The mental, emotional and physical destruction that can come from one’s addiction is at the core of He Ain’t Heavy, David Vincent Smith‘s confronting, oft-harrowing drama that surpasses the intimacy of its setting and miniature ensemble with its brutal mindset.
An expansion of his short film I’m Not Hurting You, He Ain’t Heavy very much plays into the infamous lyrics of The Hollies’ 1969 song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by setting its focus on Jade (Leila George) and the turmoil she’s battling as her brother, Max (Sam Corlett, absolute powerhouse), spirals out of control with his own addiction, one that has pushed her to breaking point.
As we learn through predominant conversations as to the history of Max’s ruinous behaviour, Jade has taken it very much upon herself to act as both his protector and his persecutor, but there’s a desperation to her latest attempt that we sense will be her final one. Putting her plan into action is one thing – it involves essentially jailing Max in an empty room with only essential resources (food, bathroom etc) – but executing it and taking into account the particulars is another.
There’s also the unintentional burden of their mother, Bev (Greta Scacchi), a well-meaning, overly emotional woman who Jade has seen firsthand coddle Max to his detriment. Bev has mistaken being kind to her troubled son as a source of helping him, and as outraged as she is as to what Jade has done, she eventually sees the good in such actions as we can garner the years of Max’s exploits have beaten her down considerably.
Whilst there is a certain theatricality that can come with films about addiction, the ‘showiness’ of Corlett’s role is never undone by any false notes. This is a full-bodied performance, and as much as his Max acts out in manners that frustrate and shock the viewers, we are never not on his side in wanting his road to recovery to be a successful one. There’s a beauty to his oft-monstrous behaviour, and through Corlett’s stunning turn we can see the child-like innocence that still rests underneath his more prominent aggression.
The familial bond he shares with George and Scacchi on screen feels authentic too, and whilst the natural rapport between the women also comes down to their real-life relationship as mother and daughter, the three of them express a loving, troubled dynamic that occasionally borders on a documentative temperament. We believe every character action we see on screen.
Though there are the occasional moments that bend validity, and in such a nightmarish narrative, moments of levity are missed, He Ain’t Heavy can’t be faulted as a performative piece. It’s a dark experience that could trigger those that have battled addiction, or know those who have, but the ultimate peace the story commits to makes the journey worth the gloomy trek.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
He Ain’t Heavy is now screening in select Australian theatres.
