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HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Rashomon Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Mar 31, 2022 Directed by: Mohan Singh Gaharwar Written by: Mohan Singh Gaharwar Starring: Chirag Mandawaria, Priyesh Shrimal, Mukul Joshi When Akira Kurosawa wrote and directed one of his many masterpieces ‘Rashomon’, I doubt even he, the visionary director that he was, could have predicted the endless swarm of adaptations and interpretations which it was spawned. Films which feature the ‘Rashomon effect’, are numerous, with the likes of ‘Gone Girl’ and ‘The Usual Suspects’ most notable. Just last year Ridley Scott’s ‘The Last Duel’ used the ‘Rashomon effect’ to great praise from critics. This adaptation of the Kurosawa’s historic tale has the same name but lacks any of the class which made the original great. Whilst the original told the tale of the rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai’s ghost and a woodcutter; this iteration, which was written and directed Mohan Singh Gaharwar, shows the many sides to the story of the death of two friends in the same apartment. Just how many sides to the story is unclear - the story is told in nine parts which would suggest nine different perspectives, but instead much of the story is blurred, with most of the ideas coming from the four police officers trying to solve the murders. This doesn’t really fit with the overall gist of the Rashomon effect, which aims to show that two or more people can view the same event quite differently. This is just the same event viewed in the same way by a select few people from the same background. Even then, a firm point would be expected, however, instead there’s just a blank vagueness to the story. This vagueness sums up the general mood of the film, as no information is really absorbed because it’s all coming so thick and fast. That’s the problem when you try to fit a ninety minute film into forty-five, too much important information is given at such a velocity that none of it gets any time to settle and digest. This isn’t exactly helped by the very thin lines between the views of all the police officers, who each seem to share similar beliefs aside from one grossly misogynistic member of the quadrant that believe that all girls are evil, and thus blames Rudra’s (who was murdered) ex-girlfriend Suhara for the deaths. This is despite the fact that in another fittingly vague scene, Rudra is violently assaulting, and possibly even raping, the poor woman. As with many other scenes in the film, this scene does not sit right - its already been established in many other parts that Suhara was not to blame, so what is the purpose of this abhorrent scene. Quite frankly, there’s too many different parts, all with equally long names and similar ambiguous storytelling. It all becomes a bit of a soulless mist after the first couple of parts, as the realisation that there’s still plenty to come begins to set in. This is amplified by the transitions between the parts, with what appears to be powerpoint slide shows popping up to inform us of the title of the part and reveal a hidden message. Its not all bad, however, with some surprisingly charismatic performances from Chirag Mandawaria as Rudra, Priyesh Shrimal as Senior and Mukul Joshi as Aryan. They all inhibit the characters their performing and help to add a level of quality to the film. The cinematography is also fairly good from Shashank Vishwakarma, who creates a good understanding of the setting. Furthermore, Gaharwar’s direction shines in moments, particularly when depicting drug use, but then is undone by his own frantic editing. The continuously jumpy and fast-paced editing is jarring, and makes the film even more tiresome and only amplifies its greyness. In moments it shows signs of life, but this version of ‘Rashomon’ is not one that Akira Kurosawa would be proud of. The film lacks any punch, with a score just as bland as the story its trying to tell. The mindless exposition dump combined with some frustrating editing choices makes ‘Rashomon’ a dramatic misfire, from all perspectives About the Film Critic Joe Beck World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Devil's Instrument Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Chris Olson | Posted on: Aug 1, 2022 Directed by: Adam B. Sergent Written by: Adam B. Sergent Starring: Austin Fletcher, Cory Spalding, Jordan Bryant, Ally Ledford Having done a deal with the devil, famous novelist Markus Cole (Austin Fletcher) attempts to undo his pact with Daemon (Cory Spalding) in an intense elongated negotiation sequence whereby the pair try to out manoeuvre each other. With the lives of his family (and his own) on the line, the stakes are high, especially once a series of interspersed guests arrive to vamp up the tension. The absolute joy of watching indie films can be seeing a writer/director (in this case Adam B. Sergent) take full ownership of their piece and craft it in a way that is largely aware of its limitations and yet boldly impressive. With The Devil’s Instrument, Sergent eschews a plethora of “accepted” filmmaking practices in favour of a more stripped-down affair that is more akin to a theatre piece. The story takes place in one darkened location, with shadows everywhere to keep the audience completely focused on the handful of characters on screen - primarily Markus and Daemon. Even on a minimal budget, some filmmakers may have been tempted to shoot additional scenes to give context and variety for the viewer, yet Sergent’s brave approach pays dividends in creating a memorable and intoxicating environment. Fletcher is solid in the central protagonist’s role but it is Spalding who shines as the slick merchant of evil, constantly ribbing Markus and poetically playing with his food on screen. Ally Ledford arrives as a character we won’t name or spoil, but she absolutely steals the show in terms of performance - so much so her absence from the majority of the film seems like a crying shame. At times, many of the performances cross the line into melodrama and the theatrical nature of The Devil’s Instrument starts to feel quite awkward to watch - this is particularly notable in the closing section of the film which, again, I won’t spoil. The dialogue can also feel as wooden as a church pew in a few places. The indie film is dealing with heavy themes of good, bad, righteousness and redemption but it never forgets to be engaging. The filmmakers know the strength of the piece is in the predicament of Markus, who wants to free himself of eternal damnation at any cost, which allows the film to drench itself in peril and keep the audience continually glued throughout - regardless of the budgetary shortcomings. Whereas a film like Bedazzled - the one with Brendan Fraser - attempted to make a deal with the devil sexy and funny, The Devil’s Instrument takes a more serious approach (even if it elicits a few laughs unintentionally) and is all the same as compelling. It’s a showcasing of brave creativity and bold indie filmmaking that should be appreciated and the filmmakers can rest in the knowledge that their efforts are largely effective in creating something darkly engaging and devilishly addictive. Watch the official trailer here . About the Film Critic Chris Olson Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Fading Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Feb 24, 2022 Directed by: Anthony Vander Written by: Tofi Sodobu, Olumide Sodobu, Suzi Ewing Starring: Gabriella Agbenosi, Temi Omowaye It’s no secret that acid attacks are a huge problem in London. In 2017 alone there were 472 and in 2019 London was described as the ‘acid attack hotspot of the western world’. It’s become as frequent a crime as burglaries or stabbings, leaving victims scarred for the rest of their lives. Whilst ‘Fading’ recognises this issue and makes a valiant attempt to address it - it never quite goes beyond the quality of a video you’d get shown in high school. ‘Fading’ tells the story of an acid attack, and the effects that it has on the victim, the perpetrator and those around them. The largest issue is that we’re supposed to see the attack and the problems it creates for Steph (Gabriella Agbenosi) as though we should care for her. We’re supposed to empathise with her plight as she is effectively disowned by her mother and left isolated and broken. However, we’re given no reason to feel any emotion for her - as far as we can tell she’s just decided to throw acid at her best friend Cynthia (Temi Omowaye) for no apparent reason. That’s no way to bring the audience on side with your character. Cynthia’s story of recovery is far more engaging and rather inspirational because we have a reason to feel for her. As she struggles to comprehend that her best friend could do such a thing, then goes through the trauma of having to return to normal life again, we’re given reason to hope and to sympathise with her. Unfortunately, the section that focuses on Cynthia, and the rest of the short, is held back by some sub-par acting. Neither of the two leads are believable - though they may have been held back by a similarly torrid script - and both of their deliveries are off. Their performances are still the two best in the short, however, as much of the supporting cast appear to have read their lines straight from a cue card. It’s often stilted and lacks flow, with unnatural pauses in lines and two-second breaks as they wait to respond to the other actor. This problem is only amplified by the script, which is unnatural and the dialogue feels extremely unrealistic. When there are three writers on a short film the phrase ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ comes to mind, and that is certainly the case here, where instead of refining it, the script has become too bloated with everyone’s ideas. Another issue came in the form of sound mixing an audio inconsistency, with conversations switching from extremely loud to a whisper regularly. However, it must be said that the direction from Anthony Vadnder is solid, if unremarkable, and depicts London as the gloomy, urban jungle that it is. There’s some pretty nifty camerawork as it circles around Steph for a prolonged period, emphasising her loneliness and regret. Also, the soundtrack was atmospheric and sustained interest in the moments when the story reaches a lull. It’s a good thing that the soundtrack is so atmospheric as there are plenty of lulls along the way - not helped by the acting or script. At the end of the day, ‘Fading’ may be no better than a video from high school, but its heart is in the right place and it tells an important story, whilst also giving some important advice before the credits. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

★★★★ Directed by: #ChristopherDeakin Starring: #GemmaWhiteley, #AdamMercuryBrown, #JoyceBranagh, #AshleyGregory, #EleanorJessicaRoberts Short Film Review by: Alexandra James A Happy Ending is a spoof reality television show that pokes fun at some of the court room dramas we see today. The show focuses on a young married couple and displays their inner conflicts with one another. For wife Lizzie, she is prepared to divorce her husband for not ever being able to satisfy her in all areas…but specifically in the bedroom! This dark comedy is a combination of Judge Judy, Love Island dramas and absurdity all wrapped up in a show called ‘Out of Order.’  For main character Lizzie, regrettably, this was unforgiveable, and she was ready to take her life into her own hands, her husband’s money and then leave him! However, as the drama progresses, certain secrets come to light and the audience discover that Lizzie is not as squeaky clean as she presents herself to be. As like many of these shows, the audience feed off this scandal and the juicier the scandals become, the better! The short film begins in a court room, its all lights, camera action as the jury take their seats and listen to Ms Who’s tales of woes and the lack of satisfaction she has had to endure for a good few years. Their marriage is in turmoil and there’s no coming back from this, especially when we find out husband David Ducksoup has been going to certain places alone to get his kicks elsewhere…For our Judge this appeared to be a clear-cut case, however, certain witnesses began to shed light on the couple’s marriage which left the judge having to make some tough decisions. A Happy Ending is a witty and outrageous film that keeps you hooked until the very end. It was great to see some of those ‘behind the scenes’ moments where the director instructs some of the reality stars to add more tears at this point or show your angry side when you say this line. Many people believe each scene is authentic and completely unfabricated. However, nothing we see on TV is ever how it truly is, which made for a hilarious premise and managed to break down that wall between fact and fiction and showed us exactly what was behind the curtain. The characters themselves were very funny and combined with the comical storyline and dialogue, it makes for an entertaining show that I would certainly be investing in if it came into fruition!

★★★ Starring: #DevonGrevious, #NateReynolds, #TylerMcCray Directed by: #NateReynolds Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Shear Disturbance focuses on the theme of anxiety and how much it can affect day to day activities such as the simple act of getting a haircut. For protagonist Tyronne, this typical action becomes far more than that and is such a trigger that he becomes completely consumed by even the thought of it. This can be a very real experience for many people that suffer with anxiety, it can become debilitating and stop you from going about your daily life. Director Nate Reynolds portrays these struggles and highlights the importance of patience and understanding when interacting with a person struggling to keep their anxiety under control. The narrative itself is very simple and I think although this is a short film, it would have been great to truly expose the pain within the anxiety. It would have helped the storyline further to pull back the covers of Tyronne’s mind and provide the audience a sense of what it feels like to have this fear. The physical signs were apparent with the trembling and shyness when speaking to the barbers. However, a cutaway of Tyronne’s mental state would convey the severity and seriousness of his condition. It was interesting to see the negativity towards Tyronne as well, the barber seemed to have little to no patience and believed that Tyronne was wasting his time and essentially fooling around. Nate was able to suggest that we need to be more perceptive and recognise the signs of anxiety to help that person and bring them into a calmer and more relaxed environment to support and keep their anxiety under control. Unfortunately, for Tyronne, the experience became all too much, and he was unable to control his emotions and left the shop disappointed in himself. However, another barber came out after him and reassures him that he is not alone. In fact, he has also experienced these feelings and encourages Tyronne to speak with someone to overcome his struggles. Shear Disturbance has a message within, and director Nate Reynolds uses this short film to tear down the stigma and shame of living with anxiety and instead, Reynolds concentrates on the importance of speaking about this subject and sharing these struggles as this will ultimately educate others to understand more about the experience as well as learn how to help and manage them.

★★★★★ Starring: #IsidoraFairhurst, #MiaMckennaBruge, #RitaBernardShaw, #DaniDyer, #MalachiPullarLatchman Directed by: #TeddyNygh Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Watch What I Do is an all-female cast and short drama. It focuses on 3 teenage girls in secondary school attempting to navigate their way through friendship, social status, and their love for basketball. Being a teenager today can be a difficult transition, emotions and arguments become heightened and at this point in life. Conflicts at this age are all consuming and it becomes difficult to break away and see the light, as well as ignore the negativity. This becomes the case for protagonist Layla, as she struggles to become friends with the new girl joining the group. Layla often feels excluded and is unable to connect with Nikki, who chooses to disregard or shame Layla as a form of one-upmanship making her appear to be the ‘popular’ friend out of the group. Layla must find a way to channel her anger and focus on what is most important to her, true friendship, and her passion for sport. Layla’s skills in basketball become clear when she walks past a court and jumps at the chance to make a shot, she is encouraged by the other players to join and be a part of the team. However, through fear of ridicule she shy’s away from this opportunity and ignores their praise. Instead, she is left feeling embarrassed and even more of an outcast by showing an interest in the sport. It became evident that Layla has some form of anger issues which she needs to work on. Layla often represses these thoughts of violence and aggression; the viewer is given snippets of Layla’s frustrated mind with use of cutaway shots. Her anger becomes fuelled when faced with conflict, and unfortunately for Layla she becomes tested to her limit as Nikki starts to put a wedge between her and her friendship with Kezia. Layla has managed to control this anger for a long period of time, however, like a bubbling pot, it does not take long for this anger to spill. The characters are extremely relatable, especially to teenagers growing up and learning to adapt and change throughout their school years and rise above the hate. Director Teddy Nygh breaks down some of the barriers that stop kids from being their true selves. Nygh highlights that for Layla, basketball gives her the chance to channel her energy, focus and discover some new friends who follow a similar passion. This was a great story, and the characters were able to really convey that emotion of betrayal, fear, hurt but also happiness and the importance of friendship. It was an enjoyable watch and the interactions between each character were engaging throughout, you really feel for Layla’s character and want her to overcome her fears and see the true bond between her and Kezia.