Author: BRWC

LFF 2017: 20 Must See Films

By Orla Smith.

The 2017 London Film Festival will run from October 4th to October 15th, showcasing a range of approximately 250 exciting new films ― many of which will figure in the upcoming awards season. Tickets are now on sale, and so in honour of this year’s fest we have picked out 20 must-see titles on the programme.

You can find the full programme here.

Battle of the Sexes

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AWP1K7FaFI

DIRECTOR: Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton

STARRING: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Elisabeth Shue, Alan Cumming

SYNOPSIS: The true story of the 1973 tennis match between world number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

UK RELEASE DATE: 24th November

Find out more here

Call Me By Your Name

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAYeaXFb9w4

DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino

STARRING: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg

SYNOPSIS: A seventeen year old boy is enamoured by an American student who comes to study and live with his family in Italy. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will change them forever.

UK RELEASE DATE: 27th October

Find out more here

Ex Libris – The New York Public Library

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzKrlOFZBD8

DIRECTOR: Frederick Wiseman

SYNOPSIS: A documentary look within the walls of the New York Public Library.

UK RELEASE DATE: None

Find out more here

Faces, Places

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmHG5HXYc9w

DIRECTOR: Agnès Varda & J.R.

SYNOPSIS: Director Agnès Varda and photographer/muralist J.R. journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.

UK RELEASE DATE: None

Find out more here

A Fantastic Woman

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJHex4ZitgA

DIRECTOR: Sebastián Lelio

STARRING: Daniela Vega

SYNOPSIS: Marina, a waitress who moonlights as a nightclub singer, is bowled over by the death of her older boyfriend.

UK RELEASE DATE: 2nd March 2018

Find out more here

The Florida Project

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwQ-NH1rRT4

DIRECTOR: Sean Baker

STARRING: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Caleb Landry Jones, Macon Blair

SYNOPSIS: Over one summer, a precocious 6-year-old Moonee courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates ― all while living in the shadows of Disney World.

UK RELEASE DATE: 10th November

Find out more here

I Am Not a Witch

I Am Not a Witch

DIRECTOR: Rungano Nyoni

STARRING: Maggie Mulubwa

SYNOPSIS: In a Zambian village, a small, silent girl is accused of being a witch. Her choice: join a travelling witch camp or become a goat.

UK RELEASE DATE: 20th October

Find out more here

Jeune Femme

Jeune Femme

DIRECTOR: Léonor Serraille

STARRING: Laetitia Dosch

SYNOPSIS: Broke, and with nothing but her cat, Paula is back in Paris after a long absence. She is determined to make a fresh start.

UK RELEASE DATE: 18th May 2018

Find out more here

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFdGfwChtw

DIRECTOR: Yorgos Lanthimos

STARRING: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Alicia Silverstone, Raffey Cassidy

SYNOPSIS: When the behaviour of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister, Steven ― a charismatic surgeon ― is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice.

UK RELEASE DATE: 3rd November

Find out more here

Lean On Pete

Lean on Pete

DIRECTOR: Andrew Haigh

STARRING: Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Travis Fimmel, Chloë Sevigny, Thomas Mann, Steve Zahn, Amy Seimetz

SYNOPSIS: A homeless fifteen-year-old boy befriends a racehorse named Lean on Pete.

UK RELEASE DATE: 16th February 2018

Find out more here

Let the Sunshine In

Let the Sunshine In

DIRECTOR: Claire Denis

STARRING: Juliette Binoche, Gérard Depardieu, Xavier Beauvois

SYNOPSIS: Isabelle ― a Parisian artist and divorced mother ― looks for true love.

UK RELEASE DATE: 20th April 2018

Find out more here

Mudbound

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPRj3egUHb8

DIRECTOR: Dee Rees

STARRING: Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks

SYNOPSIS: Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.

UK RELEASE DATE: 17th November

Find out more here

120 BPM (Beats Per Minute)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fhO2A4SL24

DIRECTOR: Robin Campillo

STARRING: Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, Adèle Haenel

SYNOPSIS: An account of AIDS activist group ACT UP-Paris in the 1990s.

UK RELEASE DATE: 6th April 2018

Find out more here

Professor Marston & the Wonder Women

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=r991pr4Fohk

DIRECTOR: Angela Robinson

STARRING: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, Connie Britton, Oliver Platt

SYNOPSIS: The true story of William Moulton Marston and the polyamorous relationship that inspired the creation of his comic book character Wonder Woman.

UK RELEASE DATE: 10th November

Find out more here

The Rider

The Rider

DIRECTOR: Chloé Zhao

STARRING: Brady Jandreau

SYNOPSIS: After suffering a near fatal head injury, a young cowboy undertakes a search for new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of America.

UK RELEASE DATE: None

Find out more here

The Shape of Water

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYWazblaUA

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro

STARRING: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Doug Jones

SYNOPSIS: Against the backdrop of Cold War era America, a lonely, mute worker falls in love with a strange creature.

UK RELEASE DATE: 16th February 2018

Find out more here

Thelma

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgQMHG9SGlU

DIRECTOR: Joachim Trier

STARRING: Eili Harboe, Okay Kaya

SYNOPSIS: A woman begins to fall in love, only to discover that she has fantastic powers.

UK RELEASE DATE: 3rd November

Find out more here

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jit3YhGx5pU

DIRECTOR: Martin McDonagh

STARRING: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Peter Dinklage, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes

SYNOPSIS: When they fail to catch the culprit, a mother personally challenges the authorities to solve her daughter’s murder.

UK RELEASE DATE: 12th January 2018

Find out more here

Wonderstruck

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDaSo8q7F64

DIRECTOR: Todd Haynes

STARRING: Millicent Simmonds, Oakes Fegley, Jaden Michael, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Tom Noonan

SYNOPSIS: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years before, as they both seek the same mysterious connection.

UK RELEASE DATE: None

Find out more here

You Were Never Really Here

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1APnf3Y_W8

DIRECTOR: Lynne Ramsay

STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov

SYNOPSIS: A missing teenage girl. A brutal and tormented enforcer on a rescue mission. Corrupt power and vengeance unleash a storm of violence that may lead to his awakening.

UK RELEASE DATE: None

Find out more here

17th September 2017
Darren Aronofsky: A Retrospective

Orla Smith.

Darren Aronofsky’s mother! hits UK cinemas this week, and no other film this year has provoked such a volatile reaction.

Glance briefly at the review headlines, and you’ll find proclamations that it’s the best movie of the year… and by far the worst. You could argue that Aronofsky’s movies only serve the purpose of shocking us ― whether he realises it or not. mother! in particular ran a self-satisfied marketing campaign that was determined to convince us it would be the craziest movie of the year: posters that wore their influences on their sleeves, scavenger hunts around various American cities, and bleeding hearts made of cake sent to unsuspecting film critics in the mail.

You can feel Aronofsky’s presence in every frame of his films, which is often not a good thing.

I can admire his verve, and I even like a select few of his films, but the sound of him patting himself on the back loudly echoes throughout everything he does. There are many egotistical directors who put their characters, actors and audiences through hell in the name of their ‘art’, but it’s (worryingly) easy to forgive their behaviour when that art is good. Unfortunately, in the case of Aronofsky, it usually isn’t. Most of his film’s thesis’ can be reduced to a simple sentence. He forgets to deepen his metaphors, distracted by the flash of high contrast lighting and thudding musical scores. As a result, most of his films are excruciatingly boring.

But not all of them. It’s impossible to dismiss him entirely, no matter how much I might like to, as among his seven features there’s a demonstration of strong craft that, every now and again, connects with his intentions. I’ve ranked all of his films, with the top two spots reserved for the only two films that begrudgingly force me to say: ‘Aronofsky, you can stay. For now’.

7. Pi (1998)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0SC582sJvE

Aronofsky’s black and white, micro-budget debut Pi begins with its protagonist Max spouting vaguely metaphorical and #deep ramblings over voiceover. It gets worse and worse from there.

Pi is a film that asks us to be compelled by the plight of a special, genius guy who’s really obsessed with the number three-and-a-bit. It’s an excruciating watch; I felt as though Aronofsky was sitting beside me, incessantly asking if I was impressed yet. No, Darren. No, I’m not.

6. The Fountain (2006)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAuxryJ6pv8

The Fountain has been reclaimed by many as a masterpiece since it’s lukewarm-to-poor reception upon release. I’m here to present a counterpoint: maybe it was bad to start with, and it’s still bad. Very bad.

Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz lead this expansive story that stretches across three different timelines. It’s admirable that Aronofsky tries to capture so much of the universe in one sweepingly emotional package, but he falls flat on his face at every turn. He fails to do what a recent film like A Ghost Story does in spectacular fashion: tell a love story that traverses decades and all logical perceptions of time. Instead, The Fountain is one of the only Aronofsky films that fails at both concept and craft.

5. Noah (2014)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmj5mhDwJQ

Given how crazy Noah sounds ― the story of Noah’s ark, but with added rock monsters, re-inserted incestual implications, Noah as the stealth villain and Ray Winstone doing… something ― it’s amazing how bland and generic it manages to feel. The first two thirds are indistinguishable from any Hollywood blockbuster, in no small part because of one of Clint Mansell’s worst scores.

What almost saves the film is its third act, in which it becomes a chamber piece and Noah (Russell Crowe) turns into his family’s antagonist. His adopted daughter Ila (Emma Watson) is pregnant, and Noah decrees that he will kill the child if it is a girl ― in order to ensure that the human race will end with their family. That familial tension is compelling enough, although ruined by Winstone’s insistence at re-appearing to add ‘conflict’. It’s yet another example of Aronofsky not being able to tell his good ideas from his bad ones.

4. The Wrestler (2008)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0

I’ll give Aronofsky this: he’s good at endings. The final five minutes of The Wrestler are also the only compelling five minutes of The Wrestler. It’s a bafflingly simple character study that explores the life of a former champ (Mickey Rourke) who’s now older, forgotten and has been forced to quit the sport due to health reasons.

Rourke is solid, but his character is written with zero complexity. Everything we know about him is told to us in the opening scenes, and never deepened from there. Maryse Alberti’s cinematography is strong, and she used her acclaim here to get a job on Creed, a far more compassionate film about men in the ring. The Wrestler is Aronofsky’s most low-key character study, and it pretends to understand how humans work ― yet the conclusion it comes to is that the only noble choice is self-destruction.

3. Black Swan (2010)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=coVi98u5RL0

Black Swan thinks it’s so smart. It would be unfair to say that the film isn’t about anything. The problem is, it’s about so little. The themes of Black Swan can be reduced to three words: ‘it’s about obsession’. There’s no nuance beyond that. The style is often ravishing, but the only instance when it is truly visceral ― connecting to the character’s experiences in a rousing way ― is the final dance transformation.

Aronofsky’s view of women in his films is often patronisingly sexist. That has never been more evident than in Black Swan. Natalie Portman’s Nina is essentially a child in a woman’s body: she speaks with a high voice, blushes at the thought of sex, and lives with a mother who coddles her and decorates her room in all pink. Portman does what is asked of her with grace and skill, but ‘what is asked of her’ is hardly anything at all. Aronofsky writes Nina as a caricature. The way she acts is completely divorced from reality, even before she goes insane.

2. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD_0v1snGVo

Requiem for a Dream is probably Aronofsky’s least subtle movie, but while in other cases that is a problem, in Requiem the lack of subtlety is not at odds with what he is trying to accomplish. It’s a writhing cesspool of sweat, dirt, grime, saliva and spit, and it’s absolutely repulsive. If repulsion is all that Aronofsky was going for (and I think it was), he’s succeeded tenfold.

Essentially ‘don’t do drugs, kids’, the movie, Requiem for a Dream follows the stories of four people (Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans) as their lives gradually (and then not so gradually) descend into the gutter. The film doesn’t let up, and threads all its plotlines together seamlessly. A regular use of split-screen ― and scenes in which it feels as though he’s attached a camera rig to his actors’ chins ― means the film is visually abrasive and almost an abusive viewing experience. It’s intensely ugly to look at and to listen to, but all these things are unabashedly intentional. Aronofsky’s desire to shock can be powerful when it works. Many will sneer at the value of movies that exist to shock ― but it’s better than feeling nothing at all.

1. mother! (2017)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3VhpO0l7qw

mother! is the only Darren Aronofsky movie that I would call fascinating. Most of his films have too few ideas, but this one has too many. It’s just as exciting to pick apart the bits of it that don’t work as it is to revel in the bits that do. I still don’t know how I feel about the film ― whether I love it, or whether it disgusts me ― but it does what an Aronofsky movie should do: it takes you down the rabbit hole.

Jennifer Lawrence gives a career best performance as an unnamed character credited only as ‘mother’. We remain attached to her face throughout the film, and without Lawrence’s ability to carry an audience with her the film wouldn’t work at all.

mother! is a film in which everything that could possibly happen happens. Some are claiming that it has nothing to say, and while I’m tempted to dismiss Aronofsky, I find that claim unfair. mother! is saying a lot (arguably too much), and some of it rings painfully true. Some of it is harmful, misogynistic and disgusting. Some of that rings true. It’s immensely pleased with itself and not as clever as it thinks it is… but it’s not stupid either. Above all, it’s gleefully entertaining and wickedly funny. I liked it, and I felt very bad for liking it ― and that’s what an Aronofsky film should do.

17th September 2017
Raindance 2017: 10 Must See Films

Orla Smith.

In anticipation of the 25th Raindance Film Festival – taking place from September 20th to October 1st in London – we spotlight ten of the most interesting films on this year’s programme.

Barrage

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENJUiV378Aw

DIRECTOR: Laura Schroeder

COUNTRY: Luxembourg, Belgium, France

STRANDS: Narrative, Europe

SYNOPSIS: Catherine (Lolita Chammah), a young mother struggling with substance abuse, is determined to rekindle her relationship with her estranged daughter, Alba, who has been in the care of Catherine’s strict and at times overbearing mother Elisabeth (Chammah’s real-life mother, Isabelle Huppert) since she was two years old.

Find out more here

Boys for Sale

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-D97Ip_tjE

DIRECTOR: Itako

COUNTRY: Japan

STRANDS: Documentaries, LGBT

SYNOPSIS: In Tokyo’s Shinjuku district are bars specialising in “Urisen” – young guys who have sex with men. Featuring candid interviews interspersed with animation detailed the awkward, unnerving, and sometimes funny situations these sex workers experience, the boys for sale boldly tell their stories of life in the Tokyo underground.

Find out more here

I Still Hide to Smoke

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jMDVhyfQyA

DIRECTOR: Rayhana

COUNTRY: France, Greece, Algeria

STRANDS: Narrative, Discovery

SYNOPSIS: In the heart of the hammam ― far from the accusing gaze of men, mothers, lovers, virgins and Islamic fanatics ― butts and burqas mingle and mix, confront one another with laughter, tears, rage, the Bible and the Koran… before the flash of a dagger and the silence of God.

Find out more here

The Joneses

DIRECTOR: Moby Longinotto

COUNTRY: UK, USA, Australia

STRANDS: Documentaries, LGBT

SYNOPSIS: The story of Jheri Jones, a 74-year-old transgender divorcee, and her family in ‘bible belt’ Mississippi. Reconciled after years of estrangement, and now living with two sons in her trailer park home, Jheri embarks on a journey to reveal herself to her grandchildren, while son Trevor begins a journey of his own.

Find out more here

Noble Earth

DIRECTOR: Ursula Grisham

COUNTRY: USA

STRANDS: Narrative, The Americas

SYNOPSIS: After getting fired from her job in New York, Emma travels to Florence to think her life through. During her stay, she meets Tancredi, and Italian nobleman. Their romance quickly progresses and soon she is treated as a fully-fledged member of his family. At first, Emma is enchanted by the handsome Italian, but soon she sees the true nature of his elitist, bourgeoisie kin. Her role is strictly imposed, but will she break ranks?

Find out more here

Oh Lucy!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufhs0pagQt8

DIRECTOR: Atsuko Hirayanagi

COUNTRY: Japan

STRANDS: Narrative, Opening Night Gala

SYNOPSIS: Setsuko is seemingly stuck with her life in Tokyo until she is convinced by her nice, Mika, to enrol in an unorthodox English class that requires her to wear a blonde wig and take on an American persona named ‘Lucy’. The new identity awakens something dormant in Setsuko, and she quickly falls for her American instructor, John (Josh Hartnett).

Find out more here

The Receptionist

DIRECTOR: Jenny Lu

COUNTRY: UK, Taiwan

STRANDS: Narrative, United Kingdom

SYNOPSIS: An illegal massage parlour in London is seen through the eyes of a Taiwanese graduate employed there as a receptionist.

Find out more here

Siblings

DIRECTOR: Laura Plancarte

COUNTRY: US, Mexico

STRANDS: Documentaries

SYNOPSIS: The film focuses on two parties: Vanessa, a single mother and Trump supporter living in California, and Chuy and Chato, two brothers who live in Mexico after their mother fled to the USA in the hope of finding her own dream.

Find out more here

Stuck

DIRECTOR: Michael Berry

COUNTRY: USA

STRANDS: Narrative, Closing Night Gala

SYNOPSIS: A modern musical film about six complete strangers who get stuck underground on a New York City subway. They are of different races, cultures and ages. The emotions of the trapped strangers fly as they reveal who they really are through song.

Find out more here

Transmania

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jjt5qV7Xh4

DIRECTOR: Various

COUNTRY: Croatia

STRANDS: Narrative, Europe

SYNOPSIS: One film, directed by 15 directors, each tasked with a 5 minute segment. Each director was only allowed to see the last minute of the segment previous to theirs.

Find out more here

16th September 2017
Movie Madness: 4 Reasons Why People Still Love Transformers

In 1984, Hasbro launched its popular Transformers toyline. The innovative action figures, which could switch back and forth between cars and weapons to cool figurines, were an immediate hit. Fast forward three decades and the Transformers phenomenon is still going strong.

To date, the franchise has included the rollout of a comic book and television series as well as a number of Transformers movies, including Transformers: The Last Knight, which was released in June 2017. As Business Insider notes, the fifth installment in the film series is filled with plenty of enjoyable and action-packed moments that might not always make sense — spoiler alert: Optimus Prime turns evil — along with a familiar save-the-world theme.

Whether you love the Transformers movies and merchandise — or could really care less about Optimus Prime and the rest of the gang — you’ve got to admit this popular brand continues to gain new fans all the time. To examine why, let’s check out the following reasons:

1. Fans Love the Cars

One of the best things about the Transformers series is the incredible machines on display, including the cars, helicopters and trucks that transform into robots. The visual effects teams who help create these movies are experts at twisting and turning hunks of metal into characters. While you likely can’t outfit your SUV or sedan to offer these same capabilities, you can still give your ride a cool Transformers-esque vibe.

For instance, the Transformers themselves can perform crazy stunts on any type of road and in any type of weather. With that in mind, you may want to purchase tires that feature a rough and rugged robot look. One great example includes the Falken Wildpeak tires available from a reputable retailer like TireBuyer.com. These Transformer-like tires, which can easily stand up to ice, rain and rough terrain, come in a variety of sizes to fit various types of vehicles.

2. The Bad Guys Rock

Villains are often the most interesting characters in TV shows and movies — and this is definitely the case with the Transformers franchise. As CBR notes, the Transformers movies have done a great job of introducing a number of terrific and compelling villains who are pretty difficult to conquer. From The Fallen, who tried to burn up the sun, and Megatron who cannot stay dead, the bad guys look amazing on the big screen, are super tough and provide audiences with plenty of tense moments.

3. The Supporting Cast is Incredible

The Transformers movies also feature some highly recognizable and accomplished actors. For instance, Jon Voight once appeared as the Secretary of Defense, while Frances McDormand played the director of national intelligence. Meantime, Patrick Dempsey and Kelsey Grammer have both appeared as human villains, and The Last Knight, the franchise’s latest installment, features none other than Sir Anthony Hopkins. Fans of these noted actors may very well purchase tickets to a Transformers movie just to see them flex their acting muscles with robotic bad guys.

4. Optimus Prime is the Bomb

Yes, the Transformers movies feature great actors. Yes, the rock-em-sock-em visual effects over the years have been awesome. But at the heart of the Transformers franchise is Optimus Prime, who stars as the main character of the series and has been featured in each film. The plots all focus on him, and when he’s on screen, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. In truth, fans can relate to the way Optimus Prime hasn’t always had it easy. Throughout the entirety of the franchise, he’s faced tough times and experienced some faltered confidence, but then rallies back stronger than ever before and is ready to take on the bad guys.

14th September 2017
Red – Short Film Review

By Last Caress.

Red begins early in the morning. So early, it’s really still late the previous night. A man awakes with a start, as if from a nightmare, seconds before his alarm sounds. He quickly readies himself and exits his spartan single-room apartment. Elsewhere, a couple stagger to their hotel room. The woman is having to prop her man up, and he collapses on the bed as soon as he arrives at it. Outside the hotel, the man from the spartan apartment looks up at the hotel room, takes a belt of liquor from a flask, and makes his way up there, hold-all in hand. What’s happening here?

Red

Well, the woman is Mia (Francesca Fowler), a prostitute with instructions to bring men up to this room, having plied them with spiked booze first. The unconscious gentleman on the bed is her latest client/victim. The man with the hold-all making his way up to the room is Niklas, a surgeon who listens to Beethoven while he removes the victim’s organs. Welcome to the “red” market, the illicit netherworld of illegal organ harvesting. Niklas hates what he does and hates himself for doing it, but he’s in thrall to Ed (Dervla Kirwan), the terrifying red market kingpin who won’t release Niklas from the life in which he’s been ensnared. One night, Ed arrives with a job too far. Can Niklas go through with it? Can he refuse? Dare he refuse?

Red

The German-born Serbian star of Red, Branko Tomovic, has some small credits in some big productions such as The Bourne Ultimatum (Greengrass, 2007) and Fury (Ayer, 2014). He has a great Eastern-European face making him the sort of character actor coveted by such TV juggernauts as Showtime’s Homeland and Fox’s 24. Indeed, Mr. Tomovic has enjoyed a small role in the former but it is from the latter where folk may well recognise him, from his time spent on the excellent 24: Live Another Day (2014) as Belcheck, a Serbian contract killer and one of Jack Bauer’s few allies. Here, he gives a wonderfully spiky, edge-of-panic performance, imbuing his character with an overage of guilt married to a lack of rest. He is assisted magnificently in these endeavours by Francesca Fowler (who starred alongside Mr. Tomovic on Steve Stone’s feature Schism) as prostitute/lure Mia and by Dervla Kirwan, the Dubliner adopted as a national treasure in the UK for her many beloved TV roles (particularly the BBC smash hits of the 1990s Ballykissangel and Goodnight Sweetheart) who gives a short but startlingly vicious performance here as crime boss Ed, a truly horrific character.

Red

Red is also Mr. Tomovic’s directorial debut (as well as having co-written it with newcomer Paul D Clancy) so it’s a real tour de force from him, and he successfully injects as much tension from behind the camera as he projects in front of it.

Red

Red is not a happy tale, and whilst its hardly a gore-fest it’s not one for the particularly squeamish either. But it’s a taut and immersive twenty-minute ride and if that sounds as though it might appeal, you’ll be delighted to learn that Red is freely available for you to watch, below. Enjoy!

RED from Branko Tomovic on Vimeo.

11th September 2017