The Outfit film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch directed by Graham Moore. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Outfit Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Mar 17, 2022 Directed by: Graham Moore Written by: Jonathan McLain, Graham Moore Starring: Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch The opening minutes of The Outfit give us a master tailor named Leonard (Mark Rylance) describing his process. We see him measuring fabric, cutting and sewing while he outlines his skill in sizing up customers to give them what they most deserve. Wait..is he still talking about suits? Maybe, maybe not. The setting is Chicago in 1956, where Leonard and his dreaming-of-a-better-life secretary Mable (Zoey Deutch) conduct business while local mobsters use Leonard’s shop to retrieve messages from a nationwide crime syndicate known as the Outfit. One night after a shootout with a rival mob, gangsters Richie (Dylan O’Brien) and Francis (Johnny Flynn) barge into the shop in need of help and refuge. Richie, the son of local boss Roy (Simon Russel Beale) has been shot, and soon most everyone involved will have to fight to survive the long night. Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game ) adds directing duties this time as well, for a nifty big screen debut that often homages early Kubrick and classic Hitchcock. Essentially a two-room chamber piece, the film leans on a terrific ensemble to roll out a steady stream of delicious twists, relishing the nimble noir wordplay and skillfully keeping Moore’s sleight-of-hand from tipping its hand too early. Fellow Oscar-winner Rylance (Bridge of Spies ) is the perfect choice to bring Leonard to life, displaying a seemingly casual excellence right in line with who Leonard seems to be. Will underestimating the quiet shopkeeper prove to be a deadly mistake? Or is it Leonard who will learn a painful lesson tonight? Rylance peels pack the layers slowly, and Moore has good instincts for the pacing that allows for maximum fun. Deutch proves again that she’s a natural, making the most of a more limited role that still boasts an impressive ratio of secrets-to-screen time. Despite getting a little too cute for the room come finale time, The Outfit is a solid directing debut for an acclaimed screenwriter. And while you can’t help feeling that this salute to the brainy introvert may be a personal one for Moore, it’s artful and engaging enough to rope in anyone who loves untangling a well-fitted suit of clues. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Silence We Carry film review by UK film critic Madeleine Lavers. Starring Louis Mateu, Socrates Kuznetsov, Gabriella Montrose directed by Louis Mateu. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Silence We Carry Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Madeleine Lavers | Posted on: Aug 24, 2026 Directed by: Louis Mateu Written by: Louis Mateu Starring: Louis Mateu, Socrates Kuznetsov, Gabriella Montrose The Silence We Carry (2026) is a short film set in post-apocalyptic Britain. The story follows Will (played by writer and director Louis Mateu), who turns to violence to protect himself and a young boy named Sam (played by Socrates Kuznetsov. The film follows a simple premise, yet one that carries lots of emotional depth. The ending reveals Will’s dark secret, one that is kept from Sam. This twist has the capacity to completely shock audiences and increase their emotional investment. The narrative is brilliant; it is strong enough to maybe be extended, potentially to something of a longer length like a feature film. The film might leave some questions remaining about the past of protagonist Will and the world he lives in, but it is still greatly effective and understandable within the short format. The beginning of the film dunks audiences right into the deep end, engaging them in the high stakes that this society faces from the start. Will kills two people in an attempt to take their resources and continue to survive; a time jump then sees Will many years later with Sam. The beginning scene works as a great hook, but the tension does not stop there. Will and Sam continue on their journey, facing other threats, with heightened pressure. This continues throughout to keep viewers’ attention. Will mistakes a man trying to help the pair and ends his life too. This is where audiences can start to understand the weight of the world the two live in and the measures Will is taking to continue living. This adds character depth and poses the question of whether Will’s extreme actions are necessary or whether Will is flawed. With more of his backstory, audiences may be able to connect and understand him more. The cinematography is clean and professional. The drone shot of the woods with its lush greens is particularly beautiful. Small details, down to the clean titles and credits, show great attention to detail. The music is potent, working smoothly alongside the ebbs and flows of the narrative, adding more drama where necessary. The script writing is easy to understand, whilst hinting at secrets yet to be revealed, acting as smart hints and foreshadowing elements that audiences will think back on after their revelation. All the performances were strong, with the characters’ emotions adding to audiences’ understanding of the gravity of their situations, further reinforcing their hardships. The young boy Socrates Kuznetsov was confident and compelling in his acting. Overall, this short film is created with high production value, following a gripping story where you can trust no one. Some backstory may have strengthened the narrative, but it is still hugely captivating as it is. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Madeleine Lavers Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Seed film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Lucy Martin, Chelsea Edge, Sophie Vavasseur directed by Sam Walker. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Seed Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Mar 9, 2022 Directed by: Sam Walker Written by: Sam Walker Starring: Lucy Martin, Chelsea Edge, Sophie Vavasseur It’s got a little Brian Yuzna, definitely some Larry Cohen, a touch of Eraserhead , and the exact set of Revenge . Plus, sci-fi/horror flick The Seed maintains maybe the single most used premise of the last few years: three friends rent a place to stay and bad things happen. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. A small cast and limited locations are just smart plays for an independent filmmaker working with budget confinements, and there are moments when writer/director Sam Walker transcends such trappings. Just not many. Vampy social influencer Diedre (Lucy Martin), her somewhat vapid bestie Heather (Sophie Vavasseur), and their down-to-earth pal Charlotte (Chelsea Edge) head to a luxurious, isolated spot in the Mojave desert and witness a meteor shower. It’s gorgeous, but now their phones are on the fritz, which means they can’t call an uber or get in touch with civilization at all. Worst of all, there’s some stinky dead armadillo bear thing oozing all over their pool deck. There’s no question Walker is a fan of late 80s horror. The social media angle is the only element of The Seed that feels like it wasn’t hatched in 1985, actually. Walker goes for a sharpness in the color that does call Yuzna to mind, and attempts at social satire by way of body horror link Cohen as well. Walker just doesn’t seem to know where to go with it all. Martin does. She elevates tired mean girl dialog and cuts an exceptional narcissistic presence. Both she and Vavasseur find the comedy in the script, and their bickering buddies often entertain. Edge is the weak link, which is unfortunate because – given the 1980s roots and the wholesome character – she’s telegraphed early to be the film’s hero. The fact that The Seed is set in the exact house Coralie Fargeat used to gorgeous, bloody extremes in her 2017 treasure Revenge only makes you want to see Walker do more with his location. So little about this film feels fresh and that retro vibe only carries it so far. The beast itself is sometimes laughable, but not often enough to be fun, which is par for the course with the film. Walker wades into dark comedy/satire territory for the first two acts, then abandons it entirely for a dusty, predictable, humorless finale. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Birdeater film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Mackenzie Fearnley, Shabana Azeez, Ben Hunter directed by JackClark, Jim Weir. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Birdeater Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jan 9, 2025 Directed by: JackClark, Jim Weir Written by: Jack Clark, Jim Weir Starring: Mackenzie Fearnley, Shabana Azeez, Ben Hunter Birdeater gets off to a slow but promising start. Louie (Mackenzie Fearnley) and Irene (Shabana Azeez) have an unusual relationship. To give more details than that would be to eliminate some of the film’s surprise, so I won’t. Co-writers/co-directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir have a plan for unveiling information as it is most provocative, and I’ll leave it to them to provoke you. Irene is anxious about the couple’s upcoming wedding. Louis is anxious about Irene’s anxiety about the wedding. So, he invites her along on his “box party” — the Australian term for bachelor party. What follows is an unrelentingly awkward, fairly twisted tale of sexual politics, blow up dolls, drunkenness, ketamine, big cat tranquilizers, bonfires, and the nature of consent. It seems important to point out the Wake in Fright movie poster hanging in best man Dylan’s (Ben Hunter) apartment. Like Ted Kotcheff’s unhinged 1971 Outback classic, Birdeater seeks to upset you as it digs into Australian ideas of masculinity. On the whole, it succeeds in that aim—not to the scarring degree of Wake in Fright , but success nonetheless. Louie’s BFFs Dylan—the boisterous, manly troublemaker—and Charlie (Jack Bannister), the Christian whose brought his also-Christian girlfriend (Clementine Anderson), have plans for the event. But Louie has his own plans and he does not want anything to mess with that. Birdeater ’s greatest success is investment in character. These people feel authentic, which is amazing given their behavior. Their relationships feel truthful and you find yourself invested more in what happens to the side characters than the bride and groom. Louie’s plans and his mates’ come to a head, which is where Birdeater explodes into messy, fascinating, unrelated pieces. The surface story of bachelor party debauchery—of traditional masculinity run amuck—and the underlying and far more distressing story of male/female relationships sometimes reflect something insightful. Just as often, they feel slapped together nonsensically, or held together with contrived opportunities for exposition. Recently, Halina Reijn tackled prickly ideas of female sexuality, power, and gender politics with Babygirl . It explored one woman’s seemingly misogynistic choices, but by remaining true to the protagonist’s point of view, the film itself exposes something else. Birdeater paints itself into a corner it can’t figure out how to escape, primarily because, though the male characters throughout the film wonder at Irene’s choices, the men writing and directing the film don’t seem to understand them. Instead, we spend 90 minutes inside a male perspective as they guess at (and, indeed, create) female motivations. This leads inevitably to a climax that can’t help but be unsatisfying. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Make a Wish film review by UK film critic James Learoyd. Starring Gianluca Aliberti, Margherita Rufolo directed by Valentina Galdi. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Make a Wish Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: James Learoyd | Posted on: Mar 29, 2024 Directed by: Valentina Galdi Written by: Valentina Galdi Starring: Gianluca Aliberti, Margherita Rufolo It’s difficult to judge a film that’s less than 3 minutes in runtime; it’s even more difficult to make one. Many filmmakers will attempt to infuse within their work all the substance and complexities of your average feature, but that's not always the best path to take. With most either taking the poetic route (based on shots, tones, textures) or the short-form, dramatic route (punchy, dialogue-based story, set in one room perhaps), the new short film Make a Wish proves to be neither one nor the other. Clocking in at 2 minutes and 53 seconds, the piece tells a fascinating and unexpected story... It’s effectively divided into two parts: the first depicts some incredibly pleasant, romantic moments – a couple walking through a winter wonderland. There are beautiful flashing lights, panning shots of the idealistic arena, and a young couple walking along hand in hand. Were the whole film just this, one could describe it as a successful, pretty-looking tone piece; however, the short then interestingly pivots to show the same man from before now sitting on a bench, observing the very same woman on a bench across from him. We realise it’s all a fantasy, and the dramatic conflict is to come from whether he approaches her or not. The unfortunate thing is that it has a slightly creepy air to it, and it’s not fully convincing. The filmmakers are clearly well intentioned and did not consider this to be a strange route for the trajectory of the story, but it could be argued that, in such a short space of time, too much is being attempted. Viewers, I’m sure, will be swept up in the romantic nature of the first half – the calming music matching the smooth visuals work in tandem to create an authentic yet dreamlike image of a love between two people. The latter parts are ambitious in what they may be trying to convey, however it simply lacks richness, character, and explanation. Just to briefly discuss the cinematography of the film, which is intriguing: besides the use of auto-focus settings (which is off-putting), there’s something undeniably hypnotic about the floaty aesthetic of this film. There’s an enjoyable element at play, never having the camera locked down. One supposes that this is also representative of the dream narrative the film attempts to incorporate. It would have been even more effective if, once we break from the dream, the visual sensibilities break as well – implementing a colder, more static look for the real world. To surmise, you wonder whether the picture would feel more cohesive and tonally successful were there just a singular idea at play; or, with the ambition on display, having a longer runtime to make the concepts feel lived-in and authentic. Upon considering the twist of the piece, it makes me want to see what the creatives can craft from a darker story; the subjective and psychologically disruptive nature of the twist holds potential for something truly Hitchcockian. It’s a small but admirable piece of work – one with mystery and creative ambition. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic James Learoyd Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Feldsher film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Kyla Nelson, Ivan Garcia directed by Nizar Nassar. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Feldsher Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Oct 5, 2025 Directed by: Nizar Nassar Written by: Nizar Nassar Starring: Kyla Nelson, Ivan Garcia Rita wants to relive some of her memories and enlists the help of a shady organisation, or a corrupt AI, or some other incongruous hidden entity, in order to do so. Possibly. In writer and director, Nizar Nassar’s new short film, Feldsher , we are introduced to Rita (Nelson) as she talks to some computer voice to try and find a memory of some guy named Fabio. She enters a world where she finds and faces off against some guy (Garcia) who’s trying desperately hard to look cool and enigmatic while failing miserably at both – oh, and he’s not Fabio. He does have a name, maybe, but the audio is so mismatched to the visuals at this point in the film that it made it almost impossible to remember if he was actually name-checked or not, and I just couldn’t bring myself to sit through such a terrible film again to try and find it out. They’re both hanging around in some post-industrial wasteland, situated between concrete pillars covered in graffiti, looking out to the sea and the sky beyond. Getting himself up out of a wheelchair where he has been malingering until now, the weird dude starts a timer and starts pointing a gun at Rita’s face. Cue Rita to start questioning her existence and diatribing some turgid philosophical nonsense while she tries to figure out what’s going on. The same scenario then gets recycled three times in a row, getting us nowhere, while the gun gets repointed in Rita’s face and the counter runs towards zero. There’s some incomprehensible exchanges between the two as this goes on, with some casual interludes into other spaces and back to the computer voice, but who knows what any of it has to do with anything because it’s so badly scripted. Once the timer actually runs out, we’d hope to God that the whole thing would be over, but unfortunately at this point we’re only half-way through. The scenario then runs through again, just this time we’re out in the car park, outside of the concrete ruin, in the dirt and gravel of a grey space. Rita and her adversary do the whole tête-à-tête thing ad nauseum, supposedly expositioning some sort of narrative as they go along, but really it’s all just garbled nonsense that means nothing and takes the audience nowhere. There’s some pleading and some questioning of ‘what’ and ‘why’, but that might as well describe what the viewer is feeling at this point because it’s all such awful garbage. The idea, I guess, behind Nassar’s film is that it should be an arthouse take on a futuristic, neo-noir thriller, where AI or some other guff is in charge of a person’s therapy, or memories, or recycled trauma, or…. who actually cares? The problem is that the narrative is such resoundingly self-indulgent wank that it mish-mashes everything together in an absurd, all too serious manner, forgetting to leave threads for the audience that could actually help us foster an interest in what’s going on. The stuff we see on screen is incredibly difficult to relate to what is trying to be expressed through the dialogue, and the story, or the meta-story, or the imagined story that takes place somewhere else, is so far removed from the trash we have to sit through, that none of it makes sense. The one saving grace from Nassar’s travesty is nothing to do with him, but from his DoP, José Orpinelli, who actually knows what he’s doing and who captures some truly beautiful shots. The drone photography matches this, mixing in with AI landscapes and special effects to create a futuristic feel to the world we’re in. The direction is otherwise serviceable with mostly handheld shots of the characters’ faces as they circle each other but with nothing much else to add. Feldsher is the worst kind of overreaching, self-indulgent, taking itself too seriously, trash, masquerading as an artistic vision. Even Megalopolis (2024) has nothing on this nonsense, and it was really, truly bad. At twenty-six minutes there’s a lot of rubbish to sit through, so if I was you I just wouldn’t bother. It’s not worth your time, or my time, or anyone else’s time. Don’t even tell anyone else about it because they won’t thank you for it. I’m truly hoping that in time this traumatic viewing experience will also eventually become an irretrievable memory lost to the past. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Digital / DVD Release, Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

No Future film review by UK film critic Matt Weiner. Starring Catherine Keener, Charlie Heaton directed by Andrew Irvine, Mark Smoot. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS No Future Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Matt Weiner | Posted on: Oct 22, 2021 Directed by: Andrew Irvine, Mark Smoot Written by: Andrew Irvine, Mark Smoot Starring: Catherine Keener, Charlie Heaton The title of No Future also serves as an emotional content warning for a film about heroin addiction, and it’s a warning to heed if you want this kind of narrative tempered with breezy redemption. But it’s not without hope. Rather, directors Andrew Irvine and Mark Smoot avoid sentimentality and addiction cliches in equal measure, and what’s left is a lean, emotional gut punch delivered by the small cast all turning in top performances. When an old friend dies of an overdose, Will (Charlie Heaton), himself in recovery from heroin addiction, begins a tumultuous affair with Claire (Catherine Keener), his dead friend’s mother. The pair are drawn together by grief and guilt, a dynamic that quickly goes from sympathetic to parasitic as the two spurn the numerous more emotionally healthy therapeutic outlets available to process their loss. Keener and Heaton are electric together, which is no small feat for characters that veer wildly between retreating alone into their own pain while showing a convincing attraction to each other. Keener in particular shines as a woman who goes from casual fatalism to incandescent rage as she comes to terms with losing her son Chris (Jefferson White). The film flirts with thematic shortcuts, most notably in the form of No Future—a band that Will and Chris played in together. But the more Will and Claire wax philosophical about what brought them to this point in the present, it becomes clear that it’s less nihilistic than it sounds. The film is populated almost entirely with people who don’t allow themselves the luxury of looking any farther ahead than their open wound of the day. It’s raw and bracing to watch it all unfold, but if nothing else the impact lingers well into the future. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Matt Weiner Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

A Wanderer's World film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Kamil Trzebiatowski directed by Kamil Trzebiatowski. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Wanderer's World Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Oct 15, 2025 Directed by: Kamil Trzebiatowski Written by: Kamil Trzebiatowski Starring: Kamil Trzebiatowski A wonderful short documentary about nature, made entirely thanks to the hard work and dedication of Kamil Trzebiatowski. Trzebiatowski is a long-distance hiker with impressive achievements. Over the course of seven years, he has travelled extensively around the British countryside, exploring its vast beauty. He documented much of his journeys on camera and now he tells his story to others, filming himself as he walks through the countryside. Over the course of 40 minutes, Trzebiatowski takes the viewer on a mesmerising and thoughtful journey, revealing the beauty of British landscapes and explaining the reasons that motivated him to start journeying through nature. His footage certainly captures the wonderness of landscapes, showing mountains, moors, fields and lakes. And he spends a great deal of time filming himself as he hikes through the countryside and talks about his experiences and his perspective regarding nature. The shots of nature are fantastic, his words are meaningful and the experience is supported by the terrific music by Dreyma, Daniel Ran and Fantasy Meditations. Focusing on Kamil now. As mentioned, he is solely responsible for the creation of this documentary and the results of his efforts are very rewarding. He is also the only person in the film and he comes across as rather friendly and the way he expresses himself makes it evident that he has great passion for nature and exploring. Throughout the film, Kamil utilises quotes from a variety of famous individuals, including Heraclitus, Helen Keller, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Thomas Merton in order to support his theories about the power of nature and the value of solitude. These quotes appear in words in a variety of wonderful paintings of landscapes and are quoted verbally. Obviously, nature is the main subject here, its beauty and how mesmerising it is and how uniquely people can experience the physical world in solitude. Moreover, this film is also a commentary about pursuing a passion, being motivated, exploration, self-reflection and of course, hiking. People who view this documentary will be rewarded with beautiful landscapes and will have the pleasure of becoming familiar with an inspiring individual with unique thoughts about the significance of nature and the ways people connect with it. And they might even be inspired to set off on their own adventure. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Harvey Greenfield is Running Late film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Paul Richards, Liz Barker, Annette Badland, Alan Hay, Norman Lovett, Patrick Monahan, Ewan MacIntosh directed by Jonnie Howard. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Harvey Greenfield is Running Late Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Jul 11, 2025 Directed by: Jonnie Howard Written by: Jonnie Howard, Ray Howard, Paul Richards Starring: Paul Richards, Liz Barker, Annette Badland, Alan Hay, Norman Lovett, Patrick Monahan, Ewan MacIntosh Harvey Greenfield is Running Late , the micro-budget feature directed by Jonnie Howard and co-written and performed by the brilliant Paul Richards, tells the tale of the eponymous shambles Harvey, a self-professed “ugly Hugh Grant” with an ill-fitting suit and possibly “a million illnesses that his white blood cells are too polite to fight back against”. A textbook people pleaser, unable to ever say no to anyone or anything, deal with any kind of confrontation, or even decide what sandwich to eat, Harvey Greenfield might be one of the most lovable messes of a human being that has ever been portrayed on screen. Setting off at lightning pace, dragged along by Harvey’s constant running from one commitment to the next, the film not so much breaks the fourth wall but rather demolishes it completely, as Harvey persistently addresses the audience with his lament for life rather than any lust for it. Stress, anxiety, fear, indecisiveness, these are the things Harvey knows he has and are crippling him, but also counters with, how could he not? Firstly, there is his job and his gruff, grandiose boss, Mr. Buckley (a delicious performance by Alan Hay) at the floundering publishing company demanding his complete commitment. There is his mum, desperate to see him so she can finally go to the shops, or the mechanic, calling about the dodgy beater he is badgering Harvey to buy. And finally, there is his inversely calm and put-together girlfriend Alice (Barker), who just wants him, for once, to get a hold of himself and be there when she needs him. And if that wasn’t enough, Harvey’s ability to somehow get himself into a string of other increasingly bizarre scenarios just keeps piling on that stress. Agree to be the best man at your “best friend's” wedding that you don’t even really like? Attend a funeral for someone you don’t even know because it would be rude not to? Or having to deal with someone trying to sell you a pig even though you keep telling them they’ve got the wrong person. All this craziness Harvey somehow manages to pull into his orbit makes Harvey Greenfield is Running Late an exhaustingly stressful ninety-plus minutes. However, what a truly beautiful ride it is. It’s non-stop yes, but it’s a non-stop triumph from start to finish. Firstly, it’s very funny, both in its blatant jokes, puns and references as well as its subtle ones, each landing with maximum impact thanks not just to a clever script, but inspired direction and cinematography as well. It can also be sad and heartfelt in-between those moments of levity, you for sure want to both hug and shake Harvey at the same time and as we journey through Harvey's story from lonely child to barely functioning adult, the film ends up fully formed as a poignant piece on the utmost importance of looking after one’s mental health. And breathing life into all of it is a cast full of beautifully weird and engaging characters, portrayed by a parade of genuine icons like Annette Badland, Norman Lovett, the late Ewen MacIntosh and even the one and only, Dave Benson Phillips. Main players such as the aforementioned Hay and Liz Barker as the too understanding Alice, also excel of course. But this is the Paul Richards show, and their making Harvey so frustrating yet so utterly loveable and compelling might be the film's biggest achievement. Touching and hilarious, and having already found success and acclaim on the stage, Harvey Greenfield is Running Late undeniably deserves even more on the big screen. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Buick Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

ATLAS (2023) film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Olivier Leger directed by Duncan MacLeod. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS ATLAS (2023) Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Nov 6, 2023 Directed by: Duncan MacLeod Written by: N/A Starring: Olivier Leger The oceans are perhaps the greatest mystery remaining on this planet. They are the one part of earth that remains vastly undiscovered, and, in many places, untouched by the impact of human life. Even though for years man has sought to sail the seas, and have circumnavigated the globe, they remain a source of curiosity and unknown for many. Their vast depths contain secrets unknown to man, and their powerful waves contain unimaginable forces. The ocean, and the marine environment more generally, is also one of the most beautiful, most serene phenomenon on planet earth. The oceans contain a tranquility not offered anywhere else on the planet, a source of relief from humanity and its innumerable stresses, as well as a chance to reconnect with nature amidst the abundance of marine life. ‘ATLAS’ is a documentary that follows ocean wildlife artist Olivier Leger as he embarks on his latest painting ‘Atlas’ - which, based on an ocean myth, depicts a turtle bearing the ocean world on its back. Olivier saw symmetry with the Greek myth involving the titan Atlas, who is condemned to hold up the heavens and sky for eternity. Similar to Atlas, and the turtle in his painting, Olivier is feeling the weight of responsibility in terms of the ever-worsening crisis that humans are causing to the planets oceans. As somebody so involved in marine life, he wishes to do more to promote the conservation of his primary interest, with this reflected in the coral bleaching and acid pollution increasingly appearing in his paintings. Olivier’s frustration at the irreversible damage being done to our marine environments is evident through the sheer anger in his voice as he argues that nothing has changed in the five years since ‘Blue Planet II’. Olivier also speaks philosophically throughout ‘ATLAS’, giving an interesting perspective into the mind of him as both a person and as an artist. He has an intriguing thought involving the responsibility for the climate crisis, believing that whilst everybody is culpable for any malfunction on our planet, he doesn’t believe that humans are too blame, and that any other organism in out position would have made the same mistakes. It’s an interesting idea, one which, like his many other musings, is posed in an engaging and likeable manner by Olivier Leger, who never loses his audience throughout. This is perhaps even more true in his meditations over art, and his aims as an artist, chiefly his dream to inspire some form of change via art. Too many artists, and indeed to many people, this truly is their aim, and it is fascinatingly delightful to hear it vocalised by an artist, particularly one as talented, and with such an impressive collection of paintings, as Olivier. Whilst ‘ATLAS’ is undeniably engaging and interesting throughout, at no point is it truly immersive, largely as a result of the relatively flat nature of the directing by Duncan MacLeod. Whilst never noticeably bad, MacLeod’s directing lacks the spark needed to propel ‘ATLAS’ to the next level, and the visual inspiration required to truly invigorate Olivier’s incredible work with even more life. Nevertheless, ‘ATLAS’ is an interesting documentary about the importance of marine life, and marine conservation, as well providing a nuanced perspective on what it means to be an artist, all while displaying some truly beautiful artwork. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

C.A.M. film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Charlotte Curwood, Tom Ware, Jamie Langlands, Michael Swatton directed by Steph Du Melo. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS C.A.M. Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Jun 14, 2022 Directed by: Steph Du Melo Written by: Steph Du Melo Starring: Charlotte Curwood, Tom Ware, Jamie Langlands, Michael Swatton 1999. That was the year ‘The Blair Witch Project’ came out and changed the horror genre. It introduced ‘found footage’ to the masses - though the concept had long been common in literature, notably ‘The Castle of Otranto’. The unfortunate side effect of the film was the sudden emergence of millions of little, found-footage productions, all vying to be the next ‘Blair Witch’. ‘C.A.M’ is one of those films - lousily produced, lacking real horror, sub-par performances - but it’s also more than a little insensitive. 2020. That was the year that the world shut down. As the coronavirus pandemic hit we were all asked to remain indoors and stay away from our friends and family. The lockdown measures continued in many areas into, and throughout, 2021 - it’s little wonder therefore that there would be a host of films centred on viruses and pandemics. ‘C.A.M’ is one such film, exploiting the pandemic situation and people’s fears around it as the only way of generating terror in the audience. The film claims that its footage was found in 2013, documenting the start of a deadly new virus. A trainee tactical police unit, coincidentally wth a civilian camera crew, is sent to evacuate the workers of a meat processing plant where the virus is believed to have started. The infected workers are discovered to be displaying extreme violent behaviour, and they begin to realise the potential consequences should the virus spread. The sections of found footage are interspersed with an ‘interview’ between an unknown medical worker and an unnamed Alt-Media Interviewer, and a PowerPoint slide informing us of where they are and what’s going on. This structure doesn’t help the story in the slightest. Should the film focus solely on the found footage section it would illicit moments of fear and would maintain the suspense throughout, rather than killing any tension with a poorly acted phoney interview which adds little to the story. The corny PowerPoint slides in-between further remove the fear of the unknown - humanity’s greatest fear - from the equation. ‘C.A.M’ also suffers from a bizarre tone and inconsistent character emotions. It is intent on maintaining an almost mournful stance in the interviews but then becomes more jovial in the found-footage itself, meaning that you’re jumping around from the atmosphere of a funeral to that of a birthday party. With found-footage films, it is essential that the script (which you must remember is allegedly non-existent) is tight. These films tend to have actors of a lower quality - you’re not likely to see Leonardo DiCaprio in a found-footage anytime soon. Unfortunately, ‘C.A.M’ has a script which puts its actors (who aren’t the best to begin with) in an unenviable position. The whole premise of found-footage is that the dialogue mirrors that of everyday life; every word of ‘C.A.M’ feels strained, as though made by an A.I. still trying to adapt to the English language. ‘C.A.M’ is a complete mess. It doesn’t do what it should do - inspire terror - falling well short of the mark, at times coming off as a parody. That illusion is let down by its morbid tone in the interview, which only confuses where it should clarify. To add insult to injury - it’s insensitive and, especially at times like these, spreads a conspiracy theory which is extremely dangerous. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

How Deep Is The Ocean film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Olivia Fildes, Cris Cochrane, Simone Oula, Will Weatheritt, Adam Rowland directed by Andrew Walsh. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS How Deep Is The Ocean Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Aug 2, 2023 Directed by: Andrew Walsh Written by: Andrew Walsh Starring: Olivia Fildes, Cris Cochrane, Simone Oula, Will Weatheritt, Adam Rowland ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’ is a film that understands truly what life is like when you’re in your twenties. The strange mixture of youth and growing older, of love and loneliness, and independence and struggle. All these things are illustrated as clearly as an oil painting in ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’, a magnificent canvas displaying the highs and lows of being a twenty something in a big city. These feelings - especially that of loneliness - are only amplified when you move away from the comfort of home and into a big city. That is the experience of Eleanor (Olivia Fildes), who has just moved from the much maligned Adelaide to the ‘world’s most liveable city’ of Melbourne. Though the city ranks highly on the international liveability index, only Vienna and Copenhagen rank higher, its residents still suffer from the same issues that affect people across the world. Life for some is just as rubbish, with struggles to pay rent, find employment, and make friends commonplace. Eleanor isn’t the only person struggling to survive, meeting a whole host of figures suffering from the same or similar issues. Her landlord Roy (Cris Cochrane) struggles with the pressures of alcoholism, and the regular woes of a standup comedian, while figures such as Zoe (Simone Oula), whom Eleanor meets at a job interview, and Matt (Will Weatheritt) come drifting in and out of her life with similar pressures and problems. Some people thrive, finding success and happiness, whilst others falter, and lose themselves to their demons in the process, succumbing to the city. Andrew Walsh’s camera follows Eleanor attentively, chronicling her misadventures through her time in Melbourne with a keen eye, as though personally well-aware of her struggles. Indeed, ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’ comes across as a deeply personal film, from being fired from low-paid cafe jobs, to the pain of an unrequited, and wrong, love, Walsh imbues both his writing and direction with a passion that translates well to the screen, and helps us relate all the more to Eleanor’s experience. His screenplay too is clever in how it makes us care not just for Eleanor, but for the surrounding figures in her life. From the alcoholic Roy, to the wistful Matt and the competitive Zoe, despite their faults, which Walsh makes painfully evident, these are nonetheless sympathetic characters, ones whom we can relate to in little ways, just as we relate to Eleanor. ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’ is a question asked by those that succumb to such pressures of youth and wish to drown in order to escape. It’s something no doubt running through numerous characters minds, and no doubt through the minds of many people walking around cities all over the world today. Should it be so hard to survive your twenties? Does it ever get easier? Not really, there are figures out of their twenties but still in that flux, and still contemplating that question. ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’? Deep enough to drown, but also deep enough to see wonderful things and experience life completely differently, both spatially and temporally. That’s what living your twenties is like, and that’s why ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’ is a beautiful film. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >