Wait For Me

A troubled man and a prostitute go on the run from bad people.

Alison (Hassan) is a sex worker in a brothel that is run by Max (Bell), a vicious gangster. Sam (Cobham) is a lonely, quiet man who is associated with Max. Circumstances will cause Alison and Sam to meet and develop a rapport between them and after things go downhill with the people who control the prostitution ring, the two of them will attempt to vanish and start a new life. However, the criminals are not willing to give up easily and attempt to track them down.

This is a hard-hitting story that is partly a crime thriller, partly a road movie and partly a drama about family and relationships. Overall, it is a rather dark feature that deals with prostitution, drug addiction, loss and regrets, although it also shows the significance of support and courage. Alison and Sam both have a tragic past that has left them with deep emotional scars and as their freindship grows, they share their pain with each other and create a very strong bond. They end up arriving at the home of Alison's sister Karen (Elva Trill), who is raising Alison's daughter Ruby (Izobella Dawson). Alison clearly wants to reconnect with her estranged child, complicating matters between herself and her sibling. There are plenty of emotional moments and quite a lot of tense moments, with people getting beaten up and life-threatening situations and there are dramatic revelations.

The two leads, Alison and Sam are tragic figures. Alison is a sex worker and is torn apart by the fact that she gave away her daughter. Sam loves photography and constantly takes pictures, yet he is deeply damaged by a devastating loss. Max is the antagonist, along with his right-hand man Barry (Ogundipe) and both of them are ruthless and willing to resort to violence. Ruby is the character who represents innocence, the one person of the story with no negative elements.

Director Farrell does a great job and creates some terrific aerial shots and a few well-executed long takes. Composer Phil France deserves commendations for the dramatic music that includes beautiful piano melodies and praise also goes to director of photography Mike Staniforth.

This is a crime drama with an intriguing story, interesting characters and strong acting, particularly by Hassan. It is an emotional and harsh story about escape, about moving on to better things and it is an experience that is worth seeking out.