Banter

A short drama directed by Kristjan Knigge, written by Mel Evans and starring Kyle Rowe, Charlie Howard and Lucy Scott.

A young rugby player is having to face with rather harsh challenges. Riz (Rowe) is a motivated rugby player who hope to become professional. At home though, things are not good. He lives with his mother (Scott), who is unwell and tends to criticize him of being no-good. With all this (and a past leg injury that has left him with a pronounced limp), Riz works hard to take care of his parent and pursue his career goals.

A rather dramatic story about an individual who is having a very hard life. Strong acting, a great screenplay, bittersweet and eerie music by Nick Verschoor and moody cinematography by Jack Offord create a downbeat and melancholic atmosphere. The main drama exists within the unstable relationship between Riz and his mother, where there is constant tension and sadness in the air.

As the central character, Riz (played superbly by Rowe) is a guy who is sort of isolated from the world. He has no connections with his mother (at least no apparent positive ones) and although the loves rugby, he is not very sociable, getting angry with his teammates when they do not perfrom well and bullying Jack (Howard), a member of his team who Riz sees as incompetent. Apparently, by lashing out at others, he is taking out his frustration that builds up inside him due to the issues that he has to deal with at home. Pursuing rugby and playing guitar appear to be his form of escapism. Riz's mother (a great performance by Scott) is a character that kind of works as the antagonist. She is a sad person who holds nothing back when it comes to expressing her unhappiness regarding her son's actions, which she perceives as selfish and pointless. She wants Riz to be constantly at home, looking after her. Jack is a character who brings some positive emotions into the story, as he seems to represent kindness, support and understanding.

The film ends with a title card about mental health concerns regarding men in Britain, indicating that the filmmakers intended to raise awareness. That appears to be the case, as Riz expresses a variety of negative emotions such as anger, sadness, anxiety and frustration, therefor this short succeeds in acknowledging this issues. From another perspective, the significance of support, understanding and pursuing one's dreams are also present.

This short combines sports with a mother-and-son storyline in order to tell an emotional story about personal struggles. Heavy drama and terrific performances make this a viewing that deserves recognition.

Banter is currently available on Amazon Prime in the UK.