica Nicole Cabutotan as Angela
  • Kaine Zajaz as Mo
  • Brie-Morgan Appleton as Natasha
  • Ashley Merino Bastidas as Micaela
  • Mohammad Amiri as Mohammed
  • Islah Abdur-Rahman as Ismail
  • Shola Adewusi as Grandmother Omotoso (voice)

Release

The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival in the Platform Prize program.[4]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Rocks holds an approval rating of 98% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 8.73/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "A fresh, funny coming-of-age story rooted in realistic characters and anchored with a meaningful message, Rocks is as solid as its title suggests."[5]

The film was very well received by critics, particularly commending the performances of the young cast. The Guardian called it 'a gem of a movie' and gave it five stars, praising the film's poignancy and tragedy, and stating, 'society will probably not find a way to tap this resource. When the class is taught about Picasso and cubism and they make spoof Picasso cut-out images of people’s faces cut from magazines, it is a funny moment, but serious too, because there is a real sense of potential. This film is such a rush of vitality. It rocks.'.[6] The Telegraph also praised the film, awarding five stars.[7] The Independent gave it four stars, saying, 'Rocks is a heartfelt testament to the resilience of teenage girls.'[8]

References
  1. "Toronto: Sarah Gavron's 'Rocks' To Open Platform Sidebar, Pietro Marcello's 'Martin Eden' To Close As Festival Unveils Lineup". 7 August 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  2. Stewart Clarke, "First Look at Sarah Gavron’s Toronto-Bound ‘Rocks’". Variety, 4 September 2019.
  3. Wendy Ide, "'Rocks': Toronto Review". Screen Daily, 5 September 2019.
  4. Jeremy Kay, "Sarah Gavron's 'Rocks' to open TIFF Platform". Screen Daily, 7 August 2019.
  5. Rocks (2020), retrieved 27 October 2020
  6. Bradshaw, Peter (13 September 2019). "Rocks review – high school drama is an energetic five-star triumph" – via www.theguardian.com.
  7. Collin, Robbie (11 October 2019). "Rocks review: a wildly charming celebration of teen potential" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  8. "Rocks is the most authentic film about British teens in years – review". The Independent. 17 September 2020.


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