Star Rating: ★★★ Directed by: #GregoryHatanaka Written by: #GregoryHatanaka Starring: #ShaneRyan, #ScottButler, #SarahRine, #LisaLondon, #SalLandi, #ChrisSpinelli, #BarrySattels, #BryndaMattox, #NicoleDAngelo, #TaniaFox, #JocycelyneLew, #SaigeSpinney, #BellaCruz, #JenniferField, #BennyTjandra, #HaileeLipscomb, #AnthiaGillick The relatively short feature 2020 Choke sees Gregory Hatanaka direct a tale of overlap where a detective and serial killer have a fleeting affair - if you will - with the same girl Jeanie/Peyton (Sarah Brine), a woman seems to offer the duo some kind of stability in whats often a hectic or broken lifestyle tab by the two Male leads. Now I found a fair few ‘positives‘ to this title if I’m being perfectly honest and really make it entertaining in the face of some of its lesser qualities. The most obvious of these stand out aspects was cinematography, right off the bat the picture quality is incredible, from stock footage to original cinematography. I wouldn’t say it’s revolutionary or a reinvention of the wheel by any means but I found resemblances to Drive and more fittingly The Colour out of Space only a version of both that is more toned down and infrequent. That said, there were quite a few moments of intense, multi-coloured hazing which was genuinely a rather stunning composition. In all, Hatanaka did a fine job behind the camera and that’s probably what saved the narrative for me, it at least captures his vision at true and close as possible. For a while I’ll focus on the Narrative, the dual leads of Brandon (Shane Ryan), and Robert (Scott Butler) mirror each other quite well to a degree - at their core the two are almost villainous and to heap some more credit it does a fine job in humanising two deplorable figures which is something I find rarely done and incredibly tough to pull off successfully. If you want a few examples then look at say Lolita in one of its forms or Suzanne by Plan B, so there’s a little context with those in the picture, It genuinely felt somewhat natural and just rather than a forced framing device. While I wouldn’t say it’s the textbook example of how to humanise an outright villainous character, I have seen far worse and was surprised when it beat my expectations. As fine as it does work, I did find myself a little jarred when the character focus switched, I knew a little of what to expect from the synopsis and was looking for a balance between characters but didn’t find the way it was executed to be organic in any sense, especially as the men are diametrically opposed, one killer, one cop - I just felt as though there was an easier way of integrating the dual protagonists. If anything, my gripes with the narrative are related solely to the concept. As one would expect, Choking plays a large role in the film but its weirdly gratuitous. Shane Ryan’s character has that as his MO and it clearly drives his character so fair enough, but I don’t find the way it translates to others as natural. It struck me as convenient and incredibly odd that these minor characters also had the same kind of ‘fetish’ if you will. Ryan‘s opposite, Robert seems to share the same sexual desire in pain and miraculously the two men find an array of females and a small cult who all dabble in this self-inflicted pain. It’s a weird one cause as outlandish as it is, I found it being one of those odd cases where it would benefit from a longer run time to really be more engaging and grounded too. I can’t really say much bad about the film as I struggled to really settle on anything that was particularly stand out. Obviously I have a few teething issues with the narrative but little else save from the acting quality. I won’t drag anybody in the cast as it’s crossing a line to do so but let’s just say there was a major disparity in quality. Outside of the core cast of three stars: Ryan, Butler and Brine, with maybe the exception of Lisa London, practically everybody else was just spouting exposition. There wasn’t really any supporting characters of note and I would go as far to say we didn’t even really see some ‘foil’ characters that propped up the film. It’s not really endemic of any major problem and the support is more of a minor feature so thankfully they weren’t all that present to spur things but it left things a little flat as a result. The leads make an atmospheric outing as do a number of other form aspects that conspire to build its own identity, but perhaps the most important aspect of the film just let it down. In all I would recommend Choke it’s certainly an outlandish film that is, perhaps, an acquired taste but given its filmic qualities and brief run time, I believe many would find some fun in this, just was something I saw as ‘middle of the road’ and slightly undone by its own flaws.

Film Festival Feature by Chris Olson The adaptability of the film industry is known for its robustness. Changes to the way filmmakers make films or the way audiences see them have come from all kinds of direction: technological advances, societal progression, and economic fluctuations. Few, however, have had such a dramatic and immediate impact as the outbreak of Coronavirus in 2019 and 2020. After an initial wave of cancelled film events, production shutdowns, and delayed-release dates, the film industry started to collaborate and adapt. One of the most obvious, and surprisingly tricky, transitions was to move the previously preferred in-person film festivals to online platforms. The results have been largely underwhelming, with many viewers still yearning for online film festivals to step up their game and recreate the actual aspects of festivals that make them so beloved. Some film festivals are opting to eschew online versions and simply wait out the various lockdown rules and hope they can put their events on - either later this year or planning for a 2021 event (who knows what next year holds for us all!). Those who have decided to provide an online version of their 2020 film festival have done so in a variety of different ways. The We Are One Global Film Festival, which coordinated films from a huge host of top-tier film festivals, ran their online film festival on YouTube and made all of the films free. It was a great opportunity for audiences to see an array of incredible films, however, the event lacked any of the interaction which makes film festivals so much fun. Viewers were left largely to their own devices and also suffered from a confusing mix of availability. Some films were available for the duration of the event, whilst others were time-sensitive. This lack of clarity perhaps stemmed from only having a short period of time to create their event. One of the best UK film festivals, the London Film Festival from the BFI, has also announced that their 2020 event will include an extensive online component. Slated for autumn 2020, it will be interesting to see how the flagship film festival tackles the challenges of running an online film festival and how it attempts to meet the expectations of audiences who will have enjoyed decades of attending London screenings run by the LFF. Will the energy and buzz of its festival have the same feeling as seeing the capital taken over by their branding, red carpets, and celeb attendees? Where film festivals will succeed is if they can strike the right balance between aspects they can recreate authentically and those they can improve on using the benefits of an online event. What benefits I hear you ask. Yes. There are positive impacts of having an online film festival, especially if festival organisers are able to fully grapple with the social aspect. Should they be able to implement live streaming, video chat rooms, and VR experiences without the experience feeling like a clunky Skype with your grandparents, we could see a new era of film events. The future of film festivals should include an online element. There are plenty of reasons to keep them in-person (it gets a lot of us out of the house!) but for viewers across the globe, including some of the filmmakers whose films are in competition, allowing them to attend albeit digitally would expand their impact and open up a huge number of opportunities for festivals and filmmakers alike. One of the ways in which the UK Film Review Festival will do this in November 2020, is giving officially selected filmmakers 50% of the revenue made from their online ticket sales. This is just one of the ways in which festivals could give back to the filmmaking community (who have suffered massively in terms of finances in 2020). Accessibility is also an important aspect of film festivals. Subtitled screenings are pretty rare and some venues can struggle to accommodate disabled attendees. Having an online option can open these events up to more people with extra needs. As with all changes to the film industry, there will be a period of fluctuation and lesson-learning. With the world being reset, it seems the perfect time to reevaluate the film festival experience and not see online elements as a short-term distraction to keep their brand alive, but instead, at the very least, a way to enhance them for the future - whatever the hell that will look like. #ChrisOlson

★★★★ Directed by #CatrinEinhorn, #LeslyeDavis Starring #BrianEisch Film Review by Lawrence Bennie Father Soldier Son is a remarkable documentary about a remarkable family. Directorial duo Catrin Einhorn and Leslye Davis, two New York Times journalists, originally commenced their project in 2010 with the intention of chronicling the effects of military service on one family. Ten years later, Einhorn and Davis’ initial story has evolved into a powerful Netflix film that makes for poignant viewing. The film focuses on the family of Brian Eisch, the single father of Isaac and Joey, deployed to Afghanistan. Early on in the film, Brian makes a candid confession. “You know what my biggest fear is? Isaac says he’s got a buddy at school, that his dad went to Iraq, and he changed. I don’t want to be that dad”. However, when Brian returns home after being shot, things do change profoundly for the family. Over the years, the Eischs experience happiness, heartrbreak and, through all the immeasurable hardship, hope and redemption. Einhorn and Davis’ film flows with resonant moments. Brian is shown repeatedly immersed in a violent, war-based video game. Joey tearfully struggles in frustration during his wrestling competition. Poignantly, the teenage Isaac grapples with the profound changes in his father and their home life: “Sacrificing yourself to go fight a war for your country is definitely a noble cause. But, at the same time, I’m not sure his injuries for the rest of his life were worth it at all”. In a recent New York Times retrospective, Einhorn has voiced the motivation behind the commitment to the Eischs. “We stuck with the story because we simply had to…It kept going in so many surprising directions”. Indeed, the twists, turns and triumphs in the Eisch story are akin to what we might experience from a fictional narrative film. The effect is reinforced further by the condensing of 10 years into the film’s 100 minute running time. As a story, it could be something out of Hollywood. Yet, the tragedies that befall the family are not industry-required plot-points. The better times are not insertions from studio executives eager for a more upbeat tone. This is all real life. And, as viewers, we're there first-hand. In the film’s opening segment, Brian, straight off the plane, has a reunion with Joey and Isaac on his return home from Afghanistan. Largely due to YouTube, scenes of emotional reunions between soldiers and their loved ones have become a familiar favourite on screens. Yet, there is something exceptionally touching when we are given our first shot of a Eisch family reunion. Is it because Brian is a single father to the two boys? Is it the fact that everyone around them warmly erupts in applause? In retrospect, the scene takes on greater significance. A even tougher journey, and separation, lie ahead. Here, Brian is in his prime. Another time, things will be very different. Father Soldier Son is an exceptional documentary, not only for the story behind its production, but for its unique, intimate portrait of an American family. Einhorn and Davis are to be applauded. And, once more, so are the Eischs. #LawrenceBennie

★★★ Directed by: Maciek Kaliski Film Review by: Jason Knight Filmmaker Maciek Kaliski has put together footage that was filmed over a period of approximately twenty five years in order to create his experimental short film Strange, Is This World or Dziwny, Jest Ten Swiat as that is the original title. The film is basically made out of video recordings of various individuals and locations. For instance there is footage of a priest conducting a ceremony in a church, in front of a large crowd. There is old footage of what appears to be a family spending time in their garden. A man is seen holding a camera and filming himself in the mirror. There is a shot of clouds, probably filmed from the window of a plane. There are shots looking up at the sky. There is a dog running in the snow. There is footage of a street light at night-time. What Kaliski intended to deliver with this project seems to be open to interpretation. Every footage gives the impression that it is unrelated with the rest. Or maybe they are all related. As the title suggests, the world is complicated. It is filled with different people engaging in different activities. It is also filled with the activities of nature, the way the waves in the ocean and the clouds in the sky are constantly moving. No matter how different activities are, they are still activites. And all activities make up life and life is always moving. And from this perspective, all the people, the dog, the ocean, the sky and the street light are related because they all exist in the same world. They are very different from one another, but at the same time they are similar because they coexist. It is strange world indeed. There are beautiful scenes in this feature that are worth pointing out. When the priest is seen reciting a prayer, the film cuts to a shot of an ocean with waves moving in slow motion and the priest's voice continues as voice-over. There are also shots looking up at the sky, where the clouds are moving at fast motion. And there is a dog running in slow motion while snow is lightly falling. All these sequences are very well structured and they add great qualities to this piece of work. As mentioned above the type of experience that Strange, Is This World will offer will depend on the viewer's perspective. However it will most likely be an experience worth having. #JasonKnight

★★★★★ Written & Directed by: #MelaniaCrisan Starring: #AxelMoustache, #MelaniaCrisan, #NicholasBach Short Film Review by Taryll Baker Titus & Mirabella is romantic comedy about the first date between two people who have never had a relationship before but who desperately want one. A movie about fear and love. There’s something about simple love stories. I don’t know what it is, but almost every single time, they win me over. For Titus & Mirabella, it’s no different. Melania Crisan’s new short film wedges slapstick comedy into a blooming romance, with the visual feel of a cinema classic. In just under twenty minutes, we join Titus (Axel Moustache) and Mirabella (Melania Crisan) on their first date. Not just their first date with each other, but their first dates, period. Taking the comedic route for the telling of this story was a splendid choice. As a viewer, I connect with humour faster than anything else, so if a character is written to be funny in a way such as the two in Titus & Mirabella, I’m sold. Crisan and Moustache are a genuinely perfect duo. Many of their comedic moments are wonderfully timed — executed so effortlessly that you could guess it was improvised. Captured by cinematographer Benjamin Strobel, a dreamy and colourful palette frames the gorgeous backstreets and restaurants of Passau, Germany. Their charming and innocent personality is brought further to life by the music, and even though it wasn’t written specifically for the film (Audio Network has a catalog of many genres), it works just as well. It’s a lovely change of pace to watch something more playful and sweet, rather than the more thematically dark projects I’ve watched over the months. Crisan’s film sweeps us away into a better time; No social distancing, no pandemic. If you’re looking for a nice distraction, this is the one for you. The seamless editing, well mixed sound and soft colour grade — all coming together for an elegant result. Titus & Mirabella is a stunning and simple film with a lot to appreciate. Usually I’d mention how great it would be to see a feature-length version, but with this being so tightly made, I don’t think it’s remotely needed. It’s such a beautifully made piece. That said, I would love to see more from this team. Melania’s craft is praiseworthy, and I hope to see Titus & Mirabella gain a loyal following as it rolls out. It certainly deserves it. Oh, also, be sure to stay through the credits for an extra treat… Watch the trailer for Titus & Mirabella below. #TaryllBaker

★★★★★ Written & Directed by: #KalainithanKalaichelvan Starring: #LaurenCarlini #MonicaRodriguezKnox #AndrewBee #StephanieRoman Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Having already created a perpetual storm of magnificent #shortfilms such as Petit Four, Inland Freaks and Stella Maris, maestro filmmaker Kalainithan Kalaichelvan is at it again with yet another incredible outing, this time with the hugely admirable tall tale Kingdom Animalia: The Melanie Fyfe Story. In Kalaichelvan’s latest, we learn through archive footage and first-hand witness accounts the absurdly inspiring story of a fourteen-year-old, human child by the name of Melanie Fyfe; the girl who changed everything. Melanie had always known in her own mind that her body was not her own but as she grew older, her resolve to become who she was truly meant to be became impossible to ignore until finally, she had decided it was time. She was going to become the owl she was always supposed to be. Yes, that’s right. An owl. A versatile #filmmaker who knows exactly what his film needs where and when it needs it, there are many things to admire about how Kalaichelvan puts together each of his unique and wonderful stories. No two are alike, but Kingdom Animalia: The Melanie Fyfe Story is arguably the furthest shift in style and tone Kalaichelvan has explored yet. There are still sombre moments to be sure, but they are more of an undercurrent to a narrative that seems a bit lighter of an affair than previous endeavours. Still, every nuance of the tone Kalaichelvan looks to achieve here is of course perfectly balanced, the clear message of the film is never compromised, in fact, is often punctuated with moments of brilliant comic timing such as the simple inclusion of a mere single word caption in the right place at the right time that really emphasise the tongue in cheek humour at play here. As if being a tour-de-force in storytelling wasn’t enough, Kalaichelvan has proven yet again that his eye is as sharp as his mind. The off-centre framing is the directors own recurring flourish (this time endearingly adding to the lovable quirkiness of it all) and the glorious combination of Mac Wojcik’s mesmerising animation, Ilona Rybak’s vibrant illustrations and Peter Baker’s attention-demanding narration also gives the film its own unique flavour, again setting this film firmly apart from Kalaichelvan’s others but it's all just so perfectly fitting for this piece. And while some Wes Anderson comparisons could and probably will be made a la the vibrant pastel colours, playful score and the aforementioned captioning (fans of the Rusty Lake series might also feel some serious aesthetic vibes here), Kalaichelvan has proven here just as before to have enough in his arsenal as a filmmaker to use these tools to create a style truly his own. Time and time again, Kalaichelvan manages to perfectly find the balance between brilliantly imaginative and captivating storytelling, while at the same time layering his films with such intricately placed subtext and this most recent gift is no exception. Kingdom Animalia: The Melanie Fyfe Story is another gem in an already sparkling filmography just waiting to be explored. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here

★★★★ Directed by: Alex Machlouzarides -Shalit Written by: Alex Machlouzarides-Shalit Starring: Gordon Peaston, Charlotte Whitaker Film Review by: Jason Knight Writer and director Alex Machlouzarides-Shalit creates The Morning After, a story that begins with normality only for a shocking revelation to change everything. A man (Gordon Peaston) and a woman (Charlotte Whitaker) wake up in the woman's apartment after having met the night before and slept together. It is Saturday morning and the man asks her what her best Friday night has ever been. She tells him about how when she was a child, she would often spend Friday nights with her father, as he was often working away. She describes the activities they would do together and the man realises that they are the same as what he did with his father. As the coincidences keep piling up, it occurs to them that something is not right. The man then spots an old picture of her father and he shows her a picture of his own father from his wallet. It is the same person. Shocked and confused by the revelation, neither knows what to say or do and the man leaves, while the woman begins to cry. The film won the Best Screenplay award at the We Make Films Festival 2020 and it was an honor well-deserved. The script is methodically structured. The film is six minutes long and from start to finish the narrative takes place in real-time with no cutting through time at all and during those six minutes a lot takes place. The story begins innocently, showing two happy and carefree people. However after the twist that reveals that they are actually half-siblings, the mood dramatically changes with them becoming completely different persons, creating great character development. The dialogue that eventually uncovers the revelation is very well written and makes the viewer want to find out more. Both Peaston and Whitaker deliver remarkable performances. They are very convincing in portraying individuals who at the beginning of the story appear as normal and friendly and who are then deeply affected by the revelation that they share the same father. They express emotions of shock, confusion and sadness very effectively with their face expressions and body language. Praise should also go to the direction. Shalit has gone to great lengths in order to create well-structured shots and thanks to the addition of well-timed editing, he successfully captures the characters' reactions throughout the film. The Morning After is a very good example of clever storytelling and with great acting from the two protagonists, it is a piece of work worhty of a lot of recognition. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: Barbara Spevack Written by: Barbara Spevack Starring: Barbara Spevack, Jennifer McLuskey, Alastair Rennie, Paul Lapsley Film Review by: Jason Knight Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock! Time for a little horror film. Writer, producer and director Barbara Spevack creates When The Ticking Stops, a tale bound to fill the audience with suspense. It is night-time and a drunk man approaches a young man, Brian (Alastair Rennie), at a bus stop and tells him that he can hear ticking that the Ticking Man is going to kill him. Brian ignores him and the next day the drunk man is found dead, apparently from a heart attack. Detective Arianna Winters (Barbara Spevack) arrives at the scene and Brian tells her about his encounter with him the night before. Arianna investigates and finds out that the Ticking Man is a sort of urban legend and apparently has been committing murders for over a century. All victims are left with a watch face carved into the back of their left wrist and the hands of the warch point to the time of death. Supposedly, the Ticking Man kills in order to steal time from his victims so he can live longer. She also discovers that she had dealt with a similar case before. A few months later she receives a frantic call from Brian, who informs her that he can hear ticking and that the Ticking Man is after him. Arianna rushes to his location only to find him dead, with a watch carved into his wrist. She then encounters the Ticking Man himself, who murders her too. The music and sound effects are definitely among the film's best qualities. Throughout the film the music that plays is creepy and perfectly captures the mood of the situations, such as when characters are being pursued by the Ticking Man. When he is about to claim his next victim, the score becomes intense and the sound of a large clock ticking is heard, becoming louder and louder, which is also what the victims hear. It is a very effective technique and is bound to send shivers down the viewer's spine. Arguably the film's highlight occures when the Ticking Man makes his appearance. Arianna has just found Brian's body and she sees the killer's shadow on a wall. The direction and lighting is outstanding at this particular moment and it resembles a shot from the 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. She then goes after him, only for him to ambush her. Throughout this whole sequence the intense music and ticking is heard and when she comes face-to-face with the Ticking Man, the music and ticking become louder than they had ever been throughout the film. The Ticking Man's appearance deserves a great deal of praise because he is truly terrifying! He is dressed in a black suit and black top hat. His skin is pale, his teeth are rotting, his fingernails are pointy like claws, his eyes have 'death' written on them and he is holding a pocket watch. As he approaches her, the fast cutting does a fantastic job in creating tension and dread, as the film constantly cuts between the two of them and zooms in on their faces, capturing Arianna's terror and the Ticking Man's satisfaction in enforcing that terror as he grins. Although his appearance is brief, thanks to actor Paul Lapsley's performance, the music, sound effects and the make-up and clothing, it leaves a significant impact. The film also gains from strong performances. The protagonists are successful in bringing to life the emotions that their characters are going though. Spevack in particular is very convincing in her portrayal of a detective who becomes obsessed with the Ticking Man and when she reaches the moment where she is about to meet her doom, the terror is written all over her face. The screenplay is very well structured. Spevack does a great job in creating a narrative that the audience wants to follow and will lead them to a hear-stopping final. She also creates a very interesting character in the Ticking Man, making the viewer want to know more and more about him. When The Ticking Stops is a great view for anyone looking for a nail-biting experience. The audience will never listen to the sound of a clock ticking the same way again. #JasonKnight

★★★★★ Stars Directed by: #BrettChapman Written by: #BrettChapman Starring: #BrettChapman, #MatthewMilner, #OmarAysha, #EvieAppleson, #BeckyBrown Film Review by: Alicia Moore “What does love mean to you?” A simple definition of love can never be settled upon in this world powered by the strong emotion and motive. It is a subject that can be confusing and hurtful, but exciting and elegant – possibly all at the same time. Brett Chapman’s short documentary film, Love Lives, showcases how true that statement is as he talks with members of the public on their views and experiences of love in different forms and what that four letter word means to them. The participants in this documentary appear to the audience joyfully as they stand in front of the camera ready to tell of the good and bad sides of love. There is a personal connection immediately established between them and the audience because of the topic being discussed, but also as the participants are truly open about their ideas and experiences on the topic. The wide range of perspectives shown through their answers create a beautiful sense of humanity between the viewer and the individuals speaking towards the lens. Hollywood romance films project a somewhat imaginary idea of love. There are two extremes normally shown in this category of film; pure heartbreak or pure bliss – give or take a small number of films that manage to depict the concept of romantic love in a light that touches more with reality (e.g. the Before trilogy.) This documentary is a better choice to watch if you feel lost in a whirlwind of fantasy-like romance stories. The stories told in this short are raw and sincere, taken from real life experiences of such ‘heartbreak’ and ‘deep romance.’ Chapman incorporates the explanation of different types of love, intertwining questions regarding romantic love as well as the love and bond found in one’s children, closest friends and family members. I adore the exploration of this point; all types of love and affection are different but still somehow blur together, sometimes creating a mess of emotion in relationships if blurred so much. I adore the fact that I felt connected to the individuals speaking on the subject due to how truthful their personal anecdotes seemed to be and how their words run parallel to my own and many others surrounding us as a collective. The cinematography (by Jordan Carroll and Brett Chapman) is beyond stunning, bringing a further extension onto the personal element of the created atmosphere. With minimalistic settings and still shots, a sense of intimacy and friendship can be felt between the crew and the participants, as well as from the seat of a viewer which is always a wonderful aspect to possess in any piece of film. Between shots of the participants and Chapman himself, there are added ‘home footage style’ videos depicting bright happiness and different underlying forms of love throughout many life stages – as a child playing with their father and soaring to early adulthood, laughing with friends and enjoying their company. All of the choices made by the camera crew, as well as when editing, perfectly blend together to create the most beautiful, and at some stages emotional, final product that has been released to the public. Love truly does live in all of us. Maybe in small doses, maybe in large doses, but it is there and is forever existing in some type of configuration. It is a natural part of being human. As a person who is about to enter the early stages of adulthood and having not experienced many different forms of love so far, I really learnt a lot about the subject from this short documentary film. Love Lives is simply magnificent, an engaging and heartfelt watch, it was difficult to bring out the film’s enchanting colours in writing as I was left in deep thought about the topic. I highly recommend this film to everyone from all walks of life; from all corners of the world.

★★★ Directed by: #StephenBisaccia Written by: #StephenBisaccia and #GregoryHardman Starring: #NickHardin, #JamahlGarrisonLowe, #TomMartin and #KevinMiller Film review by: Brian Penn True originality can rarely be found on film as plot lines slip into familiar territory that audiences instantly recognise. But just occasionally something emerges that hasn’t been previously explored. Acts of Contrition falls neatly into this category with a refreshingly different narrative. Annoyingly, it fails to travel any further from an intriguing opening premise. Father Don (Tom Martin) is a Roman Catholic priest apparently doubling up as a cab driver. Various customers jump in the back and are confronted with a new location for confession. A convenient means for catching lapsed Catholics perhaps, but Father Don is trying to supplement his income and reach out to his flock at the same time. Late nights scraping up lost souls in the cab leads off in all directions; people sleeping rough and penitents making peace are a series of dots that seemingly begin to join up. He struggles with faith, his own past and a troubling confession that makes him fear the worst. The vagaries of Roman Catholicism are explored and its apparent contradictions laid bare where the central character begins to question his own faith. Were the personal sacrifices Father Don made really worth it; has he truly pleased God with the life he now leads? They become fairly bleak questions in a desolate landscape where everyone seems to need emotional rescue to some degree. As he delivers a sermon on lent, he stresses not so much the need to give something up but to give to each other. But can he solve this moral conundrum? Whilst it pursues an intriguing concept, the cab driving priest storyline isn’t developed outside the opening frames. Which in itself is a pity, because it would seem a less intimidating atmosphere for people to confess? Nevertheless it switches back to conventional scenes within the church. To put the priest into a cab is inspired plotting and the story could have got to its destination a lot quicker if it had stayed there. But this is a solidly produced piece that portrays the agony endured with faith.

★★ Directed by #PeterSullivan Written by #RasheedaGarner, #PeterSullivan Starring #NiaLong, #OmarEpps, #StephenBishop Film Review by Lawrence Bennie No prizes for spotting the titular allusion in director Peter Sullivan’s potboiler thriller. Co-authoring the script with Rasheeda Garner, Sullivan’s film treads the well-worn trail of psycho-obsession movies but brings frighteningly little to the table. Married lawyer Ellie Warren (Nia Long) unexpectedly reunites with old acquaintance David Hammond (Omar Epps) and it isn’t long before the smooth-talking chancer makes his romantic intentions known. After backing out of a steamy bathroom encounter, Ellie refocuses on her family life with husband Marcus (Stephen Bishop) and daughter Brittany (Aubrey Cleland). However, David has other ideas. At first, Fatal Affair does appear to throw in some marginal variations to the formula. Aside from reversing the Fatal Attraction roles (though this has been done before), Sullivan opens with an atmospheric murder scene and even offers an interlude with David in session with his psychiatrist. Other than that, everything in Garner and Sullivan’s script is painfully predictable. We spot the cliches a mile off. The seemingly perfect family life of the victim. The only child. The inevitable scene where the obsessive stalker turns up at the family home, having befriended one of the victim’s friends or family. The almost supernatural power that they seem to pervade over every facet of the world of their would-be admirer. Finally, the unsurprising sting-in-the tail ending where the maniac returns to wreck havoc once last time (usually in the family home). These are only a handful but audiences will certainly know the rest of the beats from the likes of Sleeping With The Enemy, Single White Female, Swimfan and The Boy Next Door to name a small few. Genre tropes aside, much of the set-up strains credibility. As David, Omar Epps fails to convince, shapeshifting from slick tech consultant into crazed criminal simply because the plot requires it. Ridiculously, David strikes up a relationship with Ellie’s best-friend, Courtney (Maya Stojan) seemingly overnight in a bid to get closer to Ellie. The fact that sexy, younger Courtney is smitten with David (to the point where she illogically trusts him over her long-time friend) and ends up giving him the very thing he craves from Ellie actually makes you wonder why he doesn’t just settle for her instead. And, of course, it isn’t until Courtney becomes a victim of David that Ellie finally goes to the police. Finally, after attacking her best friend, multiple others and attempting to destroy her family, Ellie suddenly makes a last-minute U-turn to save David before he plummets to his death and is then left distraught at his demise. In fact, there is not even any affair; the only fatal thing here is the lack of care given towards the script. Like the aforementioned other entries in this genre, Fatal Affair somehow proves to be, at the very least, curiously watchable, even if it is largely for the wrong reasons. Yet, Peter Sullivan’s disappointing thriller sinks due to a virtual depletion of imagination, a clear absence of craft and, most notably, a fatal lack of suspense. Fatal Attraction this isn't. #LawrenceBennie

★★★★ Directed by: #RebeccaKahn, #AbhishekPrasad Written by: #RebeccaKahn, #AbhishekPrasad Starring: #JamesActon, #SoliJoy, #FreyaJoy, #MarcGammal, #LorneJFortune, #SusanaBorosic Film Review by: Darren Tilby Rebecca Kahn and Abhishek Prasad’s ironically titled short film, Uplift, details the pain of loss, the depression that follows, the need for human connection throughout, and the tragic consequences that all too often result, in what one could describe as an extremely morbid version of Disney Pixar’s Up. It’s impossible to imagine the pain of losing a child; it’s every parent’s worst nightmare. And, thankfully, most of us will never have to. But here, we’re introduced to one of the thousands of fathers nationwide who is forced to live this nightmare. Lying in his son’s bed, in his empty house, James Acton’s character (who remains nameless) shoulders the burden of this grief alone. His wife, long gone, and the only people trying to get in touch are Celebrating Life Mortuary, who also can’t get in touch with his wife and are about to pass the unpaid $1200 funeral bill onto a collection agency. While the cluttered and messy kitchen, littered with unwashed pots and empty alcohol bottles, represents the fractured psyche of a man with nothing to live for, and no desire to carry on doing so, either. A short “power of the moment” news clip – “a moment when we let go of the heavy things and allow ourselves to fly” – on the TV eeks a smile out of our lead, as he watches a man take to the air strapped to helium-filled balloons—a moment of profound realisation for the man and a small glimmer of hope for the viewer. Uplift immediately feels like a different film: no longer are we kept at arm’s length and forced to observe from a distance merely. We’re caught up in the man’s reinvigorated self and swept away by the whimsy of the somewhat unusual homage he has planned for his son. But of course, life isn’t a Disney film, and happy endings aren’t always guaranteed. A fact which we get starkly reminded of when the true extent of the man’s depression finally comes to fruition. That’s what this movie does so well: it subverts the expectations of the viewer at every turn, culminating in a final terrible twist, one so shocking, impactful, and, tragically, so easily avoidable. Uplift is a profound portrait of loneliness, loss and depression; a rallying cry for mental health campaigns and a reminder that a little kindness between people can go a long way—maybe even save a life.