It received generally positive reviews, with praise going towards Saville's direction and the performances of Rampling and George Ferrier.
Plot
Set in rural New Zealand in the 1990s, the film tells the story of the developing relationship of the adolescent Sam and his acerbic and alcoholic grandmother with an unconventional past, whom he has not met before.[2][3]
It was released in cinemas in New Zealand on 28 October 2021,[2] and in Australia in August 2022,[3] distributed by Transmission Films.[4]
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes reports that 92% of 50 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Juniper's story offers few surprises -- and it doesn't need any, with Charlotte Rampling holding the viewer rapt from start to finish".[6]Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]
The Hollywood Reporter praised its writing in the dialogue between Sam and Ruth.[8]Australian Financial Review wrote "New Zealand films are known for their expansive feeling for landscape, and Juniper is no exception", and "Rampling is predictably good as the tough, intelligent, old woman, but Ferrier, on debut is excellent in the role of a teenage boy struggling towards a hard-won maturity".[9] The ABC's Jason Di Rosso said that Rampling's role was slightly reminiscent of her role in Swimming Pool (2003) and "Saville succeeds in creating an emotional authenticity to Ruth and Sam's difficult relationship...".[3]FilmInk wrote "...the real star here is Rampling. She is subtly sensational, conveying complex emotions with a single glance.", and praised Saville's direction, done "with great compassion and insight".[5]