Category: REVIEWS

Kids Might Fly is among the most natural feeling films I’ve ever experienced. The film is only six minutes long and has to tell a lot in that time, so it is a great achievement to see how well the film works as a whole in the end. Kids Might Fly doesn’t really have a plot, at least by the definition of the typical three act structure of the like of Hollywood and the typical independent film that seem to rely on it. All it is, is a telling of the lives of children in London.

What we have are characters, and their exploits within this period of time dedicated to them. And I really hesitate to use the word “characters” for them, because they felt more like actual people who I could meet on the streets, even in Yorkshire. Every single one of them was so convincing, so well written, so perfectly acted and all so charming that I was engaged after the first use of dialogue. These are people that I want to know more about, and that is helped by how they are used. Nobody outstays their welcome, and nobody is felt underused at all. It might sound like a strange comment to make, given the runtime, but in a film like this, that is of upmost importance.

Of course, placing and usage of characters does come down to the direction. Writer/director Alex Taylor clearly has a passion for this film and every moment of it pays off. Not only has he given us characters more than engaging enough to carry the film, and a big number in a short time at that, but he also makes the film look nice. East London is a fairly well known area (for better or worse), and there’s not a person in Britain who couldn’t tell you what it typically looks like. But Taylor makes the setting feel like a nice place for this community to live in. In fact, community is a major part of what makes this film work. Everything feels close and comfortable, like a home. It is the perfect set-up to tell these characters exploits. There’s feel like multiple, interesting stories all compiled into this one film. The one that stuck out to me was the girl with a great sense of imagination and creativity, telling stories about the Pig of Happiness. It felt childish, yet innocent and heart-warming. It made me want to learn more about her and about this story.

But what I can really praise Taylor for is that I never saw his hand behind the camera. There was nothing about this project of passion that felt pretentious. The lighting, the cinematography, the audio, it all felt, well natural. It was almost like a documentary, like someone had decided to film these people within this community and show it to the world. Almost like a home video of friends and family, only more expertly crafted. With the cinematography in particular I felt that everything was planned and set up with painstaking detail, but I never thought that. I only thought that they had chosen to film a girl playing a flute to her dog, or another feeding the pigs, or a group of boys talking about how they aren’t stupid enough to self-harm themselves. The character I mentioned before, the imaginative girl, is one who we never really see talk, we only hear her narration. This gives us the illusion of hearing her thoughts, which in turn gives the film a dreamlike twist to it. Especially when she is talking about the Pig of Happiness.

The word that I would use to describe this film would definitely be pleasant. It has all the charm, pleasantry and good-will as Paterson does. It makes a great case for the art of short films, proving that there are no limitations provided that you aim to work and actually make it. Kids Might Fly is strong, yet humble, and is definitely more than worth checking out. Watch it and find the story for you.

Former youth champion boxer Jimmy McCabe (Johnny Harris – Also credited as the Writer) has hit rock bottom. Fueled by alcohol, the death of his mother and the impending loss of his house, Jimmy’s life has spiraled away from him. Determined to turn things around and make some money, Jimmy returns to his former gym to re-unite with his mentor Bill (Ray Winstone) and corner man Eddie (Michael Smiley) to prove he has what it takes.

Despite an all star British cast including the ever present Ian McShane; Jawbone is simply a procession of boxing movie tropes full of desperate attempts to be gritty. Boxer Jimmy seems unable to endure the sunshine as despite he passing of time the sun never seems to rise as director Thomas Knapper pushes to create a sense of despair. Far too often the audience are greeted with slow motion and too close for comfort close ups as Knapper and Harris try again to flood Jawbone with depression and anxiety.

Boxing movies aren’t known for their unique scripts, forever filled with rock bottom moments greeted by inspirational mentors that lead to world beating highs, but Jawbone adds even less than most, with its only unique input being that nobody wins a world title and Jimmys re-birth is in a illegal no mark fight for £1000. Whilst this could have built a brilliant film, ultimately this is just Ray Winstone being Ray Winstone and Ian McShane being Ian McShane with needless other characters thrown in the mix. Not even an original score by Paul Weller could save this film.

Jawbone isn’t terrible, and if it’s on TV, and you like boxing films I’d say give it a good go, but for me, a huge fan of the sporting genre despite it’s ever present tropes Jawbone just didn’t light up the world and it’s difficult to care for the characters. A shame, but I won’t be looking for Jawbone again any time soon.

Mom and Me is directed by Irish filmmaker Ken Waldrop, known for 2009 documentary His & Hers. With Mom and Me he continues to film women telling their own stories. Be careful not to trip over the yards of umbilical cord in this documentary about mothers and their adult sons.

Mom and Me employs local radio host Joe Cristano to invite the men of Oklahoma (designated the most manly US state) to phone in and talk about their mothers. This of course is staged, but provides neat segues for the purpose of the film. It also blurs the line between film and podcast, making this documentary a good fit for fans of The Moth and This American Life. Perhaps the fact that so many of us are getting hooked on podcasts will lead the format to spill into documentary filmmaking more.

Amy Schumer does a bit in The Leather Special about the mothers of all her past boyfriends: That they all seem mildly put out by her existence in the role of girlfriend, like (I’m paraphrasing) ‘Aw shucks, you know, I always thought that I would end up with him.’ There is evidence of that sentiment at several points during Mom and Me. That’s one of the reasons I approached this film with a raised eyebrow. Midwestern Moms and their beloved sons? Retch. But that was unfair of me, as the film is pretty absorbing, with so many telling little interactions. Fascinating for anyone interested in the human condition. Freud would have had a field day with this one.

The men, in the presence of their mothers, are all still children. Waldrop puts older women in the spotlight, which is a positive step as all too often women are pushed into the margins as they age. In spite of the awkwardness in some of the more staged interactions, this film has depth. Every so often some small gesture or comment will cut right to your heart. Funny and poignant throughout.

I can definitely relate to the concept of this film. Jokes On You is the story of a couple living in a London apartment block. This couple really is made for each other. In that they both love pranking the other one. As soon as the opportunity arises a prank is made. The problem is, while these practical jokes are never made with malicious intent, they do have a habit of happening at the wrong time or go a little too far. And after years and years of such pranks and prods, the two are finding their relationship to strain from it.

Jokes On You definitely has an idea that many can get behind. It’s also an easily accessible film, with its themes flying under the fun of the situation. And the short ten minutes is a good runtime to tell this story. And it is a good story, with a pretty satisfying conclusion. The pacing and tone of the film are off-beat, but deliberately so. This could be seen as either a way to make the film more realistic or more dreamlike. And of course, we have the themes, that include the likes of love, acceptance, the struggle of relationships, the search for happiness and, most prominently, the theme of people not knowing when to stop; whether that be with humour or seriousness.

That last part most certainly is something that affects many throughout the world. I have certainly had my moments where I’ve taken a joke too far, and just as many moments where I haven’t taken a joke well. And when it’s constant you do feel the weight of your emotional state. The film is very good at showing that, and how it often is not a long-term feeling. A joke we can all get over, even if at the time it feels hurtful or infuriating.

The quality of the film making also helps this come to light. There is a great use of setting in this film. It feels like any hometown, and any flat, making this couple feel like your everyday couple, with their own issues and worries. The lighting and camerawork were also well used, at times reminding me of the style of Wes Anderson and others of Jean-Pierre Jaunet (with Amelie at least). It’s also well written, with good dialogue that carries all it needs to with the story and characters in the time given to us. Not a single line is wasted and each one builds the film and give us more understanding of the story and situation. The film’s final moment is also a great example of visual storytelling, and is easy to be admired.

Sadly though, I didn’t find myself enjoy Jokes On You all that much. It took me a little bit to work out why, but I can safely say that my issue lays with the films inconsistencies. I can see what the director was trying to do here; we are to be given the illusion of this being the real world and with a real couple, yet it also wants to be this melancholy dream, with cartoonish sounds and outlandish jokes to make it feel more humorous and just a little sad. But the problem is you can’t do both. Because all it means is that the film is too restrained to be dreamlike while also being too silly to be real. It tried to bake its cake and eat it basically. This inconsistency also made its way into the acting it seems too. The lead woman for example, she is mostly pretty good throughout the film, it’s not a great performance but good enough, but in the opening I was actually cringing from her acting.

The opening also demonstrating what I had mentioned earlier. It starts like a horror film, with the joke being that it is just a joke…and not once did I buy it. And that’s simply because it was too over-the-top to be scary, and it wasn’t crazy enough to make me think we were in a campy horror film. So the fact that it was a joke as easy to pick up.

There really isn’t much more I can say about Jokes On You. It didn’t really engage me, and I wasn’t really laughing or feeling much sympathy at all. I like the concept and I do wish that it would be done again, but this was not really the way to use it. It’s not serious enough to win me over dramatically, and it’s not silly enough to be much fun, leaving us with a pretty bland and forgettable film. Beneath the surface there is something waiting to come out, it’s just going to have to wait a little longer.