Tale of true grit
POsei Kissiedu) will get taken into care if word gets out about her mother’s exit, Rocks keeps her disappearance secret. But as the risk of being found out grows, the pair leave home and hide out with friends around the city in the hope life will return to normal. Soon Rocks’ solid friendship group begins to fracture, culminating in a showdown with best friend Sumaya (Kosar Ali).
Meanwhile, a new arrival at school results in fresh friendships being formed as Rocks’ old ones fall by the wayside.
With hints of Céline Sciamma’s award- winning French drama Girlhood (2014), Rocks is a joyous exploration of female teenage friendships.
It refuses to succumb to a pessimistic world view, opting instead for a genuinely heartening coming-of-age exploration of love, loss and everything in between.
Screen newcomers Bakray and Ali are both fantastic, with highly credible and capable performances.
As Rocks, Bakray in particular – who incidentally is in almost every scene – navigates the plot with impressive maturity, and captures the full variety of the moods of adolescence.
Rocks is an impressive movie and Gavron’s finest film yet.
Packed with beautifully shot moments both of euphoria and heartbreaking sadness, it deliberately shuns clichés and stereotypes in its narrative.
The result is a strong, celebratory portrayal of contemporary British girlhood.
Worried her brother will go into care, Rocks keeps her mother’s exit secret