★★ Directed by: #RonHoward Written by: #VanessaTaylor Starring: #AmyAdams, #GlennClose, #GabrielBasso, #HaleyBennett, #FreidaPinto, #BoHopkins Film Review by: Corey Bulloch Even in these strange times of cinema, there’s something oddly reassuring to see the season bring in the usual offerings of awards bait. With an Academy-award winning director, prestigious stars, and adapted from a New York Times bestseller about poverty and personal strife, Hillbilly Elegy seems to tick all the necessary superficial boxes. Despite captivating performances from Glenn Close and Amy Adams, its the poorly structured and melodramatic script from Vanessa Taylor that leaves the film as hollow as the stereotypes it claims to be deconstructing. J.D Vance, a venture capitalist whose autobiography centred around his upbringing in Ohio, raised by his mother and grandmother with Appalachian values was hailed as a supposed portrait into the struggles of the white working-class of America. With cultural divisions in America more splintered four years on, Ron Howard’s film feels like a tone-deaf assumption of these issues which exacerbate upon the criticisms lobbied at Vance’s book. The film follows an adult Vance returning home from Yale in the wake of his mother’s overdose, as he attempts to handle the emotional fallout Vance reflects on his childhood through various flashbacks focused on the complicated relationships he had with his family. Hillbilly Elegy aims to examine the sacrifices families make for one another through loyalty as Vance’s tries to absolve his guilt for finding success and leaving his family behind. Vance has “escaped” the poor echelon his family had toiled through for generations, hiding or downplaying his heritage to his girlfriend and potential employers. Howard’s direction leaves the film lacking verisimilitude, a lot of the dramatic scenes (mostly involving Amy Adams’ Beverly Vance hollering in rage or hysteria) just wildly go off the rails. These scenes displaying J.D’s difficulties with his mother can be bewildering in how they address the subject matter including child abuse and drug abuse. It’s less of a story about Appalachia and its culture than just a series of repetitive melodramatic family outbursts. Neither Gabriel Basso nor Owen Asztalos can make J.D Vance a compelling protagonist, whether it be in present-day or flashback, Vance’s youthful selfishness or elder frustration just leave audiences apathetic to him. While their characters are let down by clichéd writing I found the lead performances from Glenn Close and Amy Adams to be the best part of the film. Their raw talent is doing most of the heavy lifting for Hillbilly Elegy especially Close whose "Mamaw" Vance is a scene-stealer from her very first appearance. Though even their energy can become tiresome as Adams’ sudden bursts of anger seem more in line to give her an awards clip rather than a commentary on the character’s mental health. It's clear Oscar bait but not even compelling Oscar bait, its themes are underdeveloped and not inspired at all. Not a realistic portrait to poverty-stricken America in the slightest but rather “Hollywood’s” idea of what that might entail, lacking realism and authenticity in its narrative. Hillbilly Elegy just looks down on the culture its supposedly representing, relying on stereotypes and frustrating bathos than anything real to say about the issues it's shallowly parading around. #CoreyBulloch #Netflix

★ Directed by #JamieBabbit Written by #SamBain Starring #DrewBarrymore Film Review by Hope Madden Director Jamie Babbit specializes in comedies about unlikeable women. While the films invariably appeal to a fairly select taste, they are almost always appealing. Not today. Today she’s made the longest 2-hour comedy in history. I felt myself age. I did not feel myself laugh. The Stand In should be a by-the-numbers twist on All About Eve, an evil twin kind of comedy caper. According to its promotion, it’s “the story of a disaffected comedy actress and her ambitious stand-in trading places.” Eventually, that’s what it is. Candy Black (Drew Barrymore, better than this) hates her fame, her life and her career. It’s driven her to bottles of pills and liquor and finally, into reclusion. That reclusion has driven her stand-in Paula (also Barrymore, still better than this) to unemployment and homelessness. So eventually, they switch identities. “Eventually” being the key word because even though you can see where this is going from the film’s opening scene, The Stand In takes a full 45 minutes to get there. That is to say that Act 1 is 45 minutes long. And once you’re there you realize you know where things will go from here, so why on earth did you wait this long to just settle into a brazenly predictable if inexplicably lengthy and surprisingly mean spirited trajectory? It is not because you were so busy laughing you didn’t notice the time. Sam Bain wrote 2010’s magnificent Four Lions, a smart, provocative political comedy that too few people saw. Babbit directed the ballsy cult comedy But I’m a Cheerleader. Barrymore is likable, talented and funny. What the hell went so miserably, soul crushingly wrong with this movie?! A big part of the problem is a lack of commitment to tone. Both director and writer have experience with satire, although this film fails miserably at the wit or social commentary required. Moments of farce don’t land, the romantic comedy angle—Barrymore’s bread and butter—is maybe its weakest attempt. Babbit’s film feels most at home as a belabored attempt at dark comedy—dark mainly because every character is loathsome, so at least that part is a success. Comedy, though? God no. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by: Eli Roth Written by: Eli Roth Starring: Eli Roth, Jay Hernadez, Derek Richardson and Rick Hoffman Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Hostel Film Review Ah 2005: flip phones, chatting on MSN, people wearing long sleeves under t-shirts and of course The O.C. being played on Sunday morning television...times were certainly a lot more simple back then, but while we lived in that idyllic world, the horror genre had taken a deep and dark turn. Gore porn came bursting through the door with the franchise Saw, horror movies which in my opinion were boring, dull and overplayed. I was not a fan, but I was alone, Saw drew in the crowds over and over again, spanning quite the collection of flicks...so like the slasher frenzy in the ‘80s it was not long until other filmmakers got in on the action. Enter the stage Eli Roth and his new venture, frothing at the gums Mr Roth, was nothing but the perfect candidate for gore porn, I mean does everyone remember the horrific body gore of Cabin Fever? When the girl shaves her legs and the skin comes off...yeah that was all down to the mind of Mr Roth, so of course, I can imagine his mind thick with ideas at this new sub-genre of horror. Like a knife pilled high with creamy peanut butter, Eli was ready to produce a thick slice of blood and body parts all over the bread, and Hostel certainly does not disappoint. The story of Hostel follows three guys who take the typical European vacation in their early twenties, desperate for pussy and weed, in fact, that's all they talk about. You hear the word pussy more times in the first 15 mins of this film than you do in a porno, so much so that their hunt for women and drugs leads them toward a hostel that is swimming in both. I grit my teeth as I instantly hated all of them, with their obnoxious attitudes and toxic masculinity, I was praying that this was done intentionally so that you want them to die...I wanted them to die, I wanted to kill them, anything so I didn't have to see them attempt to get laid for one second more, and in the scene where they hand over their passports for the duration of their stay in a hotel, I knew they were doomed to die...I mean come on, who's that stupid? All this plays out on the screen, they club to house anthems, they dry hump women on the dance floor and the audience starts to lose the will to live but soon their buddies go missing one by one...oh no, said no one at that point, but of course one of these wet blankets of men wakes up in a rather unseemly place, no windows, tied to a chair. He senses the worse, especially when that guy comes in and starts to stab him a bit...bet that was not on the holiday itinerary. Now out of the three idiots, he has some brain cells and his ability to put 1 and 1 together means he is able to escape and uncover the evil world of pay to kill hostels, the ones they had become the victim of, and it’s not long until he realises that this business goes deep, so much so that nearly everyone they had encountered during the course of their trip had been in on it, ready to sell them to make a quick buck and start all over again on the next pussy-hungry tourists. Now despite my initial hatred for everyone on the screen (trust me, I’m justified, they were dreadful) the second half of the film has a certain finesse to it. Roth pulls out his bag of tricks, where he is able to display some of the most horrific gore and body dismemberment in a manner which is not too hammy, many scenes show the victim’s face but not the violence itself, we see the blood but sometimes no wound, and then other times Roth flips the switch and someone having their eyes melted with a blow torch...tasty. And that is a powerful element that we cannot overlook, for we, like the victims, don't know what is around the next corner, we are victims of Roth at this point, only he can choose what we do and don't see, just like the executioners of the film can choose their victim’s punishments if you will, we are immersed in this claustrophobic and terrifying building, with no way of knowing how or when we will escape...powerful stuff. As a fan of horror but someone who has always avoided these kinds of films, I was pleasantly surprised, the storytelling was strong with a consistent pace, I felt connected to characters I hated deeply, and with just enough gore for the lovers of the bloody stuff and just enough ambiguity for those who require a little more suspense, Roth delivered something enjoyable, or at least compelling. Hostel teaches us not to be blind, not to just assume that everything is ok because we have our travel insurance and cellphones fully charged, for anyone could be the enemy and anyone could crave the thrill of the kill, we just don't know who, and how much they’re willing to pay to do it. #RachelPullen

★★★★ Directed by: Sada Rajiah, Desire Prevost Written by: Sada Rajiah, Deane Thomas, Bala Indradev Kanaram, Yudishta Varoona Gokool, Vikram Mugon Starring: Deane Thomas, Joshua Rose, Mahmade Meersaheb Film Review by: Jason Knight A wonderful journey that explores the lives and achievements of three extraordinary individuals. These three people are: Deane Thomas, an Englishman and the founder of True Tesla Technologies in Mauritius, Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, who explored high frequencies and lighting and created the world's first X-ray images, along with wireless technology, radio waves and telephony. And finally Amode Ibrahim Atchia, an entrepreneur and technologist from Mauritius, who introduced the use of scientific ideas and invented mechanical and structural progress in technology. The film begins with Thomas's story, then moves on to Tesla and then Atchia. Their lives are revealed in detail, beginning from their birth and upbringing and looking into how they managed to complete their remarkable achievements. After spending a life-time traveling the world, living in different countries, Thomas decided to explore the lives of Tesla and Atchia and how their accomplishments affected history. Tesla and Atchia began their work in late nineteenth century and their stories are nothing less than fascinating. Thomas also provides narration and he does a great job. He narrates his own story and Tesla's one, while the narration for Atchia's part is done by another person. The film consists of many photos which show Thomas's past life, locations around the world and himself, Tesla and Atchia. Some pictures appear in front of a blurred background. There is also frequent animation, which depicts the journey route one of the three has taken on a map, resembling the ones seen in the Indiana Jones films. The first scene is also animated, which shows planet Earth from space and deserves a lot of praise. There are also re-enactment scenes of the lives of Tesla and Atchia. These scenes were filmed in black-and-white and the footage has been altered to look damaged and scratched, thus bringing the audience back to that era. And the actors do a good job. All the scenes and photos are put together by great editing, with the filmmakers making effective use of the wipe and dissolve techniques. The score accompanies the images well. At times it is strong and adventurous, indicating significant accomplishments, which works well considering that this documentary is about achievements, and in other parts the music is tender and peaceful. This hour long feature is about three people who made very significant contributions to the world and anyone who wishes to learn about them, will most likely find this piece of work very interesting. #JasonKnight Trailer:

★★★★ Directed by: #AndrewGale Written by: #AdamHowes Starring: #AdamHowes, #AlinaChan Film review by: Joseph Rodgers The End of All Things is an atmospheric and gripping post-apocalypse indie movie that shines thanks to Andrew Gale’s assured directorial vision as well as the strength of its acting, cinematography and score. It takes a while for this dystopian vision to come into focus: a middle-aged man (Adam Howes), a younger woman (Alina Chan) and a boy (Harry Davies) navigate a desolate rural wasteland; they camp amongst ruins, forage for food, breed mice, and gather wood for their fires. They have formed a clan and are focused intently on survival, but what is their exact relation, and what seismic event has so devastated this world? Gradually, some details emerge: the man and woman were once romantically attached, yet the older and wiser man is hesitant to bring life into such a ravaged world. However, the exact nature of this apocalypse is kept vague, and such minimal backstory works to the film’s strength. The End of All Things keeps us in the dark about such things, just as the boy and the woman are, until the boy discovers a strangely beautiful relic which also sparks a vision of a utopian future. The film mostly focuses on their efforts to make sense of the dark turn the world has taken, and their increasingly crazed attempts to make it right again. What is notably impressive about this indie film is how uniformly proficient its creative vision is. In terms of acting, there are solid performances from its central trio. As the lone character to remember the world before, Adam Howes is suitably haunted and grizzled. His character has tunnel vision for the bare struggle of survival, while keeping a flame alive for finding future community. “There’ll be others, somewhere”, he tells the questioning boy. As the young woman and boy, Alina Chan and Harry Davies respectively give strong performances of wide-eyed naivety, with their hopeful innocence turning childishly frenzied as their need for belief in a higher order moves beyond rationality into fallacy. The performances are supplemented by an impressive visual aesthetic: the film’s choice of locations is excellent, as are its set designs. This ravaged world feels authentically lived-in and believable. If you were impressed by Cormac McCarthy adaptation The Road with Viggo Mortensen, then you will be similarly won over by The End of All Things. The perished environment is captured by a refined yet gritty cinematography (also from Andrew Gale), which suitably paints in shades of grey and brown, while every shot is well-lit and suitably framed. On top of such technical skill, the film possesses an excellent score from composer Ant Dickinson, which enhances the emotional heft and suspense of different scenes. Thankfully, the film is not just style with no substance though, as the plot itself, while minimal, is engaging and takes some satisfyingly unexpected turns. As director and cinematographer, Andrew Gale announces himself as a technically adept film- maker to look out for with The End of All Things, a tragic and riveting tale about the fallibility of faith in the midst of devastation.

★★★ Directed by: #MoScarpelli Written by: #MoScarpelli Starring: #AsalifTewold, #AlemSebisibeAyitenfsu Documentary Film Review by: #TomWilmot Anbessa is a documentary feature from filmmaker Mo Scarpelli, who wrote and directed the film. The title, which is the Amharic word for ‘lion’, is fitting for a film that tackles change and adaptation in the face of Western modernisation. Presenting a unique portrait of life on the fringes in the East African state of Ethiopia, Scarpelli delivers an interesting, slightly meandering documentary that is beautifully shot. The film follows 10-year-old Asalif, a young boy living with his mother on the outskirts of a new condominium complex in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Having been relocated with the rest of the agricultural community, Asalif roams his surroundings, scavenging through the vast residential area for electrical scraps to play with. The exploration of his surroundings sees the young boy encounter the effects of enforced urbanisation first-hand. With Anbessa, Scarpelli manages to weave a compelling narrative as she documents Asalif’s journey through the expansive condominium, as he interacts and with those who have become accustomed to a new way of life. The young boy is a compelling figure to follow, and through his point of view, we are able to witness cultural change through more innocent eyes. His creativity and adventurous nature make him different from his peers, who have been touched by urbanisation, and even get him into trouble on occasion. The film offers a unique perspective on the unseen consequences of rapid urbanisation and the influence of a Western lifestyle. Asalif’s mother talks fondly about the luscious farmland they used to own as she struggles to keep their new-found home from the grasp of eager property developers. You get the feeling that it’s not just the land that she and her neighbours have lost, but part of their way of life. The ever-expanding housing development leaves you with the impression that it won’t be too long before this existence is stamped out altogether. This eventual change should be cause for celebration. After all, each telling shot of mother and son’s home set against the imposing backdrop of the condominium makes the huge difference in living standards plain to see. But Scarpelli isn’t concerned with the material gains. Instead, the director focuses on what is lost in the wake of modernisation, and in doing so, layers the documentary with a tinge of melancholy. The gulf in class and difference in lifestyle between Asalif and his condominium pals couldn’t be more evident, as he looks bewildered and somewhat out of place amongst the modern furnishings and technology. The film raises vital questions about his place in this new world, especially seeing as he is outcast by many of those already living in the condominium. How much longer can his community outrun the seemingly inevitable? How will he adapt to a completely new way of life? For as compelling as some of the points raised by Scarpelli are, there are times where the story at the heart of Anbessa drifts from focus. The shots of the landscape and the condominium are beautifully composed, particularly those contrasting the apartment blocks with the serene natural surroundings. However, these quiet moments are often accompanied by scenes that mark a stark departure from the documentary’s main subject matter. With Anbessa, Mo Scarpelli succeeds at presenting an alternative view of urbanisation that many viewers will not have considered. Through the eyes of the captivating Asalif, we are able to explore cultural change in a manner that is both engaging and empathetic. While the shift in focus at times distracts from the more interesting subject matter, the film is nevertheless a fascinating and poignant look at the developing world.

★★★ Directed by #JuliaHart Written by #JuliaHart #JordanHorowitz Starring #RachelBrosnahan Film Review by Rachel Willis Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) is desperate for a baby. So, when husband Eddie walks in the front door with a baby strapped to his chest and says it’s theirs, Jean happily accepts the situation. It helps that director Julia Hart (Fast Color) sets her newest film, I’m Your Woman, in the 1970’s when certain pesky questions surrounding adoption are a little easier to sidestep. Whether you believe a man could present a random child to his wife without her raising many suspicions, is a pivotal question that hovers over this film. Most of Jean’s life is spent in the dark. She doesn’t quite know what Eddie does for a living, (“he steals things”), she doesn’t know how to drive (Eddie doesn’t want her to), and she doesn’t know how to crack an egg without breaking the yolk. So, when Jean’s world is turned upside down, a lot of tension is built mostly on the fact that neither Jean nor the audience really knows what’s going on. It’s best to experience this ride with Jean, too many details will derail the nicely built tension that fills the entire film. Let’s just draw attention to the fact that Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is on fire in this movie. The role of Jean is made for her. As the ‘in-over-her-head’ housewife, we can sympathize with her as she struggles to deal with all the challenges of motherhood while also navigating the reality of her husband’s world. You might shake your head over some of her naivety, but Brosnahan handles Jean’s awakening to the world around her with touching sincerity. Playing against Brosnahan for big chunks of the film are Arinzé Kene as Cal and Marsha Stephanie Blake as Teri. Both characters help push Jean where she needs to go – both literally and metaphorically. And both actors match Brosnahan in their dedication to their roles. This film works as well as it does because these three bring it to life. Unfortunately, there are times when I’m Your Woman embraces some cheesy clichés, with some character decisions appearing predetermined by the type of film rather than because the situation warrants it. It’s disappointing such an overall strong film doesn’t avoid certain predictable pitfalls. But with such a stellar cast in a film that bristles with energy, it’s easy to overlook the few flaws. #RachelWillis

★★★★ Directed by #GeorgeCWolfe Written by #RubenSantiagoHudson #AugustWilson Starring #ChadwickBoseman #ViolaDavis #ColmanDomingo Film Review by George Wolf In 1927 Chicago, four musicians – three vets and a brash youngster – gather in the basement of a downtown recording studio. They tune up and rib each other, waiting for the star vocalist to arrive. That would be one Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, legendary “Mother of the Blues” and one of the first blues singers to make records. And in the late 1920s, those records sold, which meant Ma didn’t waste her time in studio basements. That spatial divide becomes the metaphorical anchor in director George C. Wolfe and screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s adaptation of August Wilson’s Tony Award-winning play. And thanks to the blistering adversarial performances by Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, the film has a show-stopping pillar on each floor. Boseman is electric as Levee, the ambitious trumpet player who’s not only ready to give Ma’s tunes some new swing, but also to break away and record some of his own compositions. Ma ain’t having any of that, or anything else that doesn’t smell the least bit right to Ma. And Davis, surprising no one, effortlessly embodies the blues legend with a smoldering, defiant ferocity. Early on, the rehearsal conversations still carry the aura of the stage, but this is Wolfe reinforcing the different worlds co-existing here, a difference that will be pivotal as events escalate. Wilson’s source work is another compelling example of his ability to explore the Black experience in America through the piercing intimacy of his characters. Ma’s records are selling, which gives her leverage over the white record producers. She exploits that leverage at every turn, but it only takes one cold, world-weary stare from the transcendent Davis to remind you how little illusions Ma has about any of it. Boseman’s work will undoubtedly earn an Oscar nomination, which will be nothing but well-deserved. Labeling Boseman’s final performance as his finest may smack of sentimentality – at least until you experience it. Then you realize how gracefully Boseman claims this story for Levee, and for the countless real life souls he represents. It is Levee’s arc that carries this film’s very soul, and Boseman’s chemistry with the stellar ensemble of Glynn Turman, Coleman Domingo and Michael Potts is a thing of beauty. As Levee moves from the cocky enthusiasm of the gifted to the painful cry of the oppressed, Boseman’s bittersweet goodbye becomes doubly heartbreaking. This is an elegant, artful salute to great art, and a sobering reminder of a shameful legacy marked by exploitation and appropriation. And it is thanks to a collection of great artists that Ma Rainey comes to the screen with all of its joy and pain intact. #GeorgeWolf

★ Directed by #MichelleDenner Written by #JasonChaseTyrrell Starring #SonyaWalger #PaulSorvino Film Review by Brandon Thomas Now more than ever, home has become the ultimate refuge. Our home is where we are supposed to feel the most comfortable, the safest. Image how horrifying it would be if that sanctuary started driving you insane. Well, maybe that’s not too hard to imagine right now, either. Successful stockbroker Henry Sharpe (Grand Bowler) seemingly has it all: a great career, a supportive and equally successful wife (Sonya Walger, TV’s Lost), and three healthy kids. All of that changes the night Henry is attacked in his home by masked strangers. Paranoid and angry, Henry installs a state-of-the-art security system in their home. This system is so high-tech that the family must provide blood samples so that their DNA can be bonded to the system. As the Sharpes’ comfort with the new system increases, so does their anger and paranoia. Writer Jason Chase Tyrrell and director Michelle Danner make a few big swings for social commentary, but the ideas and the execution just aren’t there. Dismantling the facade of suburbia as a safe haven has been a genre trope since the 1970s, and Bad Impulse’s inclusion of technology into the mix is neither fresh nor surprising. The broad strokes of this idea feel culled from a half dozen bottom shelf Twilight Zone episodes. Bad Impulse could’ve been fun on a purely visceral level. Instead, it’s a movie that never fully commits to its genre leanings. Outside of a stylish and well-executed opening, the movie almost seems embarrassed to be in the horror/thriller genre. Going full Savini might not have saved the film, but it certainly would’ve made for a more enjoyable watch. Danner is well-regarded as an industry acting coach, and she was able to attract some notable talent to the project. Bowler and Walger, in particular, do their best with the given material. Other industry vets like Dan Lauria (TV’s The Wonder Years) and Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) pop up in small roles to class the joint up. Unfortunately, the rest of the main cast does little to impress. The actors playing the Sharpe children aren’t up to the challenge of raising up weak material. Their solo scenes are where the movie loses too much steam to recover. Bad Impulse is a tired, and somewhat lazy, attempt at social horror that manages to bungle both the social and the horror. #BrandonThomas

★★★★ Directed by: Miles Joris-Peyrafitte Written by: Nicolaas Zwart Starring: Finn Cole, Margot Robbie, Travis Fimmel, Darby Camp Film Review by: Chris Olson Dreamland Film Review Out in cinemas in the UK on Friday 11th of December (if you can find one open), Dreamland stars Finn Cole and Margot Robbe in a dust bowl romance thriller that sees a bank robber (Robbie) take refuge in a family’s barn only for the son (Cole) to fall in love with her and assist her getaway, having initially signed on to try and apprehend her for a large bounty. As You Are (2016) director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte elicits an engrossing atmosphere from Nicolaas Zwart’s story, set during the tumultuous dust bowl era for American farming, which saw hordes of families ruined by the impact of the weather on their crops. Much like The Grapes of Wrath, Dreamland, as the name suggests, is directly linked to the idea of the American Dream during this period and explores the delicate balance between good and evil when it comes to surviving the harsh realities of life in the U.S. of A. Finn Cole brings an extraordinary amount of pathos to the role of Eugene, whom we meet at the beginning of the film as a “kid” stealing comics and too afraid to talk to girls. The coming-of-age aspect to the story sees him grow up real fast once introduced to the foul-mouthed outlaw Allison Wells - with an on-point performance by Margot Robbie who relishes the character’s opposition to social norms of the period. There is a brilliant chemistry between the two central performers and audiences with a penchant for classic crime capers like Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) will cherish the intelligent blend of romance, crime, and drama. Travis Fimmel is sadly underused, playing Eugene’s weathered step-dad. His rage at his step-son’s behaviour lacks potency and threat, coming across as lifeless as his character’s crops. Darby Camp puts in a decent turn, The Christmas Chronicles actor giving a hearty portrayal as Eugene’s sister and her adult voice provides the narration to the piece - adding to the nostalgic quality. As a contribution to the ongoing narrative surrounding the American Dream, Dreamland offers little in the way of original takes. The film’s themes of growing up during a depression-era are heartfelt but familiar, and the modern relevance of them is questionable. Is this something viewers will find compatible with their current lives? Relating to characters who turn to crime in order to survive harsh times has been done but the methodology here seems quaint and may struggle to connect with a 2020 audience whose concerns are unlikely to be solved by becoming a bank robber and fleeing to Mexico. Most of the scenes are low-key except for one dust storm whereby Fimmel attempts to get to the barn where Robbie hides out, which was compellingly suffocating. There is a use of stabbing cuts to innocuous visuals/memories like the ocean, or a piano, which are used to jolt the viewer, accompanied by sharp sound design. This added an unpredictable dimension to the film which, for the most part, lent intrigue. The strength of the movie lies in the commanding performances by Finn and Robbie though, whose unorthodox relationship makes for refreshing viewing given the period and plays out like a desperate search for freedom in the land of the free, regardless of the time. #ChrisOlson Watch the Dreamland trailer

Organized by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, with actor and director Sir Kenneth Branagh as its patron and judge, the Shakespeare Shorts Film Festival returns for its 2020 event, entirely held online, with another bumper crop of films inspired by the Bard. Among the judges also BBC FILMS producer Rebecca Dobbs. This year’s competition attracted almost 200 entries. The 13 films selected in the 2020 edition represent several countries including the UK, Ukraine, Italy, Greece, Argentina, Spain and Iran. As Kenneth Branagh said: "Congratulations to all these wonderfully talented filmmakers, and thanks to our ever-present collaborator, William Shakespeare!". A Shakespeare themed animation movie inspired by Romeo and Juliet has won the coveted 2020 Shakespeare Shorts Film Competition. Julia Shalimova, an Ukranian director, was awarded the prestigious title with her short animation film “Romeo + Juliet?”. The top three for the Animation film category included also The First Kiss by Greek director Angelos Spartalis and the Spanish film Jam Tomorrow by director Eflatun Serbay Celebi. The winner of category Best Film Inspired by Shakespeare is Out Spot! by Steven Fox, followed by, as part of the top three, By Any Other Name by director Peter Kimball and by Psa by William Shakespeare by Hannah Clift. For Best Interpretation of a Passage from Shakespeare the winner is Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Horatio by Keeghan VanderWater. In the top three also Hermione by Bella Merlino and Edgar by Luke Martin. Among the 13 films selected also Cordelia (The K. Sisterhood) with actress Isolda Dychauk, co-directed by Madel Nieddu Fresi and Guy Stephens representing Italy, Method in Madness by director Elise Lamb, Macbeth by Argentinian director Diego Campessi and Nail by Iranian director Mahdi Barqzadegan.

★★★ Written & Directed by: #ArunKonda Starring: #PaulLogan #JohannaAnttila #EricGorlow #RyanManuel #HaileyHayes Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Three years after his daughter Grace’s (Hayes) kidnapping, ex-cop Jordan (Logan) still hasn’t given up on finding out what happened to her, nor has he wavered in his belief that she is still alive. With his former colleagues in the police unable, or unwilling, to help, Jordan has little to go on until he encounters a homeless man Michael (Gorlow) in possession of one of his daughter's belongings who it transpires is mute, meaning Jordan must enlist the help of sign language teacher Madison (Anttila) to try and get through to Michael to find out what he remembers, leading all three of them down a rather deep rabbit hole of revelations. Captivating, tense, tender, even surprising. Writer/director Arun Konda’s film Loss of Grace is definitely all these things and more. But before we address the plethora of commendable adjectives that make this film an overall success, one word that also might accurately describe it is frustrating. Frustrating in that there are some impossible to ignore and consistently present missteps that prevent Loss of Grace from really achieving its true potential, most notably the films poor sound editing, which frankly plagues the film way too often. And not always in the same way either. Sometimes it’s dialogue being drowned out by an overpowering score or background noise, other times our speaking characters sound like they are underwater or trapped behind glass and on one or two occasions, there is the presence of some glaringly bad ADR, bad enough to make you cringe. However, that aside, thankfully the greater majority of Loss of Grace is really quite enjoyable, and there are even times where the film positively sings. It's a decently written script from Konda, finely balanced with equal parts drama, emotion, action and tension that means the film never feels stagnant, never feels boring and you find yourself genuinely invested from beginning to end. Also, despite its occasional shortcomings in terms of audio, visually there is hardly a foot put wrong here, maybe there are a couple of noticeable jumps and slices in the edit but overall, the film looks and feels as good as one would hope. But it's the performances that really drive this film forward. Much like the sound, they don’t always hit the mark, some of the character interactions seem a bit bland and forced, at times due to uninspired dialogue, other times its due to uninspired delivery. But that’s mainly reserved for the supporting cast, whereas the leading trio of Logan, Gorlow and Anttila manage to give Konda’s story the grace (sorry) and gravitas it deserves especially in the films second act, with rather endearing performances that mean we can’t help but root for them. Yes, certain aspects of the film do fluctuate somewhat in terms of quality from time to time, but it’s clear to see that Loss of Grace is an absolute labour of love where every individual involved is giving it everything they’ve got, ultimately delivering a rather entertaining ninety-plus minutes full of tension, drama, action and heart. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here: