Harry007 Powerful Australian Drama that shows a true side to the disadvantaged living in Modern Australia.I love a movie that hits close to home and this feature has it all. The directing is first class and the acting in supreme putting this movie in the unique class of "a must see". The viewing is compelling and the ending is emotional. The cast was fantastic and the emotion showed by Frances O'Connor was delivered to perfection. Her chilling scream after the lost of her children was bone chilling and she was well supported by her on screen offspring.If you wondered how many Australian's truly live then I recommend this gem as an accurate account of modern culture alive in Melbourne.

David Atfield Ana Kokkinos' Blessed is a heartbreaking tale of the love between mothers and their children, and is one of the finest achievements of Australian cinema. The flawless screenplay follows a number of characters through a single day, deftly telling their stories from different points of view until we develop a full understanding of the day's events. Geoff Burton's stunning cinematography focuses on unexpected things – a pattern on a wall, a flash of fabric – and then moves in close to the characters, creating a rich visual texture. The music of Cezary Skubiszewski is one of the finest movie scores of recent years, gently enhancing the drama and the brilliant performances of the actors. The entire cast is superb, but I must make special mention of Frances O'Connor, who gives the performance of her life, and the splendid Monica Maughan, whose brief appearance in the film is truly unforgettable. Blessed represents a triumphant return to form for Kokkinos, after the disappointing Book of Revelation, proving that the astonishing Head On was no fluke. Her uncompromising, insightful, deeply humanist eye makes her one of the most exciting directors working today. Blessed is a deeply moving film that you will never forget, and deserves to be showered with awards.

brimon28 This ageing reviewer usually flies straight into print after seeing a film, but Blessed provoked thought and discussion. Kokkinos has made a reverential tribute to Akira Kurosawa, who half-a-century ago made Rashomon. Maybe Kurosawa was not the first to use the dramatic overlays and interlinks of groups of people to puzzle and then mystify the audience. But he surely perfected it, and Kokkinos applies the technique to effect. Some might see a resemblance to the various versions of La Ronde, and we do expect to see the characters meet towards the finish. The characters are admirably rendered by a great cast, and I think the casting agent deserves credit for persuading such top performers to appear in such a difficult play. It is difficult to pick out any one as outstanding, but Otto's scream was electrifying. Does anyone remember the screams in Rashomon?

gregking4 Anna Kokkinos' films have always been provocative and confronting. Her latest, Blessed, is no exception. Like her previous films it deals with some big and important themes like adolescent angst, teens struggling with their own sexuality, trying to find their sense of identity. But here Kokkinos and regular co-writer Andrew Bovell have tackled more ambitious themes as well. Blessed looks at the relationship between mothers and their children, and the physical and psychological damage they unwittingly inflict on their offspring through neglect, indifference, selfishness, or because they are too absorbed in their own world and its problems. Blessed follows five different stories and characters from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds in a non-linear structure that jumps between the various strands. We first see the kids' point of view and then we follow events from the mothers' perspective. Not all of the stories will have a happy ending. Kokkinos has assembled a strong cast, including Deborra-Lee Furness, William McInnes, and Miranda Otto, while Frances O'Connor is heart wrenchingly good. The young cast also acquit themselves well. Cezary Skubiszewik's haunting and sublime score heightens the emotional punch.