Virginia is everybody’s yes-man. She says yes to everyone, no matter what they wish. Because Virginia has the gift to grant wishes. Harvey Puttock explores a complex psyche, the bane of boons, and a most unmagical set of circumstances through his 9-minute Yes, Virginia. Virginia, played by Amy Whitworth, appears on TV at the peak… Continue reading Yes, Virginia: Using Magical Realism To Demonstrate Emotional Manipulation
Tag: Drama
If I Rise: Allowing Protagonists A Real Choice
One would think a film such as this could not surprise you. For, even if it is moving, what could a writer change in a story whose central question is whether the protagonist would rise? But Ian Stoker-Long’s If I Rise, co-written by Francesca Ling, does offer something new: a protagonist’s real agency in choosing… Continue reading If I Rise: Allowing Protagonists A Real Choice
Foggy Days: Exquisitely Shot Modern Day Romance
Somewhere in Stockholm in 2018, two individuals fall in love. And, their story resonates with all those who have in the times of the social media. Director-Writer Martin Sandin’s 17:20 short Foggy Days is unique, classic and universal. He peels off the romance, the sheen to reveal the raw, aching, vulnerable self of the individual… Continue reading Foggy Days: Exquisitely Shot Modern Day Romance
No Comment: The Definitive Critique Of Hollywood
Russell Goldman’s No Comment is a commentary on #MeToo, a breathtakingly powerful work that takes the proverbial bull by its horns, in more ways than one. Centre stage is Robert Grainger, aged superstar, the face of an action franchise, doing the one-thousandth round of press junket. The disorientation is palpable. Opposite him, literally, is Abigail,… Continue reading No Comment: The Definitive Critique Of Hollywood
Cactus Boy: That One Imaginary Friend We Have All Had
Chris Brake’s Cactus Boy is delicate, touching and quite literally a tribute: to one’s childhood, one’s best friend and to nostalgia. The story of a boy and his imaginary friend, Cactus Boy is a coming-of-age tale and at 17:04 minutes, a brief one at that. Colin Ford plays Winston Prickle, the quiet, reserved boy. (And,… Continue reading Cactus Boy: That One Imaginary Friend We Have All Had
9 to 5: Totalitarianism And Kindness Make An Unholy Union
A dystopian world is the perfect stage for a storyteller with which to build characters and stories that causes unease and forces audiences to confront possibilities that feel entirely real, or worse, distills elements of the familiar world to show with acute intensity just what is going wrong in the present day. With Filippos Tsapekis’… Continue reading 9 to 5: Totalitarianism And Kindness Make An Unholy Union
Hope: An Explanation For Senseless Devastation
If Bloom’s A Light Once There touched on Cole’s acts, its sister film Hope delves into it further with the main aim of looking at the incident from Hope’s point of view, Cole’s sister. Hope is not a sequel, but a more elaborate answer to why what happened did. It uses a lot of footage… Continue reading Hope: An Explanation For Senseless Devastation
Mariposa: Another Essential Look Into Why People Flee
There is something very compelling about Ron Dias’ Mariposa. At the heart of it are two young girls, still in their teens, who struggle every day in their stiflingly oppressive Cuban life. Based on a true story, the film derives its title from the protagonist, Mia ‘Mariposa’ (Yana Gold) named so by her mother, meaning… Continue reading Mariposa: Another Essential Look Into Why People Flee
Last Rites: The Question Of An Afterlife Discussed Tantalisingly
Ron Kanecke & Matt Johanning’s Last Rites comes with an intriguing plot: a priest — a disgraced one at that — on a quest to find a definitive answer on the existence of an afterlife. The priest, Jon, played by Joe Bearer is certain of where he’s headed in his quest, so much so that… Continue reading Last Rites: The Question Of An Afterlife Discussed Tantalisingly
Funeral: To Escape Grief By Exploring It
Very cleverly crafted, Marie Vandelannoote’s Funeral’s merit lies as much in its camerawork as in its screenplay. The plot is surreptitiously simple: Four siblings attend their brother’s wake after his suicide, old wounds are teased up, leaving everyone to grasp at the weakest straws to console themselves and assuage their guilt for failing their brother. … Continue reading Funeral: To Escape Grief By Exploring It