A man awakens from a coma and believes that the world he lost consciousness in is not the one in which he now inhabits. Three young, exploitative documentary filmmakers follow him down a surreal path of confusion, heartache and uncertainty in an attempt to rediscover this enigmatic man’s identity.
Shot in London and utilising the found footage format, writer/director Ed Christmas layers his amnesiac mystery with a dark, British humour, visual poetry and a creeping sense of dread as the once-intangible truths gain form in the final reel. This is (in part) a thriller that takes its cues from Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Following but with a melancholic, bittersweet tone similar in some ways to Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It may retain these elements, sadly the film overreaches with its mystery and the revelations turn out to be a bit of a let down.
Simon Dobson’s performance as the confused amnesiac/ insomniac James brings emotional core to the story. From wistfulness to rambling incoherence, his character suffers a profound loss and clutches upon moments of clarity as memories and moments fold in on each other. It is extremely difficult to discuss characters, motivations and specific elements of this film without spoiling something but I will say, Dobson makes for an impactful presence.
Richard Southgate, Daniel Ormerod and Terry Sweeney play the aspiring filmmakers (Angus, Tom and Ethan) with varying degrees of youthful awfulness. You have the domineering, alpha documentarian, his close friend the editor, and the quiet loner who owns the equipment. The majority of the humour comes from the rambunctiousness of the director and the editor. Laddish ribbing and immature conversations help flesh out these youths and isolate Ethan, making for an engaging dynamic in spite of how terrible these characters are as people.
Overall, the premise is intriguing, the performances are solid and the use of the found footage format doesn’t seem gimmicky or shoehorned in. Sadly, the weight of expectation as this competently constructed mystery is resolved forces the film’s conclusion into an unsatisfying place. There’s so much to get caught up in and so many places this story could’ve gone it felt like a shame when finally blindsided with the reveal.
In spite of this, The Man With Four Legs is worth checking out. I for one am eager to see what Ed Christmas creates next.
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