film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Thomas White

  • Tribes: Review

    Tribes: Review

    Tribes could almost be seen as a variation on the classic: ‘An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman’ joke, substituting the nationalities to African American, Arab-American and white. The premise is simple and comfortably formulaic. A racially diverse trio attempts to carry out a robbery on a train. All is not as it seems, however, as neither of them are prepared to rob members of their own race. 

    Based upon the gang’s physical appearances and criminal intent, we are presented with what looks like a straightforward case of wrongful misconduct. But as the plot unravels our initial judgement is soon reflected back onto ourselves, exposing any preconceptions or fixed bias. It catches the audience out and one has to admire the disorientating effect this has. 

    Director Nino Aldi cleverly subverts cultural and social stereotypes. He manipulates the audience, playfully challenging assumptions of race, class, identification, sexual orientation and the broader issue of discrimination, which is prevalent on all sides. The comedy remains light and deadpan, never mocking, and is treated with sensitivity. 

    The film’s turning point comes during a sudden outburst of intellectual discourse, an articulate diatribe expostulating social mores and prejudice. This self aware and genre breaking scene is all the more shocking for the fact that it is delivered by the perpetrators themselves, not the victims. It jolts us out of our comfort zone, derailing the narrative in a gratifyingly comic way. 

    It is an unexpected moment of rhetorical hilarity, as funny as it is perceptive, and a fine example of writer Andy Marlatt’s sharp script, even though the hyperbole may at times slip into sounding a little overwritten. But as this is partly the point it does not diminish the overall impact. 

    Following the group’s worthy character development, coming to realise some important truths along the way, they end up just as confused and conflicted as the audience is. Yet their original criminal incentive cannot be completely pardoned. We are still allowed to feel a reasonable amount of antipathy towards them, making for a much more rounded and satisfying conclusion. 

    Intelligent, smart and divisive, Tribes teasingly provokes us us to re-think and re-evaluate our thoughts on identity, discrimination and expectation. 

  • Lola: Review

    Lola: Review

    Lola: Review – Ruby and Paul are a young couple experiencing a rift in their relationship. A lack of communication brings on Ruby’s growing suspicions about Paul and his constant whereabouts. One day she decides to follow him in an attempt to get some truth and ease her own anxieties. 

    Director Alexander Vlahos drops us right into their situation from the outset, a predicament which unfolds over the course of few initial scenes, never giving too much away at any one time. This is made all the more intriguing for there being no verbal conversation, the only presence of language being in the form of mobile phone text messages. 

    The decision to keep the film completely free of dialogue is a bold choice, one which pays off, elevating it from what could have been a much less interesting, predictable story. Instead it makes it compelling, continually making you want to learn more as the narrative progresses. 

    Another benefit of having no spoken word is that it eradicates the danger of ending up with clunky and overwritten dialogue, a pitfall of many first time or less experienced directors. It is therefore essential to be able to show, rather than just tell, a story. Vlahos manages to achieve this, his confidence ensures that it feels natural and not gimmicky. 

    Good casting also helps enormously. Ruby (Anna Brewster) holds the film together, being the character whose journey we follow. She has a captivating presence, emoting everything from confusion and frustration, to affection and wilfulness, through a range of facial expressions as well as body language. 

    https://vimeo.com/468973780

    Her reaction to the big revelation towards the end, where she finally solves and understands the mystery, is a superb example of a person undergoing a barrage of internal emotions, outwardly expressed with simple honesty though a single close-up. It communicates her empathy, compassion and openheartedness at that moment perfectly. 

    It would be a mistake to underestimate Lola solely on the basis of its familiar, well-trodden premise. Vlahos constructs a concise and comprehensive story, simple but accomplished. He recognises and understands the practical and, essentially, unspoken elements of visual storytelling, qualities which raise the film well above average; that and a particularly fine performance from Brewster. 

  • Clapboard Jungle: Review

    Clapboard Jungle: Review

    An intimate and personal journey of independent filmmaker Justin McConnell’s quest to survive in the turbulent and over-saturated current film business. It is a no frills documentary, shot over a five year period, filmed very much in the spirit of DIY filmmaking.

    The mixture of handheld footage, narration (much of it to camera) and voiceover, combined with more produced footage reflects this, without placing greater importance on either. The project as a whole is very organic and plays out on two levels, the journey itself and its trajectory in a larger context. 

    As with most stories of struggle against adversity, one inevitably finds oneself rooting for the underdog, and this is no exception. Justin is sincere and honest in his documentation, through the highs and lows, ‘peaks and troughs’, he explains. His passion is endearing and it regularly shines through. Any signs of anger or bitterness cannot fully mask a fundamental spirit of optimism and determination. 

    McConnell is hands on with the promotional side too. He is not one to shy away from hitting the road to try and secure funding, backing and support, traveling internationally to attend film festivals and events such as Cannes Marché du Film, Frontières, and Fantasia. These venues and markets, rather than being held at in-house studios or companies, offer a communal pool for independents to meet, pitch and bond on a shared platform.

    They are essential hubs for filmmakers like McConnell, who lack professional representation, in which to do business. The travelogues he makes along the way pull back the curtain on the glitzy side of the industry, giving us a glimpse into the mechanical and promotional side of the business. 

    There is an impressive selection of interviews from legendary cinema veterans from various fields of the industry. Directors, writers, make-up artists and actors (including Guillermo Del Toro, Paul Schrader, Tom Savini and Michael Biehn) each offer valued insight and stories which highlight their own struggles, and insecurities and confusion as they themselves have risen through the ranks. These are straight and honest talking heads, and provide McConnell with a congenial respect as well as kudos. 

    Many of his own collaborators, such as co-writer Serena Whitney, as well as friends and family, each give their own voice to the story so we can learn more about him objectively from those in his immediate circle. In addition many of his telephone conversations are also filmed and we hear the dialogues between potential backers and financiers.

    This transparency brings us closer to his story, drawing us in and making us feel more connected to it, even though it does at times seem aimed more directly at aspiring filmmakers and cinephiles, who will no doubt get the most out of it. But McConnell is pleasant company, a joy to spend time with and clearly passionate about his mission which ends, pleasingly, on a high. 

  • Dọlápọ̀ Is Fine: Review

    Dọlápọ̀ Is Fine: Review

    A young black woman, ready to leave boarding school, struggles with pressures to make changes to her identity for a job in the City. 

    Dọlápọ̀’s hair, a resplendent afro, is the most striking thing about her appearance, and something she takes obvious pride in. Her school-friends, as we come to learn, are fascinated by and appreciative of it too. This was represented in the relationship between Dọlápọ̀ (Doyin Ajiboye) and her best friend Imogen (Katie Friedli Walton).

    Their close bond is genuine, although certain early scenes suffered from stagey dialogue and awkward delivery. Some more interaction with the other pupils, and perhaps some of the teachers as well, would have helped show her acceptance and integration within the school’s diverse but closed community. 

    The crux of the film’s central issue, and one of the more powerful and effective moments, is a scene in which she meets a careers advisor (Joan Iyiola) who encourages Dọlápọ̀ to hide her afro and change her name to Dolly, in order to succeed in the professional world. A black woman herself, she is immediately antagonising, confronting Dọlápọ̀ with the harsh realities of how she will be perceived in a predominately white workplace, judged on her physical appearance and given African name. 

    This toughness also suggests her own bitterness at having herself chosen to conform in order to get where she is, ultimately sacrificing a part of her own identity in exchange for acceptance. By making her character relatable, having had to negotiate the same system, it hints that the tough love approach is forged equally between the blurred lines of realism and racism. By not showing sympathy in the way we might expect, their’s is perhaps a more honest relationship, one which at least shows respect in treating Dọlápọ̀ as an adult, not a schoolgirl. 

    Dọlápọ̀’s decision is far from an easy one to make. There are underlying factors at work. It symbolises a crossroads, a landmark which questions one’s character, confidence and self-belief.

    It touches not just on the issue of race but also of conformity to white, conventional standards of female beauty. The film is an enjoyable watch with a satisfying payoff which offers hope and triumph over adversity. It’s a journey which tests her mettle, but in the end Dọlápọ̀ is more than just fine, she is empowered. 

  • The Announcement: Review

    The Announcement: Review

    A married couple and their adult son reveal surprising truths about themselves during the course of an evening dinner in a smart restaurant. 

    Based around a basic and familiar concept, as the title suggests, one may feel a slight apprehension as to just how imaginatively constructed and engaging it could be. Such rudimentary concerns can often make or break a short film with limited time in which to make an impact. 

    The interest of the scenario lies in the juxtaposition of the emphasis of the revelations themselves and the somewhat incongruous situation in which they take place. The trivial versus the high-flown. It is a comic device which works well. Not only does it set the tone, it also allows one to settle into the drama as it plays out, to derive the humour on one’s own terms instead of having the gags signposted. 

    Out of the three family members the wife (Felicity Montagu) is the most convincing. She shows an extra level of depth to her character which the others lack, although that is not to do disservice to the son (Hugo Chegwin) and husband (David Schaal) who both give solid performances. 

    In this way director James Kibbey wisely plays the comedy straight and the humour deadpan. It keeps the tone fairly neutral, neither too light nor too heavy, making it possible to judge the balance between absurdity and severity on equal terms. 

    Due to its short running time, the film essentially plays out as a short sketch, or vignette. No backstory is necessary, and the few references to the past, weaved into the dialogue, are never distracting. 

    Being largely a script based piece, well written and comfortably naturalistic, it could be easy to overcompensate by trying to communicate too much visually, a consideration Kibbey clearly understands. Instead he uses simple, functional shots and unobtrusive camerawork, so as not to draw attention away from the narrative. It is an enjoyable and entertaining watch. Amusing, witty, it keeps you wanting to know what each new confession, and subsequent reaction, will be.