film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Rosalynn Try-Hane

  • SISTERS: Review

    SISTERS: Review

    Sisters is a documentary showing Afghanistan through the eyes of the most oppressed, the women and their very public and defiant act of playing music in Afghanistan’s first female orchestra, Zohra. This documentary came about when Dan Blackwell saw the orchestra perform on youtube and was moved to compose a piece of music for them to perform.

    Since the mid 1990s music in all but one form was banned by the Taliban. The only form not banned by them was musical chants. In 2017, Dan Blackwell went to Afghanistan in the hope of meeting the orchestra and getting to perform the piece he composed. From the start of the film, we are aware of the cost of seeking to make this film, death. Dan has to stay in safe houses and has a designated driver, there can be no mistakes. What this documentary does well is to balance the beautiful music against the harsh realities of life and the ever present danger that is never far away.

    There are two young women that the documentary focuses on, Negin is the first female conductor of the orchestra and at 20 years old is wiser and more stoic than many decades older than her. She is determined to make music and will not be cowed into giving it up. However, Zarifa a violist has decided to leave. It is easy to just see Afghanistan as a war torn country whose people live in fear of bombs. But they still live and in showing Zarifa singing Justin Beiber the viewer is reminded that these are very young women who like music just like the rest of us

    Sisters is an hour long documentary. It deserves a huge audience to watch in awe of the daily defiance of these brave young women to reclaim and hold onto a universal beauty that so many of us take for granted: music. It is moving, at times depressing because of the hopelessness the viewer feels watching and thinking of the fate that might befall these girls and young women. There is hope though, and none more so than when listening to them play music.

    SISTERS is currently being shown at film festivals.

  • Chuck Steel – Night Of The Trampires: Review

    Chuck Steel – Night Of The Trampires: Review

    Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires is a wacky, refreshingly different, comedy horror stop motion film that will keep you entertained right until the final scene.

    It is set in 1986, featuring Chuck Steel the usual steroid, pumped up, lonewolf cop of that era who has serious anger issues and causes all kinds of headaches for his Police Chief, Jack Schitt who doesn’t appear to know how to control him. All his anger issues seem to stem from his desire to hide the fact that his wife left him. One night, Chuck is unintentionally thrown into hunting down and stopping the rise of the trampires: a cross between inebriated tramps and vampires who feed on those who have drunk too much.

    At the premiere of Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires was likened to Wallace and Gromit, as it uses the same animation, but on steroids. For every second of screen time, the figures have to be moved 24 times and this film took approximately 3.5 years to make. Was it worth it? A resounding yes! Right now we are all in need feel good films that entertain, give a few laughs and hold your attention.

    I wasn’t sure what to expect when viewing Chuck Steel and indeed the writer, animator, producer of the film, Mike Mort, said he wanted to make a film reminiscent of the cop films of the 1980s which does mean it’s not very politically correct. He has achieved on both fronts, there are plenty of stereotypes and crass jokes but somehow this animated film pulls you in and more importantly pulls it off. There were times when I forgot I was watching an animated film, which I know sounds hard to believe but I was truly transported and entertained. It felt like watching the best selection of cop movies of the 1980s: Beverly Hills Cops, Lethal Weapon etc with a horror thrown in, think the music video to Thriller.

    The car chases and the big set piece at the end are truly spectacular given how much work had gone into making just one second of filmed animation. Chuck Steel is hugely entertaining and it’s easy to hoover up a bag of popcorn whilst watching it. Listen out for the vocal talents of Jennifer Saunders as the psychologist and Paul Whitehouse as the Wise One. If you want to be entertained this Halloween by something a little different then spend some time with Chuck Steel – you won’t regret it.

    Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires will be released in cinemas across the UK from 29 October.

  • A Brixton Tale: Review

    A Brixton Tale: Review

    A Brixton Tale takes a while to find its stride, but when it does it becomes a relentless and compelling tale of love, racism and class. Outstanding performances from Ola Orebiyi and Craige Middleburg.

    A Brixton Tale is about a wealthy youtuber, Leah, who spots Benji in the street and decides to make him the subject of her documentary about Brixton. Whilst hanging out the two of them fall for each other, but Leah’s desire for edgier material leads them down a very dangerous path with irrevocable consequences.

    This feature length film is short at 76 mins and it feels as if the first twenty minutes or so are somewhat wasted context setting rather than throwing us into the action. Instead, we, the audience, are given repeated cues of how Leah is wealthy compared to Benji who lives on an estate.

    However, once the shift in tone happens, the police harassment because he’s black and Leah arguing because it’s clear she’s never experienced this, the film properly begins. After this point, the tension and tone positively pulsate and the performance of Ola Orebiyi who conveys the discomfort he feels liking this stranger and yet feeling used by her is mesmerising.

    Where A Brixton Tale falls short is in the character of Leah (Lily Newmark) which feels one dimensional. We never really understand her motivation for what she is doing, it all feels very superficial. Rich girls trying to be edgy have been shown on screen before, what we needed was more. In actual fact, all the female characters feel thinly drawn and none are given much time of space to develop.

    I would have liked more of Craige Middleburg on screen, his performance of the young crack addict who loses it all is definitely a highlight of the film. The two hander scene between him and Ola is heartbreaking as it is riveting to watch. They both convey what they have lost through the way they look at each other. It’s one of the best scenes in the entire film.

    A Brixton Tale was released on 12 February 2021.

  • Babyteeth: The BRWC Review

    Babyteeth: The BRWC Review

    Babyteeth is a coming of age story with teeth, pun intended. It is a surprising and striking directorial debut film by Shannon Murphy based on the screenplay, and play, by Rita Kalnejais with a great cast.

    Milla (Eliza Scanlen) is a sixteen year old whose been diagnosed with cancer. She lives in the suburbs, middle class and with little time left disrupts her status quo by falling in love with a drug dealer, Moses (Toby Wallace).

    This is as subversive as coming of ages stories get. Babyteeth subverts what you expect a 16 year old who is taking chemo to behave like. Then again she does have a lot of living to do in what little time she has left, so as with all good teenagers who go completely off the rails. She falls in love with Moses who her parents invite to live with them. Eliza Scanlen as Milla and Toby Wallace are both electrifying on screen. Essie Davis as the mother and psychiatrist father (Ben Mendelsohn) as Henry are so good to watch. 

    Whilst this is a coming of age story, it’s not just focused on Milla’s journey but that of her parents. They too have a lot of growing up to do not least the father who as a psychiatrist should have the answers but is actually the most mentally fragile of the group. Babyteeth’s narrative is episodic and that works well as a metaphor for showing how fleeting life is so every memory is a snapshot of a moment. One of the most poignant scenes comes at the end when Milla is taking photos of her parents.

    Babyteeth is challenging and visceral and the metaphor of baby teeth is subtle and strikes you just as the film ends. One loses them just as your new permanent ones grow, and one of the central themes of the film is growth. Colour and light are used in a bold way throughout the film to also tell strands of the story and reflect the moods that Milla goes through. It’s so vivid and plaudits should go to the colourist and cinematographer.

    Ultimately Babyteeth is a visceral and challenging coming of age story that reminds us all that we shouldn’t take life for granted. It is filled with humour and great acting and should be watched by all

    Babyteeth came out in cinemas on Friday 14 August.

  • Judy And Punch: The BRWC Review

    Judy And Punch: The BRWC Review

    Judy and Punch is a curious film. It’s the reimagining of the quite problematic childhood puppet show some of us will remember, Punch and Judy, told from Judy’s perspective. It’s frightfully violent, darkly comic but doesn’t quite succeed in being the feminist film it attempts to be.

    The story is based on the Victorian puppet show Punch (Damon Herriman) and Judy (Mia Wasikowska). Except for this time, it is Judy’s story that takes front and centre and the title of the film accurately reflects that Judy’s name comes first. The story is set in the fictional town of Seaside. Judy is the master puppeteer yet Punch is the whose ambition drives the show. He is the showman but through his recklessness and alcoholism, tragedy strikes and worst still, he lies to try and save himself.

    This film is brought to us by writer/director Mirrah Foulkes. It is interesting seeing Judy through a woman’s gaze and these two characters are well rounded. It is equal billing. She manages to tell a story without it descending into preachy melodrama. In no small part is she aided by brilliant performances by the entire cast. The cinematography adds to the dark dramatic comedy that this film sits in and is sublime.

    The first half of the film is told at a cracking pace and the level of violence that Judy and Punch dole out on each other appears commonplace in Seaside society where women are hung for witchcraft without proof etc. The main problem with this film is that Judy is not in it for quite a chunk of time and that means we, the audience, almost forget about her. When she does reappear we can guess what will happen and it leads to us guessing what the ending will be.

    For all its flaws, Judy and Punch is a timely examination of social norms that have long stood commonplace, men being believed over women no matter how flawed the man, low level violence and mob hysteria. It is only a shame that Judy wasn’t in the film more.

    Judy and Punch is available to stream now.