★★★ Directed by #RyanEbner Starring #JosephRagno Film review by Nathanial Eker What if the most evil man in the galaxy decided to mend his ways? The Light Side explores the emotional development of a familiar force user in this bizarre short film. Interestingly enough, it is The Light Side's own unspoken selling point that distracts from its core conflict and ultimately harms the film's wider integrity. A Sith lord who has done much harm to his galaxy becomes stranded on our Earth. After growing old and reflecting on his years of evil deeds, he finally starts to realise the consequences of his actions and attempts to assimilate himself into society. Let's get the bantha out of the room first, shall we? Yes, The Light Side is clearly using a Lucasfilm character, as well as years of established lore to frame its story. While actor Joseph Ragno does a fine job imitating Ian McDiarmid's Emperor Palpatine, things get confusing when he reveals his lightsaber; a perfect match for one angsty dark side teen, Kylo Ren. The film doesn't commit to a firm answer on whether this is an elderly Kylo Ren or Palpatine himself, and it gives off the impression that the question doesn't matter. However, when its comedy comes from the audience being aware of the backstory, I would argue that it matters very much. Regardless of how the might of Disney's copyright lawyers were negotiated with in pursuit of this picture (I suspect via its classification as a loose parody), this is a Star Wars story. A comedic one with a more adult tone, but a Star Wars story nonetheless. After the half way mark, the film drops all pretences and shows toast being cooked using a lightsaber and a fencing class gone wrong thanks to the Sith's short temper and 'force choke' ability. The Light Side is inarguably funny thanks to a wonderful lead performance, a tight script, and the general subversion of putting such a powerful character in such a trivial position. Yet it also seems to want to inspire a level of pathos and perhaps act as an allegory for regretful old men slowing down and reflecting on their life. Unfortunately, regardless of whether we're following Kylo or Palps, this Star Wars parody is too confused to be as emotionally impactful as it seems to want to be. #NathanialEker

★★★★ Directed by: #AndrewErekson Written by: Andrew Erekson Animated Film Review by: Chris Olson Marooned Movie Review Part of the We Are One Global Film Festival, Marooned is a short animated film from DreamWorks, written and directed by Andrew Erekson. At just seven minutes, the piece feels like one of those Pixar shorts they play before a feature, and yet Erekson manages to captivate and compel with his cantankerous robot plot. Set on an abandoned lunar outpost, Marooned sees a grumpy robot attempt to make his way back to earth. All manner of obstacles and challenges present themselves, with our protagonist coming up short every time. The piece uses no dialogue and a sumptuous score to immerse the viewer into the space storyline that has universal appeal through comedic timing and pointed moments of tenderness. It would be impossible to review this short movie without mentioning the 2008 hit WALL-E, simply because there is so much in common between Andrew Erekson’s movie and the opening section of the Pixar feature. What stops Marooned being quite so effective is the lack of characterisation. This isn’t a robot we particularly connect with, or even remember, whereas WALL-E was instantly likeable and endearing. One of the strengths of Marooned is its playfulness when it comes to cinematic tropes. We get unnerved by the “troubled mission home” and we get tickled by the “calamitous repair job”. We feel the longing of the robot and his despair at the useless help he receives from another robot. All this coalesces very quickly during the short but does create an enjoyable atmosphere. Another aspect to the film which is incredible is the animation - so gloriously sharp and brilliantly delivered, this is remarkable aesthetic filmmaking that does credit to the genre. With the ever-present thematic parallels that science-fiction films offer to audiences being no less apparent in Marooned, it’s exciting to see them play out in just seven minutes with a central character that doesn’t speak. His lack of dialogue makes him universal but also conveys his lack of being “home”. This is a character truly lost, without the ability to communicate that entirely effectively. His enduring spirit and frustration when he faces hardship make him seem wholly human, allowing the movie to ground the story for the present viewer who will, on at least some level, connect with him - even if it’s not quite as much as WALL-E. #ChrisOlson

★★★ Written and Directed by: #GerardLough Starring: #MichaelParle, #JackDeanShepard, #ClaireBlennerhassett, #AidanOSullivan and #EoinLeahy Film review by: Brian Penn Night People Movie Review In football parlance Night People is a film of two halves. Mike (Michael Parle) and Luke (Jack Dean Shepard) are lugubrious criminals who enter a house to perpetrate an insurance scam. They have an hour to kill before an accomplice disables CCTV systems; so they each tell a fanciful tale about night people; misfits who occupy the same twilight world as them. Mike relates the story of two friends; Robert (Aidan O’ Sullivan) is a chancer who has stumbled across a device that appears to have mystical powers. He shows it to Adam (Eoin Leahy) a geek who lives in his dressing gown. Robert is convinced they can make serious money from it but Adam is not so sure and wants to thoroughly test it. Luke is incredulous and tells his own story of Faustina (Claire Blennerhassett), an ambitious business woman who provides a dating agency for wealthy fetishists. Bored with the routine bondage crew she decides to branch into an entirely new area where clients have very special needs. The basic premise of crooks waiting to do the honours quickly makes way for two separate stories representing genres linked by a common theme. The fetish story is strongest with Claire Blennerhassett’s deadpan delivery giving the narrative an understated comic edge. The mystical device eventually catches up with Mike and Luke but produces a climax that is both confusing and unexpected. It’s choppy, uneven storytelling but there’s definitely something about the characters and the way they interact with each other. An excellent Miami Vice style soundtrack keeps the atmosphere bubbling away, adding an interesting dimension to the visuals; a solid three act story that just needs to be tightened up. #BrianPenn

★★★★ Directed by #GregoryAlexanderFoltynowicz Starring: #KayleeMcgregor #ChrisKircher Film review by Nathanial Eker A seemingly personal expression of the difficulties of human connection, Facades aims to capture the 'dynamic, complex connections between self-awareness and relationships'. To that end, director-writer-producer-editor-sound designer Gregory Alexander Foltynowicz largely succeeds in crafting a non-linear narrative that effectively explores the whirlwind of emotions that come with a serious, adult relationship. Where Facades slightly falls down in is in its penchant for the generically typical and its overuse of ambiguity, which may leave some audience members a tad put out. Facades is an impressive looking short. The monochromatic colour palette so often employed in dream-like experimental films puts in the work here to craft an other-worldly atmosphere that makes us feel like we are inside our protagonist's mind bubble. Equally, the consistent motif of the striking image of a crutch provides a perhaps less-than-subtle, yet definitively effective hint at what these two may have become to one another. The use of water is a slightly more conflicting point. On the one hand, the metaphorical bliss experienced by the two beautifully summarises those moments of sheer euphoria, where nothing matters but each other. Managing to say that with nothing but an image is a powerful skill that Foltynowicz and their team should be commended for. Yet, particularly in the arthouse world, drowning has become such a tired shorthand for feeling emotionally overwhelmed that one almost wonders if Facades could've tried something a little more adventurous. Pedantry aside, the mise-en-scéne crafted in Facades can only be described as stunning. From the clinical world of the couple's imagination to the film noir-style party where they are isolated by their own intensity, everything is well-considered and well-executed. This, as well as the low ambient hum of the soundtrack leads the narrative in a direction that can be understood in a number of different ways. In this sense, Facades struggles to finds its feet towards its climax, and becomes far more open to interpretation. This isn't necessarily a criticism; its final image is certainly striking, but a more finite closure perhaps could've worked in its favour. The film does so well in telling a traditional 'struggling relationship' story in a profoundly untraditional way that it seems a shame to leave it quite so open ended. Facades is equally defined by its acting, which is universally exceptional. Kircher and McGregor convey substantial chemistry and deep emotional scars in a mere ten minutes and with no words. Had their expressions been over the top or their dynamic underwhelming, the entire film would've been nothing more than a smart editing exercise with some ominous music and cool 80s morph suits. Fortunately, whether down to excellent direction, natural talent, or a combination of the two, the performers sell their viscerally realistic relationship, and invite us to watch as they struggle to overcome their metaphorical crutches. To conclude, Facades is a fascinating and personal experience that effectively dives into the complex highs and lows of being in a relationship. It effectively tells its tale through startlingly powerful imagery and a stunning monochromatic mise-en-scéne. While it sometimes devolves into experimental typicalities, it does so in such a slick and professional manner that it is hard not to find it engaging. #NathanialEker

★★★★★ Directed by: #StatenCousinsRoe Written by: #StatenCousinsRoe Starring: #PoppyRoe, #KatieBrayben Film Review by: Darren Tilby In a reality where euthanasia is legal in the UK, clinics have opened up all over the country, and what was once a service, is fast becoming a business, full of the usual bureaucracy and box-ticking. One such clinic, Minnie’s, is struggling for clients and faces having to shut down if it can’t boost its numbers from 0 to the national monthly average of 10 within ten days. An impossibility. But owner Minnie (Poppy Roe), and her unassuming assistant, Maude (Katie Brayben), aren’t the sort of people to go down without a fight. And so, Minnie resorts to less orthodox methods in her quest to boost client numbers and keep her business afloat. The spiritual predecessor to Staten Cousins-Roe’s phenomenal feature-film debut, A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life (a massive hit at the Grimmfest film festival where I first encountered it), This Way Out is resplendent with the kind of jet-black British humour for which the writer/director is surely now famous. It’s the sort of humour you know you’re going to hell for laughing at, but then laugh anyway because, you know, why not? But, not only that, This Way Out features a very familiar cliff-top location and a good portion of the same crew and cast - Poppy Roe, Katie Brayben and Sarah Ball all feature here. Cousins-Roe has gone on to state that Roe’s and Brayben’s “brilliant chemistry” is what inspired him to write A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life. It’s a statement I wholeheartedly endorse. As I made clear in my review of that movie back in 2019, It’s the connection, and contrasts, between these two characters which formed the heart of that film. And This Way Out is no different. Both Roe and Brayben are on top form here, and nowhere is that more visible than in the duo’s ability to read one another and the superb comic timing in which that results. The Office-like mockumentary style in which the movie is shot adds an ingenious additional layer of comedy and compliments the actresses’ methods splendidly. At the same time, the dialogue, and the film’s mockery of box-ticking bureaucracy, is as sharp and witty as you’d expect. This Way Out is an extraordinarily funny examination of the ethical dilemma of euthanasia, the effects of red tape on public services, as well as a damn fine example of modern, British comedic filmmaking in general. A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life is one of the best comedies I’ve seen for many, many years, and This Way Out, one of the best shorts. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do next!

★★★★ Directed by: #DavidEsposito Written by: David Esposito Starring: David Esposito, #JessicaMeeley and #RyanCrepack Film Review by: Bruna Foletto Lucas Nada Clue is a short film written and directed by David Esposito. The short is concise and fun, with a witty dialogue and stereotypical performances from Ryan Crepack, who plays Detective Joel Dean, and Dave Esposito, who plays Detective Nick Marino, but that fit the roles perfectly. Veronica Hernandez, played by Jessica Meeley, has an encounter with two clueless detectives after having been the victim of a burglary. Meeley plays Veronica as the completely opposite of the detectives, she is not the stereotypical Hispanic that the detectives expect. She is fed up with having to shatter the misconceptions attached to her last name and, moreover, she is fed up with the incompetent work of authorities, especially now that over $10000 worth of jewellery has been stolen from her. The film’s genre and the construction of the two detectives – both in mannerisms and dialogue – seem to be taken right from scenes of Inspector Gadget and the 2006 Pink Panther, with the only thing missing being the French accent. Much like Pink Panther’s Inspector Clouseau, both Detective Joel and Detective Nick are endearing characters, so much so that Veronica does not even bother being angry with them when the narrative drops the twist. Detective Joel Dean supports a campy moustache that says more about his character than anything else, and both him and Detective Nick Marino bounce back and forth some incredibly slapstick dialogue that infuses the film with the essence of the campy comedy genre. I mentioned in brief the style of the film in previous paragraphs and to that I would like to turn now. Esposito builds some scenes by betting on uncomfortable silences to draw the humour, which is an asset well used in the short film, and it also makes our identification align with Veronica’s character. The snippets of soundtrack, especially during sequence transitions, place us right back with the body of films such as the aforementioned comedies. The cinematography here, made by Wesley Mellott, is not incredibly sophisticated but serves its main purpose, which is to highlight the performances and the dialogue – from medium long shots to close ups, objective shots are the preferred ones by Mellott. Nada Clue is a very fun short film that serves to make us stop thinking about the troubles of everyday life for a few minutes. Much of what should be praised in the short is due to its simplicity and the combination of Esposito’s writing and directing with the work of Meeley and Crepack.

Star Rating: ⭑⭑⭑ Directed by: #MohanSinghGaharwar Written by: #MohanSinghGaharwar Starring: #ChiragMandawaria & #RishabhJoshi Short Film Review by: Thomas Jay Produced by ‘Rather Other Guys’, a YouTube hub channel for Indian short films, backed this Gaharwar directed short Justice- A Matter of Perception, a fifteen minute short where a student and his professor sit and discuss two vastly contrasting opinions on the justice system of their country. As for the subject, the matter at hand is undoubtedly extremely interesting and is practically universal with flaws in the practice of justice in countries all over the globe (I’m sure you’re all aware of the current George Floyd situation and the Cummings situation in the U.K. for an example). And as deep as the problems stretch, the film, to me at least didn’t feel like it grasped much of a rounded perspective at all from either of the two characters. Shush (Rishabh Joshi) is bright eyed and has a rosy view of the law and how it enacted where his professor (Chirag Mandarwaria) has become overly negative and completely disheartened after 13 years of research. The grizzled professor just recounts cases of abhorrent crimes and says very little about the problems in the way they were handled, instead proposing a fairly radical ‘tit for tat’ system that would apparently deter future offences, where his eager student gushes about minimal successes. It feels an awkwardly constructed conversation and probably doesn’t benefit from switching between two spoken languages, the content the two are speaking could be something from a first draft, you’d hope by the end product one would’ve formed an engaging debate that feels like it has life in it, spoken by characters who’s viewpoints adjust, develop and overcome a challenge or new information but unfortunately that isn’t the case here. In a nutshell, it’s massively underdeveloped and is the baby steps of a forming script l, they’re caricatures I’d student/teacher rather than something that resembles reality. Viewing the film itself was also a bit of a chore, to credit the studio and Garhawar, this (and their other productions) was shot exclusively on IPhone and for the most part is completely serviceable. A format that has been used in High Flying Bird & Unsane by Soderbergh, it’s potentially a new wave of filmmaking and, as I mentioned, it is well executed for the most part in this case, save from a few very jarring shots of the background which are head hurting to say the least. Knowing it’s limits of A very small crew and filming locations it’s cleverly shot and makes the most of very limited resources so credit where it’s due. Another little issue I picked up was the subtitling, having to use YouTube captions, these were written by someone involved in the film and not the terrible ‘Auto-Generated’ feature by the platform itself, but regardless the translations don’t really matchup with what’s on screen but if you can grasp the language of choice you use, you should have little to no issues in fillings the gaps so it makes sense. A promising concept and a film that could’ve been a very interesting and complex short had it been further developed and not bogged down by a few ill fitting micro-narrative elements, Justice- A Matter of Perception raises many an interesting question and puts forth a few perspectives but never really manages to portray much of a convincing or structured argument. Interesting in terms of subject and the technical aspects, Justcie available on YouTube is a fairly well made short and at only 15 minutes long is hardly much of a time commitment, so if you’re looking for a short, give it a watch! Reviewed by: #TomJay

GRIMMFEST TV offers movie entertainment for free while the world is in lockdown. A new online TV channel dedicated to horror films of all types, through which viewers can access exciting award-winning features and shorts from the Grimmfest archives. GRIMMFEST TV is available at: Grimmfest.com/TV. New titles are being added every week and this week is no exception. Feature film BED OF THE DEAD goes live at Midday, Friday 29th May 2020. This festival favourite from director Jeff Maher focuses on four twentysomethings who find themselves stuck on a haunted antique bed, where leaving means suffering a gruesome death. With some inspired and gory visuals, this one is less about the monster under the bed than the actual bed itself being the monster! Festival Director Simeon Halligan said “BED OF THE DEAD is so much fun that we thought we’d give it pride of place this week and make it our choice of the week, all on its own! If you are enjoying watching horror films on Grimmfest TV for free, please do us a favour and subscribe to the channel”. GRIMMFEST TV launched with a fine selection of over 25 short films and 7 features including Grimmfest 2018 best short award winner, WE SUMMONED A DEMON, Grimmfest 2014 hit, WHITE SETTLERS (Staring Pollyanna McIntosh from The Walking Dead), and the suitably virus themed LA CONTAGION. The most popular title on the channel so far is the half-hour retro creature feature, LOOM. All are still available to watch for free right now.

★★★★ Directed by: Diego Fandos Written by: Diego Fandos, Jose Kattau Starring: Rebecca Labbe and Georgi Unkovski Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Under Pressure Movie Review Hobbies are important, they help stimulate the brain, help you achieve goals and such, but they also help us connect with our fellow man, make friends and create communities, and as well as that often can lead to romance. Common interests are a great way to lure in a mate, I opt for the old bait and trap method but hey we are all different in our approach to wooing the opposite sex, but if you choose the more wholesome approach you may fall into the world that our characters do in Diego Fandos’ short film Under Pressure. Under Pressure follows a young man as he trains hard at his local swimming pool; he splashes, he does lengths, he gets inconvenienced by other swimmers being casual in their approach to water based fitness. How dare they have fun, some people are so rude. But it's not long until he is distracted by a beautiful lady who also enjoys the splashy splashy fun of swimming, and they, without a word spoken, create a bond with each other, clearly there is something in the water. He plucks up the courage to meet with her on dry land after their swim meet but is stunned to find she is a bad ass rocker, sporting pentagrams and fishnet tights...oh rebel, and he in his more conservative shirt, tie and crucifix notes the obvious differences between them out of the safety of the water. Maybe they should consider a life at sea because being on land is clearly not for them. The short film though leaves us for a moment as they run in opposite directions, feeling as though reality hit too hard, that a simple interaction and common interest is not enough in the real world, a moment where as an audience we feel a sense of disappointment and sadness that some people cannot overlook external appearance no matter how much we enjoy their company. Fandos’ choice to dwell on that moment, a wide shot of an empty staircase where our lovers run from one another speaks volumes, after all the swimming and gentle engagement from our pair, to see them horrified in the others life choices, leaves a bad taste in the mouth; how many people have we abandoned just because they don't fit the mold of our life choices? We can hope not many, but I doubt we are not all that innocent. But rejoice! They return to the safety of the water and strip themselves bare of their clothing and connect over their common interest, demonstrating the importance of freeing yourself from surface based judgments. This short movie employs the use of silence throughout, the whole film has no dialogue, no music, just the gentle atmospheric sounds that come with being in a swimming pool. The echoing absence of the real world when in places like that are often underappreciated, but when placed alongside the final scene of the pair swimming, Fandos includes music to amplify the importance of their joy and happiness which is felt as they strip themselves bare of the people society sees them as, compared to who they really feel they are. Under Pressure is in essence a very simple idea but Fandos executes it in a way in which we all can relate to, all of us have fallen victim to being judgmental or being judged on how we look, and to place it in a context where we can see people fall away from it in the most simple and basic forms of human interaction creates an engaging and moving experience. Beautifully shot and humble in its approach, Under Pressure provides a refreshing look at human interactions, be they positive or negative, be they on dry land or in the water, or be they by common interest of the old bait and trap. #RachelPullen

Film News > Film Festivals Feature Article by Phil Giordano Youtube Unveils Festival Line-up with Programming from Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Tribeca and many more As Festival-goers are stuck inside for the foreseeable future, YouTube has teamed up with the biggest #filmfestivals in the world to bring you a 10-day online film festival. The event is packed with more than 100 shorts and features as well as star-studded virtual talks with some of the biggest names in Cinema. Here is our list of 8 unmissable short films and panels. 1. Bong Joon-Ho Masterclass from Locarno Film Festival Date: June 8th A lively conversation with Parasite star Song Kang-Ho and Oscar winning writer-director Bong Joon-Ho detailing their collaboration together. 2. Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Soderbergh discuss Apocalypse Now: Final Cut Date: June 2nd The acclaimed filmmakers discuss one of the most epic undertakings in cinema history. 3. Tribeca Talks: Alejandro González Iñárritu Date: June 1st Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, one of only three directors to ever win consecutive Oscars talks about his beautifully varied works – from Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Biutiful, Birdman, and most recently, The Revenant. 4. Forever’s Gunna Start Tonight Date: June 7th Eliza Hittman’s sensitive and atmospheric short follows a 17-year-old Russian teenager as she escapes the close-quarters tension of her home into a Brooklyn night charged with freedom and desire. 5. A Conversation with Guillermo Del Toro Date: May 31st Academy Award®-winning director Guillermo del Toro sits down for a career-spanning discussion. 6. Daughters of Chibok Date: May 29th This VR short film deals with the aftermath of the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in 2014 in Nigeria. 7. The Distance Between the Sky and Us Date: May 29th In this 9 minute Cannes Palme d’Or winner from Greece, two strangers meet one night at a gas station. One is there to refuel; the other is stranded. 8. Bilby Date: May 29th This sweet short from DreamWorks Animation Studios finds a lonesome bilby tangled up with a helpless baby bird in the deadly desert of Australia. View the full schedule here: http://www.weareoneglobalfestival.com If you are keen on supporting the festivals’ mission to raise funds to combat Covid-19, feel free to set your schedule or donate now at their youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChMc3c7Xvv6ol1Zv47Ja39A #PhilGiordano

★★★★ Directed by: #DavidBradburn Written by: #DavidBradburn Starring: #JahredKing, #MichaelMaley, #MichaelPrado, #JasonErikZacek Film Review by: Darren Tilby In a rundown neighbourhood, where discarded toys litter the streets; remnants of lost childhoods; of broken dreams, Charlie (Jahred King) walks home from class. Despite his mind-your-own-business attitude, he’s set upon by two thugs, Rob (Jason Erik Zacek) and Miguel (Michael Prado). Unable to flee, there’s a struggle, one which Charlie cannot win. Fortunately, his friend Mark (Michael Maley) is close by to lend a hand. Here, as its title suggests, Writer/Director David Bradburn explores ‘family’, and all possible meanings of the word. And, for a 3-minute long short film, it certainly crams in a lot. So much so, you’d be forgiven for thinking this would feel a little crowded; a little dense, even. But Bradburn is clever. Instead of trying to get his message across by filling the movie with overly sentimental and superfluous dialogue, he instead utilises understatement; relying on the raw talent of his actors and Joel McGinty’s (cinematographer) visual symbolism. Family is a well-structured piece of filmmaking which holds a surprising, and considerable, poignancy. The sound design is superb, and the acting is solid - King and Marley are a tremendous on-screen presence together. But, for me at least, it’s the visuals; the imagery that truly sells this as the affecting, and somewhat haunting, experience it is. The rejected and forgotten playthings – beautifully framed and captured by McGinty – mirror the abandoned hopes and dreams of the characters which inhabit its world. But they also serve as a reflection for the viewer’s own lost childhood, innocence and friendships. However, some friendships do endure, and some friends have been through thick and thin together, this is precisely the kind of relationship Charlie and Mark have. A friendship forged by hardships and sacrifice. And while they may not be brothers by blood, they are in every other sense of the word. It’s a tricky connection to nail down, full of intricacies; nevertheless, their on-screen chemistry is vital to the movie—it’s what makes it work. And, thankfully, it’s brilliantly realised. Family may only be 3-minutes in length, but it’s concise, articulate and superbly well-put-together. There’s more for the viewer to digest here than in other films many more times its length, and it continues to grow on me more each time I rewatch it—and you really should!

Star Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Directed by: #BruceClintonBradbury Written by: #BriceClintonBradbury & #ZavierHenderson Starring: #BruceClintonBradbury, #TatianaBorie, #TimothyJCox, #AlexLeombruno, #SloanPirie Short Film Review by: Thomas Jay A whistle stop reunion Starring, co-written, produced, edited and directed by Bruce Clinton Bradbury, Rooftops is the story of Rachel (Tatiana Boris) touching down into her native Brooklyn on a break from what appears to be a successful tour of her music. Initially this film seemed a little lacking to in substance but a repeat viewing most certainly bumped it up in my estimations. Opening with this montage of air travel, numerous American Landmarks and locations smartly symbolic of the jet-set lifestyle Rachel is living. As the title card fades and the super fan (Timothy J. Cox) meets his idol, this cold opening if you will is quite well put together, planting the seeds that Rachel is a star on the rise and is going from strength to strength. After her introduction, the short wastes no time whatsoever in letting the characters reunite and enjoy the night as it unfolds and Rachel and Margaret (Sloan Pirie) rekindle their past romance. In my opinion this is a credit to the direction of this title, it captures the feeling of a fast burning fuse, they don’t have the luxury of time to spend together with each other and for as much as they celebrate her career and success, Rachel’s lifestyle has left the friendship amongst the small group somewhat fractured, and there appears to be no immediate fix. A further point on the direction, Bradbury makes great use of a very limited set of locations, from a pint sized flat that is home for the night, the bay or indeed the rooftops, it allows the film to show the characters truly make the most of the very little time they have together and communicates the fact that Rachel is perhaps a little trapped and dwarfed by her career as you can infer from the immensely populated skyline that boxes in Rachel and Margaret as they have a heart to heart as night begins to fall. Representation in film is and always will be a major issue and to be honest this is a landmark film and deserves a lot more attention than what it currently has. Save from the works of Sciamma, it is one the few positive depictions of a lesbian relationship I’ve seen on film in any form. The relationship is presented in a completely natural manner, there’s no fetishisation or self-congratulation it boils down to essentially, a slice of life and deserves credit for that, it’s true representation in any sense of the word and to me at least indicates some seriously high standards of screenwriting. With everything in mind though, and as harsh as it seems there were a few minor flaws. Sound quality seemed to vary massively from character to character and it was extremely noticeable, particularly towards the closing of scenes and when transitions occurred but it wasn’t particularly detrimental as dialogue wasn’t impacted but it is something you can easily pick up on. The same can be said for the editing of the film as well, it felt a little jump and amateurish but much like the sound was only something you can really pick up on when inbetween transitions. Flaws aside, this second shirt from Bradbury following The Most Misused Word Since Love (2019), is a pretty enjoyable and exceptionally well-crafted film, deserving of any and all praise it is now available for viewing on YouTube and worth your time! Reviewed by: #TomJay