★★ Directed by #AlexAppel #JonathanLisecki Written by #AlexAppel #JonathanLisecki #BarbaraRadecki Starring #AliciaWitt Film Review by Cat McAlpine Wren Cosgrove is happy to go on her morning runs, talk to her cat Wentworth, and work too hard. But when her ex-boyfriend hires her marketing firm, she’s suddenly forced to face her past and contemplate whether or not she’s actually happy at all. Based on Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, Modern Persuasion trades social balls for launch parties and romantic poets for lyrics by The Smiths. Jonathan Lisecki co-wrote and co-directed the film, with fellow writer Babara Radecki and co-director Alex Appel. Even with three different visions at work, plus Austen’s original groundwork, the film largely fails to find any footing. Wren (Alicia Witt) is more likable and more approachable than predecessors in the workaholic trope. Unfortunately, her counterpart/ex Owen Jasper (Shane McRae) says and does little to tease any anguish out of her. What makes Austen’s novels so compelling, even after all this time, is the absolute longing they are filled with. That tension is largely missing from this adaptation. Wren has better chemistry with her two other love interests. And at 1 hour and 20 minutes, three love interests are a lot to juggle, making Owen little more than an awkward inconvenience for most of the film. Modern Persuasion is filled with an interesting cast of characters, but they stay flat for the length of the film. It seems late in the game to be making millennial jokes, but two of Wren’s coworkers are reduced to trendy lingo and illicit “Speak English please,” responses from their much older boss. The film is strongest in the moments where it finds genuine connection between characters, like when Wren gives new assistant Denise (a lovable Adrienne C. Moore) help on her first day. Another shining moment is when Wren and Sam (Dominic Rains, charming) connect over a moody playlist. Witty lines, mostly from the women in the cast, keep it comedic and grounded. For Austen and romcom fans alike, the film might be worth a curious watch. But for the rest, Modern Persuasion has nothing new to offer. #CatMcAlpine

★★★ Directed by #AdamEgyptMortimer Written by #AdamEgyptMortimer #LukePassmore Starring #JoeManganiello #SkylanBrooks Film Review by Hope Madden In a seedy underworld ripe for the comic book taking, a teen crime journalist named Hamster just wants a shot to tell the real stories of these streets. He stumbles across a homeless man who claims to be a hero from another dimension. The thing is, Hamster believes him. Hokey, right? It is, but co-writer/director Adam Egypt Mortimer hits an interesting tone with Archenemy. He creates the space needed to develop some ideas before logic and cynicism close them down. Mortimer combines animation with live action, sometimes bleeding whispery voiceover into the mix to heighten the sense that nothing is as it seems. Is Max Fist (that is a name!) really from a parallel dimension, or is he an alcoholic schizophrenic homeless guy living under the bridge? Mortimer mainly works from young Hamster’s point of view, occasionally veering into Max’s. By limiting the logic of the tale to the perspective of either a naïve optimist or the likely victim of mental illness and addiction, the filmmaker ensures that you’re never truly able to differentiate reality from unreality. It’s a tough tone to maintain, but Mortimer manages, thanks in large part to the commitment of his lead. As Max Fist (seriously, that name!), Joe Manganiello carries Archenemy on his shoulders. The performance is simultaneously lucid and muddled, with a physical edge that makes the character feel like a threat even at his most vulnerable. Around him, characters are sometimes cartoonish (Glenn Howerton as The Manager or Paul Scheer as Kreig), but Manganiello keeps the film from dipping into camp with a turn that’s gritty and believable. Skylan Brooks does a fine job of elevating the least realistic role—a character that benefits from endless contrivances. The writing around Hamster is easily the weakest part of the film, but Brooks does what he can to keep you engaged. As Hamster’s sister Indigo, Zolee Griggs walks an interesting line as well, the good guy and bad guy in the same breath. It’s an understated performance that impresses. And Amy Seimetz—always a welcome sight—delivers a resigned villainy that perfectly suits the picture. Archenemy has plenty of faults, but more than enough inspiration and grit to make you want to overlook them. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by: Franck Khalfoun Written by: Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levasseur Starring: Elijah Wood, Nora Arnezeder, Jan Broberg Film Review by: Jason Knight As the title suggests, this is a film about a rather nasty and unpleasant individual. A maniac. Frank (Wood) owns a business restoring mannequins. He is a loner and a psychopath. He is a serial killer who preys on mostly young women. After murdering them he removes their scalp and keeps it in his home. One day he meets and Anna (Arnezeder), a young photographer, who takes an interest in his business. The two of them spend a lot of time together and get along. Frank eventually falls for her. However, that does not stop him from continuing his murder spree. Maniac is a dark, ultra-violent slasher film. It is a remake of the 1980 film of the same name. It takes the viewer into the mind of a deranged killer. It is indicated that he suffered a painful and disturbing upbringing, which resulted in him becoming who he is now. One thing that stands out is the violence, which is explicitly shown. The murders are shown in great detail and are very brutal and bloody. There is also nudity and graphic sex scenes. Almost the entire film was shot from the killer's point of view, with himself only shown occasionally in the third person and in reflections. Although Wood is not seen much, that does not stop him from delivering a spinetingling performance, portraying a man who has serious mental issues. He also does a fantastic job with his character's internal monologue, helping the audience get a picture of Frank's disturbed psychology. The supporting cast are also dynamic, with Arnezeder very believable as a passionate artist and kind person. Director Khalfoun handles the point of view shots well. He manages to convince the audience that they are viewing the world through Frank's eyes. He takes the viewers for a ride with Frank as he goes about his business and commits unspeakable acts. The music is one of the most powerful elements of the film. The score perfectly captures the dark and sinister mood and highlights the atrocities that take place. Watching Maniac is quite a rollercoaster ride. Right from the murder that takes place at the beginning, the movie shocks the viewer and never loses its grip. The killings are grotesque and gory and some people might find them hard to watch. The audience will most likely be intrigued by Frank and will be interested in finding out what makes him tick. Why he kills. To conclude, this is a very dark, very violent psychological slasher film. It will most likely appeal to horror fans. However it is not for the faint of heart. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: Clea Duvall Wirtten by: Clea Duvall and Mary Holland Starring: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie Film Review by Robert Stayte Happiest Season Film Review Most Christmas themed rom-coms are either unremarkable or just plain awful, so Happiest Season, the second film from actress turned director Clea Duvall (of The Faculty and But I'm a Cheerleader fame) didn't need to do much to be better than them. But as a film, it not only benefits from a unique LGBT perspective but is fairly successful. In Pittsburgh and around Christmastime, Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) are a couple who have been in a relationship for a year. Whilst Harper brings Abby over to meet her family, the one problem is that Harper is not out to her family and not ready to come out for various reasons. So Abby has to navigate pretending to be Harper's friend as well as deal with her ex Riley (Aubrey Plaza) and Harper's dysfunctional family unit consisting of the try-hard sisters Jane (Mary Holland) and Sloane (Alison Brie), social media-obsessed mother Tipper (Mary Steenburgen) and Father Mayor Candidate Ted (Victor Garber). The main thing that any romance, comedy or drama (or both) needs is a good couple with chemistry. Happiest Season thankfully has this. Harper and Abby are both well written and enjoyable characters. Despite Harper being very selfish and at times pretty unlikeable, she does go through an arc that has a good payoff. Abby is an extremely sympathetic figure. It helps that Mackenzie Davis and Kristen Stewart are both an utterly convincing screen pair, with Stewart especially feeling natural and excelling in the dramatic scenes. Actresses like Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza also convincingly play against type, with Brie being meaner than usual and Plaza being more realistically reserved. As for the narrative, the main strength is that despite being moulded from the cloth of rom-com formula, the story is for the most part natural. At least 75% of it is probably stuff that you could see happening in reality with the 25%, being the few comedic setpieces or contrivances, though these do not clash heavily enough to ruin the film. Though if there is a central flaw with the execution, it’s Clea Duvall’s direction, which does lack energy. Whilst not boring, it does feel like the direction is missing a quick snappy pace that would have helped to keep the laughs coming and keep the energy up. Her direction is at it’s best in the more dramatic portions, which are very well handled. As for another flaw, the writing does maybe go a bit too far with Harper’s central character flaw, to the point to where a bit of backstory that is revealed does paint her in a bad light. The biggest strength is the well-observed handling of the falseness and try-hard nature of trying to keep a family together and have the image of "perfection". That is present in the premise but also present in several other characters, leading to a couple of surprising reveals that really work. Despite this, there is thankfully enough heart to prevent the tone from being too bitter or the characters too insufferable. The final 30 minutes are by far the best part, concluding the film in a way that makes everything prior worth it and on its own being extremely moving and emotional. Happiest Season might not be a Christmas classic, but it is a sweet and well-written movie that captures the overall mood of the genre whilst executing it well.

★★★★ Written & Directed by: #LukeIbbetson Starring: #CalvinCrawley, #ElizabethSankey, #JaquelineKirwan, #MarianneChase, & #AlthyrPivatto Film Review by Connor Slatkoff Sharpe Luke Ibbetson’s 2019 mocumentary feature film Cult follows the fictional group F.A.T.E. (or Friends at the End) on their deranged but brightly funny journey towards the celebrated arrival of the “June Comet”, which they believe will lead them forward into an extra-terrestrial afterlife and leave the world behind them in flames. Told in a traditional documentary style, with a director/narrator and a crew of three, Cult becomes a window into the lives of these dozen-or-so F.A.T.E. members; exploring what led them to this odd calling (be it vice or mental-illness) and in turn examining the frightening reality of non-fictional cult societies that continue to permeate communities in the real world. In substance the film largely resembles Taika Waititi’s ground-breaking mocumentary What we do in the Shadows (the original film version), with the documentary-form never deviating from anything other than ultra-realistic, contrasted perfectly by the obscenely far-fetched content. However, where Shadows focused on the fictional horrors of vampires in modern-day New Zealand, Cult instead hits a little too close to home with its depiction of not wholly unbelievable horrific events. This has both a positive and negative impact on the film: the faux-documentary style seems more truthful, but because of this it at times seems to take too-light an approach to dangerous subjects like manipulation and pact-suicides. In this way Cult can at times feel less like a comedy and more like Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019) had it been directed by the aforementioned Waititi. Made to resemble found-footage from twenty-years-ago, the cinematography is VHS-grainy, and limited to an academy aperture aspect ratio for the majority of the 120-minute runtime. With snappy and dynamically paced editing, the film retains a constantly growing tempo, as well as perfectly timed cuts adding to the already strong comedy. While some mocumentaries might be content to sit in the weird world they’ve created for the viewer, Ibbetson instead crafts what is a remarkably compelling narrative, while not taking anything away from the audience’s immersion into the F.A.T.E. “family”. While performances may not always be overly inspired from the film’s varied cast, there nevertheless remains an unabashed honesty to the acting that can’t help but connect watchers to the fractured lives of these characters. This, paired with a slightly improvisational tone, cements the documentary style through its use of the film’s quirky but lovable ensemble. Because of this Cult remains a fascinating, hilarious and darkly moving piece of experimental filmmaking, albeit one whose subject matter might overly make-light of a serious, and at times deadly manipulation of those too vulnerable to defend themselves. #ConnorSlatkoffSharpe

★★★ Directed by #TaraMiele Written by #TaraMiele Starring #SiennaMiller #DiegoLuna Film Review by George Wolf At this point, there’s nothing surprising about a terrific performance from Sienna Miller. The really curious thing is why she still seems to fly so far under the radar. Maybe it’s the knack she has for adopting unrecognizable looks and unique personalities from role to role, making it harder to tie her to an easily recalled resume. Whatever the cause, the effect Miller has on Wander Darkly is seismic, with an award-worthy turn that gives the film much of its emotional pull. Miller is Adrienne, a new mom who’s starting to question her relationship with Matteo (Diego Luna, also stellar). Despite a child and a new mortgage, the couple hasn’t married, and as a rare date night out turns disappointing, they’re involved in a nasty car accident. Dazed and disoriented, Adrienne believes she has died. While her parents and friends whisper “psychiatry,” Matteo tries to convince Adrienne that she is indeed still alive and recovering in the real, physical world. Writer/director Tara Miele’s narrative is ambitious, surreal, touching and at times even terrifying, but it’s ultimately the sheer talents of Miller and Luna that keep the film from falling prey to gimmickry. We re-live the couple’s journey together as they do, visually drifting through transfixing waves of history where both Adrienne and Matteo pepper the flashbacks with hindsight benefitting from their current perspectives. As they make new admissions and wonder about who may be guilty of misremembering, the couple is reminded of why they first committed to each other, even as they search their respective memories for the exact moment it started to go wrong. Whether or not you sniff out what Miele has in mind, where the film lands doesn’t quite deliver on its promise of profundity. But the cascade of emotion required to manifest this trauma is beautifully realized by Miller, and her chemistry with Luna makes it inviting to become invested. You care about these characters, and that opens the door to care about Wander Darkly. #GeorgeWolf

★★ Directed by #JohnPatrickShanley Written by #JohnPatrickShanley Starring #EmilyBlunt #JamieDornan #ChristopherWalken #JonHamm Film Review by Hope Madden “Welcome to Ireland! My name is Tony Reilly and I’m dead.” So begins Wild Mountain Thyme, a romantic comedy so cartoonishly Irish you’ll expect the Lucky Charm leprechaun to drop by for a Guinness. Writer/director John Patrick Shanley can be very good, especially when he’s working from his own plays. Shanley won an Oscar for penning Moonstruck, and drew a nomination when he adapted his stage play Doubt for the screen. He also directed the latter, a film that soared thanks to a quartet of nearly perfect performances (Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams—each the most exquisite piece of casting imaginable). Though considerably lighter, Shanley’s latest boasts an impressive cast as well. Not Doubt impressive, but what is? Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan anchor the film as two unreasonably attractive and weirdly single neighbors in rural County Mayo. Rosemary and Anthony have known each other all their lives, and even though many (including Anthony’s father Tony, played by Christopher Walken) have given up on the union, Rosemary will have her beloved Anthony one day. Let’s stop a sec on Walken. He’s a great actor, a beloved icon, a cool dude. What he is not is Irish. Does that really matter—Walken’s accent isn’t exactly American, right? It’s just, well, Walken. The point is that Shanley couldn’t be less interested in authentic Irishness. Wild Mountain Thyme’s authenticity rivals that of Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Oh the whimsy! The blarney! The third act reveal that outshines any act of nonsense you are likely to find on screen this year. How much Jameson’s did Shanley down before committing this to film? It’s beautiful, don’t misunderstand. The verdant farms as well as the cast (Jon Hamm joins Blunt and Dornan as the Yank looking for an Irish farm and an Irish lass). It’s just so Irish-Spring-ad ridiculous. It’s nice, though. Its belabored whimsy kind of clubs you into a stupor by around the third or fourth rainstorm (what, no rainbow?!). The story meanders. The symbolism serves only to further confuse things. The magic Shanley weaves can’t transcend the film’s lunacy long enough to give Wild Mountain Thyme the fairy tale quality it desperately wants. Still, Blunt and Dornan are engaging and you have to give the film credit for sheer shamrock audacity. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by:#AJLamb Written by: #AJLamb & #ChrisSmith Starring: #AngeliqueJoan, #JackWarner, #MichèleBelgrand Film Review by Lucy Clarke Children’s short films are synonymous with Christmas day. Bellies stuffed with Christmas pudding and attention spans wavering after all the excitement from the visit from Santa, a short film is the best thing to ease everyone into Boxing Day. The BBC have done this for years with the likes of The First Snow of Winter, Robbie the Reindeer and The Gruffalo. Writer and Director AJ Lamb has crystallised childhood nostalgia in the most perfect Christmas time setting – a toy shop. This is a toyshop which rejects the shackles of modernity. No consoles or tablets deck the shelves. Instead, the toy shop is comfortingly old fashioned. There are cuddly toys propped up on the windowsill, a car painted like TV icon Brum, and a Victorian-style cash register in the corner. Emma (Angelique Joan) is a struggling actress. She just can’t get her words right, and she frets that she’ll never be able to live up to her mother’s (Michèle Belgrand) talents. But with the help of her Grandfather (Jack Warner) and the magic of the toy shop, she starts to believe in her own worth. Warm and fuzzy, The Magical Toy Shop borrows the best bits from classic children’s TV shows. While the Brum car toy is an obvious nod to bygone days, the cluttered shop is reminiscent of the shop in The Queen’s Nose. The gentleness of the short evokes the same nostalgia found in The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends. The yellow glow recalls a warm crackling fireside while the wisps of animation seen in a largely live-action film are nothing short of magical. The winking theatre cutouts and soft toys are nothing less than enchanting. Emma’s dilemma might be easily solved with the old mantra “believe in yourself”, but The Magical Toy Shop is wonderfully sweet without being saccharine. Even though the motto might seem a little trite and adults may scoff, it’s easy to suspend your disbelief while watching this. Encased in this short film is a rare bit of magic which warms the cockles of your heart. The Magical Toy Shop is as comforting as a mince pie and as good-natured as Rudolph. The old toys that live in the shop awaken a hidden nostalgia in adults. This is a brilliant family film, and our heroine's worries and the comfort she finds from the toy shop and her grandfather are universal – regardless if you’re five or ninety-five. And if you can’t enjoy magic at Christmas, when can you?

★★★ Written & Directed by #PhilStubbs Starring #EllisJ.Wells, #HarryDyer, #LisaRonaghan Film Review by Lawrence Bennie You’re a harmless, well-meaning soul. Somewhat socially awkward maybe but, on the whole, you never put a foot wrong. You do though have one friend, who you’re endlessly loyal to. However, he’s reckless, irresponsible and can’t help but continually land himself in trouble. And, this time, he’s £10,000 in debt to a ruthless gangster. Welcome to the world of Flynn, the hapless but unlikely hero in writer-director Phil Stubbs’ enjoyable comedy-drama Last Chancers, impressively (and exquisitely) shot in 21 days with a budget of just £20,000. On the back of a surprisingly successful first date with the charming Jen (Lisa Ronaghan), job-seeking Flynn (Ellis J. Wells) is all set for a night of Netflix and chill second time round. However, his would-be romantic evening gets off to a more than rocky start when down-at-heel Aiden (Harry Dyer) shows up with some grim news for Flynn. Not only is he in debt to the “biggest criminal in the county”, but Aiden has thoughtlessly roped in his oblivious best friend as the guarantor. Together, the cash-strapped, dippy duo have no option but to alternatively take up a "favour" for the infamous Poynter (Brian Croucher), which is bound to land them in even deeper trouble. Shot like a drama, written as a comedy, Last Chancers is a hit-and-miss mixed bag which, at least, makes for an agreeable 78 minutes. Wells and Dyer work well enough together, even if their timing is occasionally off. Television veteran Croucher makes a welcome return to the screen as the local rogue terrorising the unlikely lads whilst Ronaghan manages to bring some warmth and maturity to the madness. The film’s real scene-stealer though is probably Emily Carding as the scary henchwoman Flynn and Aiden encounter during their escapades. Stubbs’ script is somewhat uneven. Some gags and lines miss the beat. Others hit the chuckle mark more successfully, even if there's a tendency to use the F word a tad too often in place of a good punchline. Also, somewhat patchy in places is the film’s editing, although there’s plenty to admire in Richard Bertenshaw’s cinematography, arguably the highlight of the film. Last Chancers is an oddity. A curious blend of comedy, drama and thriller, which fluctuates between each genre with mixed results. Yet, there’s enough quirkiness, tension and titters to ensure that Stubbs’ feature-length debut will be far from his last chance on the big screen. #LawrenceBennie

★★ Directed by #LouisHannan, #DominicHodge Written by #GaiusBrown. #LouisHannan, #DominicHodge, #ElliotHughes, #RyanJones, #AndreReid Starring #LeoTaylor-Jannati,#VictoriaSlinger, #KeithFlood Film Review by Lawrence Bennie What if the Cold War never ended? Suppose a coalition was formed by the Soviet Union and China, leaving Britain to evolve into a ruthless fascist dictatorship in order to quell the threat of Communism. Such is the political backdrop to Bastion, helmed (and co-written) by the directorial duo of Louis Hannah and Dominic Hodge. Increasingly paranoid office-worker David (Leo Taylor-Jannati) ditches city life for the idyllic village of Taverstone. As he becomes further estranged from his pregnant wife Abigail (Victoria Slinger), David falls under the wing of omnipotent Lord Taverstone (Keith Flood) who soon employs him as a spy to help keep his village under guard. As David, Taylor-Jannati gives a disappointingly soulless performance, not helped by the fact that Hannah and Hodge kept their protagonist firmly unappealing throughout. Faring much better is Slinger as the hapless Abigail, comfortably delivering the film’s best performance by a fair stretch. The often lazy script provides little explanation to suggest the motivation behind the character of David; it just comes off as clichéd Big Brother paranoia and a superficial plot device to get the story to Taverstone. In fact, the setting of a totalitarian Britain is never convincing, and ends up bearing little weight on the story. Whether one buys it or not, the set-up isn’t going to be making it into any screenwriting manuals, that’s for sure Things become more interesting when the couple do eventually arrive to Taverstone. The picturesque village contrasts with the odd hostility of the locals, lending proceedings an almost Hitchcockian touch, whilst Abigail’s bizarre dream sequences bring the film a dash of much-needed creativity. Another more classier performance is delivered by Flood as the quietly sinister village tyrant, whilst Levan Bailey and Liberty’s Shaw cinematography of the fictional Taverstone (in real-life, Lancashire’s Scorton village) is splendid. After the sloppy start, a sense of atmosphere and mystery does begin to creep into the film. Yet, it’s again let down by lazy plotting. Taverstone takes on David as his stooge from nowhere and, by the film's end, he has made the more than unlikely transition from village newcomer to a Michael Corleone figure. Slow and often dull, Bastion is a missed opportunity, particularly given the beauty of its Lanchashire locations. Ultimately, Hannah and Hodge’s film would have worked better as a straightforward thriller; the filmmakers certainly show more potential for atmosphere and mystery than they do for dystopian politics. #LawrenceBennie

★★★★★ Written & Directed by: #DeepakReddy Starring: #VirajAshwin, #DrishikaChander, #SriValliRaghavender, #PrithviSharma Short Film Review by Taryll Baker A young man muses on the nature of love, recounting three relationships from his past. The girls in his life resemble three different seasons, namely Chaitra (Spring), Varsha (Monsoon) and Seeta (Winter). Sometimes the most simple of ideas can achieve so much, and with Deepak Reddy’s short film Manasanamaha, that is most definitely the case. Taking place across three seasons, each with a tale of a young man’s relationship with three different girls, this ravishing romantic comedy spins backwards in time, displaying vibrant scenes of love, heartbreak and, well, life. I think most of the charm holds heavily in the choice to present the film in reverse order, not just chronologically, but in literal reverse time. It shakes up the temporal standard and places viewers into a vast exploration of a dramatic relationship with importance placed on camera work. Several scenes shift from a point-of-view perspective, back to the usual ‘fourth wall.’ It’s these shifts, paired with the reverse effect that makes Manasanamaha so inviting and engaging. There’s a lot of creativity oozing from every frame, not only visually but musically, too. The acting from all is wonderful, Viraj Ashwin performs well across from the three beautiful actresses (Drishika Chander, SriValli Raghavender and Prithvi Sharma), each bringing their own alluring aura. Less attention is placed on dialogue, however, and more on emotion. Each season springs by in a rapid pace, but never once feels like a rush. The music by Syed Kamran, a decorous addition to the film, leads you through each scene with finesse. In fact, with it featuring some songs, it almost comes across as a hefty, more high-budget music video, which is pretty refreshing to see. Every key moment is hit accurately and sharply. There are seamless transitions placed throughout and the changing of the seasons was a nice touch, as it really feels like Reddy got to explore various tones and in doing so, got to flex his skills as a filmmaker. Manasanamaha is a perfect display of the greatness of world cinema, and how talented these filmmakers are. In terms of concept, it’s fairly straightforward. But on a technical level, this short film raised the bar. Manasanamaha is a fantastic, stunning, colourful and uplifting film, not to be missed. Watch the trailer for Manasanamaha below. #TaryllBaker

★★★ Directed by: #TomGatley Written by: Tom Gatley Starring: #VanHu Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch “The War is Over!” The iconic image of a woman surrounded by doves used for a poster to celebrate the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 designed by Phil Ochs and photographed by Cora Weiss & Dan Luce. Tom Gatley’s film Peace is a haunting short on the origin of the image as we watch the performance at Hanoi circus in 1972. With a three minute runtime, Gatley uses a single shot to tell this story and in its simplicity feels layered with all the complexity and pain of the period. Van Hu who portrays the performer stands still dressed in white as she slowly looks towards the camera, smiling and holding her arms out as doves begin to fly around her. During these actions, Gatley’s score swells loud as it drowns out auditory speeches from figures of the Vietnam war such as Richard Nixon along with the sounds of gunfire. Hanoi 1972 takes on historical significance as it was the same year as “The Christmas Bombings” a major bombing campaign by the American military against Hanoi. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger’s infamous comment of "peace is at hand” is believed to be one of the reasons to have created pressure on both sides for an agreement, leading to failed talks and then a more aggressive stance from the US. Gatley’s film doesn’t feel political though as the words of politicians are drowned out. Peace focuses on a human spirit that endures in this hostility but also in how it doesn’t remain unscathed. As the film goes on though this seemingly celebratory and peaceful image takes on an eerie tone, cinematographer Andy Toovey has Hu lit by a spotlight, along with surrounding red lights, diffused by surrounding fog. Hu’s expression at the beginning of the film is saddened, perhaps the character is grieving a personal loss from the war but as the “performance” goes on the smile on her face seems to be strained. This expression holds as the doves begin to fly around the room, these red lights illuminating her face as she tries to mask the pain she’s in. Hu’s performance is captivating as this statuesque smile doesn’t reach her eyes, making the image of “peace” take on an unnerving feeling. Is it peace though? Gatley directs the emotion of this film through his score as its climax leaves one unnerved rather than jubilant. Is it all a front to the pain beneath? Foreshadowing to the horror coming to Hanoi? You’re left with internal queries on what the image represents beyond the surface level and even if Gatley isn’t entirely clear with his intentions the sight of the woman is still as striking as it was forty years ago. With terrific visuals and score, Peace from Tom Gatley has a poignancy that makes it memorable. #CoreyBulloch #shortfilm