‘My Feral Heart’ warms the soul
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A young man wakes up, shaves, prepares breakfast and lovingly draws a smiley on a boiled egg before presenting it to his mother on a tray. This makes for a compelling image — the man is Luke, an adult with Down syndrome whose life is all about taking care of his mother and going about his day like anyone else.
In “My Feral Heart,” director Jane Gull beautifully presents the “normalization” of life for the protagonist, whose Down syndrome is just a fact of life and does not prevent him from being useful.
Luke’s straightforward life takes a turn when his mom dies, and he ends up in a home for people with disabilities. Ms. Gull subtly shows the inherent prejudice of a system when Luke is packed off to a home despite evidence of him being independent.
This is where Luke, deftly played by Steven Brandon, faces some real challenges.
Mr. Brandon, an actor with Down syndrome, ably captures the feeling of loss, confusion, guilt and rage as Luke grapples with his change in role from a caregiver to one who is taken care of.
At first petulant, Luke eventually warms up to his caregiver, Eve (Shana Swash), and makes friends with Pete (Will Rastall), a youth doing community time, until he stumbles on a “feral” girl caught in a fox trap.
This is where the movie becomes confusing. There is not much back story for the “feral” girl (Pixie Le Knot). There is a suspenseful quality to the interaction between Luke and the feral girl, as you expect something to happen — a la “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” — where a “strange” friendship is eventually discovered by the bad world.
It is not clear what the “feral” girl’s purpose is in the film, other than thrusting Luke again into the role of a caregiver. The ease with which Luke manages to befriend the girl also seems a bit unnatural. As you begin to wonder where exactly the story is heading, the credits begin to roll.
The film seems to end abruptly and has some loose ends and a few unanswered questions. It is not a nice feeling when you are absorbed in a story and suddenly the television conks off. That’s what you are left with after watching “My Feral Heart.”
Mr. Brandon gives a fine performance, although the plot was a bit too thin. However, both Ms. Gull and Mr. Brandon deserve credit for the way they lull viewers into forgetting Luke’s condition.