★★ Directed by #JeremieGuez Written by #JeremieGuez #DannieMMartin Starring #RolandMoller #LolaLeLann Film Review by Brandon Thomas “There’s a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out, but I’m too tough for him. I say, stay in there, I’m not going to let anybody see you.” As I often do before starting to write a review, I went to Google and typed in the title of the movie. I’m typically looking for behind the scenes info about the film at hand, but this time something different stood out: the above opening to Charles Bukowski’s poem Bluebird. The connection between A Bluebird in My Heart and Bukowski’s poem is tenuous. One might be inclined to link the hard drinking, womaning poet with the film’s protagonist. That would be giving it more thought than the filmmakers did. Danny (A Hijacking’s Roland Moeller) has recently been paroled from prison. A chance meeting affords Danny the opportunity to live in a small hotel in exchange for some carpentry work. Danny strikes up a somewhat reluctant friendship with Clara (Lola Le Lann), the hotel manager’s daughter. When a savage act of violence is carried out on his new friend, Danny is torn between enacting revenge or keeping his head down as a new parolee. A Bluebird in My Heart is the kind of basic revenge story that we’ve seen dozens of times before. Basic can be good when offering up memorable performances or a few plot twists and turns. Bluebird has none of that. This is a film that’s set on checking off all of the standard boxes that come with a revenge plot. First time director Jeremie Guez struggles to make Danny and Clara’s relationship the heart of the film. The problem is that we’re never truly allowed to get to know these two people. Danny is defined by his past incarceration, while Clara’s story is characterized by a father who is currently behind bars. Their characters, and their relationship, is entirely superficial. This pointed focus on Danny leaves the villains largely faceless. After whiffing the relationship between Danny and Clara, some outstanding villains might have freshened things up a bit. That doesn’t happen. What we get are the typical indistinguishable bad guys in black leather coats and sloppily shaved heads. These guys barely register as a threat. Cinematographer Dimitri Karakatsanis does at least manage to make the film look outstanding. The urban setting forgoes the typical colorless drab and instead takes full advantage of early morning and evening light. Even the inside of the cheap hotel is bathed in shadow and warm blue light. The entire film has an inviting visual appeal. Despite having some outstanding visuals, A Bluebird in My Heart still only offers a rehash of many of the same tired revenge flicks from the last decade. #BrandonThomas

★★★★ Directed by #LaneSkye #RuckusSkye Written by #LaneSkye #RuckusSkye Starring #DanielleDeadwyler #CatherineDyer Film Review by Hope Madden I’ve long felt that pre-film text-on-screen quotes are a cinematic crutch, often pretentious musings that rarely capture the essence of the film about to unspool. Then, over a colorful vista of misty Appalachian mountaintops and plaintive banjo strings I read about the hardy folk populating those peaks, the descendants of criminals and oppressed alike who sought refuge in this inhospitable place. As shadow creeps across the landscape, the quote: “They want nothing from you and God help you if you try to interfere.” – 2010 census worker Welcome to Reckoning, Lane and Ruckus Skye’s lyrical backwoods epic, grounded in a lived-in world most of us never knew existed. The tale is anchored with a quietly ferocious turn by Danielle Deadwyler (who also produces) as Lemon, a hardscrabble farmer trying to keep things up and wondering where her husband has been these past days. Deadwyler’s clear-eyed efficiency is matched with the hillbilly condescension of one Tommy Runion (Catherine Dyer, flawless), whose homespun advice and cheer mask a dead-eyed, sadistic sense of right, wrong and entitlement. One of the most tightly written thrillers in recent memory, Reckoning peoples those hills with true characters, not a forgettable villain or cliched rube among them. The sense of danger is palpable and Deadwyler’s commitment to communicating Lemon’s low key tenacity is a thing of beauty. Hell, the whole film is beautiful, Sherman Johnson’s camera catching not just the forbidding nature of Appalachia, but also its lush glory. Yes, the cult that lives just outside the county line does feel a tad convenient, but again, the Skyes and their outstanding cast carve out memorable, realistic and terrifying characters. Reckoning remains true to these fascinating souls, reveling in the well-worn but idiosyncratic nature of their individual relationships—a tone matched by sly performances across the board. And just when you think you’ve settled into a scene or a relationship, Reckoning shocks you with a turn of events that is equal parts surprising and inevitable. It’s a stunning film, and a rare gem that treats Appalachians not as clichés, but certainly not as people to be messed with. Reckoning is a film to catch whenever and however you can. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by #ScottZBurns Written by #ScottZBurns Starring #AdamDriver #AnnetteBening Film Review by Hope Madden Admit it. Own up to it. Hold yourself accountable. Then our country can move on. Oh right, also, I saw The Report this week. For his clear-eyed reminder of what post 9/11 America was like, writer/director Scott Z. Burns takes a page from Adam McKay’s book of outrage, leaving both tongue and cheek behind. Daniel Jones (Adam Driver, who is having one hell of a year) is a Senate staffer working for Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening, eerily good). He’s been tasked with investigating the CIA’s post 9/11 “enhanced interrogation” tactics. Among the heads of the CIA are Thomas Eastman (Michael C. Hall) and John Brennan (Ted Levine). That Burns cast two actors known best for playing serial killers as CIA leaders is slyly hilarious and indicative of the contempt the filmmaker has for those responsible for this shameful page in US history. The Report brims with rage, justifiably so, but Burns never stoops to melodrama, rarely even preaches. Much of his ire is delivered via Driver’s sullen stare. Driver is characteristically amazing. Though his performance is largely internal, it spills over with the ache and anger of a citizen who loves his country and cannot believe what he sees happening. The entire cast—and it’s a big one—impresses, from bewildered CIA staff to opportunists looking to cash in, from battered inmates to White House Chief of Staff. With limited screen time, each performer establishes a character, not a cardboard villain or hero, and the contribution elevates the entire film. Burns’s script stumbles periodically over exposition, but given the sheer volume of information he covers, it’s a fault that’s easy to forgive. Somehow he manages to contain in just under two hours what Daniels himself couldn’t fit inside 7000 pages. Importantly, though the film does look to enlighten us on the corruption, greed and fearmongering that led the US to such sadistic measures, Burns wisely leans more heavily on a larger theme of admission and oversight as the only steps toward regaining self-respect and the respect of the world. Timely. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by #MarkLandsman Film Review by George Wolf About 94 minutes into Scandalous, Mark Landsman’s completely engrossing documentary about tabloid journalism, you realize he’s buried the lede. “How did a tabloid subject get to be President of the United States?” In telling the tale of the birth, rise and fall of the National Enquirer, Landsman is also drawing a fairly persuasive roadmap to America’s current standing as a place where, in the view of no less than Carl Bernstein, no fact-based debate is even possible. Born to original owner Generoso “Gene” Pope from a no-interest mafia loan, the Enquirer had a simple goal: sell the most papers, period. Taking inspiration from roadside gawkers at a grisly accident, Pope printed the crime scene photos others didn’t. But when the rise of suburbia meant less lines at the newsstand, Pope made a genius move to the supermarket checkout line. And since blood and guts don’t mix too well with the bread and milk, the Enquirer went all in on celebrity gossip. Using press badges for nifty introductions, Landsman rolls out a succession of former Enquirer reporters and editors, none of whom can hide their fondness for the memories. It was an intoxicating working environment of bottomless expense accounts, cutthroat competition and a ruthless dedication to getting the story. It wasn’t about facts, it was about eyeballs. Start with some sliver of truth, and then cater to the core (“Missy Smith in Kansas City” the staff called her) with unapologetic sensationalism. Let the public decide, right? They have a right to know. Except when they don’t, because “catch and kill” protection deals started decades before Donald Trump. Landsman scores with those details, but curiously omits any mention of successful legal pushback from celebrities such as Carol Burnett. The paper’s backstory is informative and intriguing, but the red meat of Scandalous comes fittingly from scandals. The coverage of both Gary Hart and O.J. Simpson not only brought new journalistic respect to the Enquirer, but ushered in a new approach to journalism itself that is still being debated. “That’s not my problem,” says a former editor. “It sold papers.” It did that. But Landsman argues it also blurred lines that became ripe for exploitation by a new owner with a political agenda, something – according to all former staffers interviewed – the Enquirer had always avoided. After that, greasing the political rails of longtime Enquirer darling Trump became almost inevitable. But above all, Scandalous resets the folly in underestimating the Enquirer’s legacy. When we listen to a reporter’s recording of a much younger Trump calling to plant favorable stories by posing as a “Trump insider,” it feels like a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past. So how did the checkout aisles evolve from promising dirt on the latest celebrity divorce to serving up blatant political propaganda? In the words of one former reporter, the Enquirer simply got “out-Enquired.” Scandalous, indeed. #GeorgeWolf

★★ Directed by #BenMcPherson Written by #BenMcPherson Starring #BrightonSharbino #DominicMonaghan #WillPatton Film Review by Hope Madden See the solution, not the problem. That’s the mantra young Reese (Brighton Sharbino) repeats as she tries to find her way free of an ultra-realistic virtual reality exercise. Back at home, with her multiple screens in front of her, she has a tough time getting that game out of her head, even when her dad (Dominic Monaghan) calls her down for burgers on the dinner table and vinyl on the turntable. Radioflash is the latest in a tedious line of films to point out that we—our youngsters, in particular—are dangerously reliant on technology, to the point that they barely know how to live day to day in the real world. I mean, what would Reese do if a nuclear pulse took out the power in half the country? Let’s find out. Being solution oriented, she heads to Grampa’s (Will Patton) shed. As luck would have it, the first book she grabs falls open to the page defining a radioflash. And though there’s no reason on earth to believe this is anything other than a garden variety black out, Reese somehow intuits 1) it is, indeed, a radioflash, and 2) how to get Grampy’s old CB radio up and running via a car battery. Oh, the conveniences just come scattershot like that through the rest of the film, which is less a journey and more a series of “and then this happens, and then this happens, and then this happens.” This is not a film that has a high opinion of humanity. Sure, neither did Cormac McCarthy, but I think he saw civilization surviving more than a single day before his post-apocalyptic nightmare The Road had us eating each other. Not so, writer/director Ben McPherson. Outright cannibalism may be a few days off, but inside of 24 hours he expects to see looting, murder, kidnapping and worse. Wait, what’s worse than looting, murder and kidnapping? Mountain people. “Only two kinds of mountain people,” says wizened and doomed good Samaritan Farmer Glenn. “Those chasing a dream, and those that’s being chased.” Guess whose hands solution-oriented Reese falls into? Here’s an actual piece of dialog, to help you decide. “Ain’t no finer meat than bear.” Yes, Reese finds herself with the meanest lot of white trash this side of Wrong Turn. But Radioflash is not a horror movie. (It’s not a Clash song, either, but damn if I can get that tune out of my head.) It’s a lazy hero’s quest adventure flick where the hero learns little and isn’t given much chance to become a hero. #HopeMadden

★★ Directed by #SwatiBhise Written by #DevikaBhise #SwatiBhise #OliviaEmden Starring #DevikaBhise #RupertEverett #NathanielParker Film Review by Hope Madden My genuine thanks to first time writer/director Swati Bhise for bringing to my attention the Indian freedom fighter and queen, Rani Lakshmibai. The woman was an absolute badass. Lakshmibai (Devika Bhise, Swati’s daughter) reigned over the Indian state of Jhansi during the mid 1850s, a time of British rule. In 1857, she took part in a rebellion aimed at freedom from the colonial oppressors. When I say took part, I mean she wielded swords on horseback, united an otherwise divided smattering of armies and generally kicked all manner of ass. She was most impressive. She deserved a better movie. Bhise’s approach to this wildly untraditional tale is far too traditional, too restrained, and too afraid to dig into any of the characters, including the lead. More cripplingly, the film is basically a chamber piece until the third act. That could work if what we saw was the backbiting and usurping that may have gone on behind closed doors—British or Indian—as a woman took charge. Or if it was strategy and brainstorming that we observed, or if stirring speeches bore witness to the ruler’s inner conflict and motivational charisma. Instead we get a blandly sanitized soap opera, the warrior queen discussing hair care with her female soldiers as frequently as military tactics. Throughout, Bhise’s direction feels amateurish, every scene stagnating as it drowns in costumes and unconvincing sets. Dialog fills in for character development, but we also see a lot of the queen sitting silently and thinking. The Warrior Queen of Jhansi depicts lot of pondering, a lot of costumes, very little action. “I am no stranger to battle,” Rani Lakshmibai tells whoever might listen, but it’s news to us because we haven’t seen her do anything besides think, talk and change her clothes. Worse still is the single scene of battle practice, where she readies her female forces, not one of whom can convincingly handle a sword. The British side of things fares little better, although a smug Rupert Everett as Sir Hugh Rose and Nathaniel Parker as blowhard Sir Robert Hamilton do inject some life into the proceedings. Everett is the only actor in the entire cast asked to find multiple layers in his character. It’s just two layers, really, but they are a welcome change. It is a magnificent feat, no doubt, that the story of a 1850s Indian warrior queen has made its way to the American big screen (there are two Indian films, one classic and a second released this year). I wish it was a better movie. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by: Sy Huq Written by: Sy Huq Starring: Sterling Beaumon, Stephanie Nogueras. Film Review by: Alfie Kaye From the very first frame of Things That Fall, it’s clear what the film is about, and more importantly: why it was made. “1 in 100 people experience auditory hallucinations. Few rarely admit to hearing voices, fearing a perceived stigma behind it” is plastered in text form across the very first frame. Sterling Beaumon plays Alex, a student who suffers from auditory hallucinations affecting both his professional and personal life. It’s not until he meets Carly (Stephanie Nogueras), a fellow student who is deaf that he begins to see beyond just his illness. The best thing about the film is the sound; every sound you hear serves a purpose. Mark Petrie’s original score is both hypnotic and vigorous. Our protagonist, Alex, having to drown out the world using headphones is a running plot device used throughout the film and a perfect example of how best to use diegetic sound to extend the narrative and set the tone of a sequence. The dialogue is subtle, but used shrewdly and sparingly because it’s not a necessity. And the first three minutes demonstrates great ability to edit sound to the screen: a culmination of off and on-screen dialogue, and composed and diegetic sound combine effectively to create a genuinely tense, perfectly-edited sequence. That isn’t to say, there’s nothing else great about the film. There is. Most notably, the performances of the two leads, Beaumon and Nogueras. Beaumon, wearing nothing but the expressions in his face does a fine job in convincing the audience he is suffering and in pain. Whilst Nogueras is subtle, yet profound in her role as the empathetic Carly. There’s even a timely comical intervention toward the end of the film courtesy of a librarian played by Valeri Ross. The end of the film started to fall down the romcom rabbit-hole with conventions and clichés of the genre that felt tonally inconsistent and unnecessary to the film. Things That Fall didn’t need to be a love story. But except for that, it’s clear that Sy Huq trusts the audience to emotionally engage with the film, thanks in large part to his effective direction. What makes Things that Fall work is that it doesn’t neglect its responsibilities as either a film or a mental health awareness advertisement, and realises they’re equally important. It could have quite easily felt exploitative. It didn’t. It could have been reminiscent of an NHS advert. It wasn’t. Instead, it felt like talented filmmakers studying subject matter that is important to them.

★★★ Directed by: #BillyMorton Written by: Billy Morton Starring: #WilfAnderton Film Review by: Ieuan Walker The mockumentary is undoubtedly one of the most fruitful film genres of the last decade. From the masterful What We Do in the Shadows to the outrageously perplexing Trash Humpers, it has inevitably appeared under an erratic range of guises during its boom. Yet despite this supposed saturation of the mockumentary, Billy Morton’s Straight Outta Compton, Berkshire provides a fresh perspective of its possibilities even as it depends upon familiar tropes. Straight Outta Compton, Berkshire chronicles the experiences of hopelessly amateur ‘grime artist’ Whiskey Stone (real-name Bertie Pinkerton-Smythe). Whereas grime has garnered traction for its representation of Britain’s alienated urban populations, Stone’s milieu is completely antithetical to his own music. As a resident of a quaint albeit affluent Berkshire parish, his music is just as incongruous to his surroundings as he himself is to grime. With little plot to speak of, it is the Stone’s preposterous demeanour and exploits that drive much of the film’s humour and pathos. Straight Outta Compton, Berkshire is an undeniably fun viewing experience. It is not just because the film is hilarious, but due to the film’s writer, editor and director, Billy Morton astute awareness of how to use film’s unique means to intuitively craft his brand of wit. Fresh perspectives within the mockumentary are what prevent it from becoming a stale mode of filmmaking and Morton’s work is no exception. Mockumentary is therefore a powerful tool for satire and is used in Straight Outta Compton, Berkshire to a certain extent demonstrate a crucial contemporary concern: the incongruity of the social-class appropriation. The zaniness of director Billy Morton’s screenplay has its comedic potential maximised by actor Wilf Anderton. Through his effortless performance as the socially oblivious Whiskey Stone are made to dread every potential action and word of the wannabe rapper. Simultaneously however, the audience do not come to despise Stone as he continues his misguided path of cultural appropriation. This is because Anderton plays the part with a contagious though complex childlike ignorance rather than a sense of entitlement. As such, this prevents the character from becoming a mere unlikable caricature of the typical Oxbridge prep-boy thereby maintaining necessary appeal throughout the film’s more wincing moments. Straight Outta Compton, Berkshire is a well-structured comedy of which the flawless creative connection cast and crew is responsible. Nonetheless, although one sympathises with the film's potential time constraints, the final product does not quite deliver a comprehensive enough development of this unique perspective. The innovative plot regrettably blends in amidst the perpetual wave of mockumentaries. Thus, the film should be seen as a work for Morton to build upon rather than as the finished article. If so, Straight Outta Compton, Berkshire could one day be considered an early blueprint of a great cinematic satire that is refreshingly attuned to the millennial zeitgeist.

★★★★ Directed by: #KarimAmer #JehaneNoujaim Netflix Documentary Review by: #ChrisBuick Netflix documentary The Great Hack provides a deep insight behind the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal of early 2018 and how the British company used Facebook user data to target and influence voters across multiple elections, namely the 2016 US Presidential Election, the EU referendum and numerous other political elections around the globe. The documentary examines how the data was harvested from users without their knowledgeality tests in order to build psychological profiles used to target voters deemed as “persuadables”, so they could then manipulate their social media environments with political advertising and media coverage in favour of certain parties in order to influence their voting decisions, which turned out to have huge consequences, particularly resulting in wins for Donald Trump and the Leave.EU campaign. The film follows several key people involved with the scandal, each detailing their own experiences during this time. We first meet David Carroll, an associate professor in New York who is pursuing a lengthy legal case against Cambridge Analytica, asking that they turn over all data they have collected on him. Then there are other very key players such as Carol Cadwalladr, a journalist for The Observer who tell us how even amidst a torrent of bullying and derision from several parties, she helped bring the scandal to light with the help of former Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistle-blower Christopher Wylie. But arguably the most intriguing, is our journey with former Business Development Director for Cambridge Analytica Brittany Kaiser, who herself also turned whistle-blower and gave evidence to UK parliament detailing their involvement in the Leave.EU campaign during the EU referendum, as well as revealing the company’s involvement in the Trump presidential election campaign. Kaiser strikes a very divisive figure; is her coming forward a truly altruistic endeavour, or is she simply trying to save herself from drowning in the murky waters? The film leaves this for us to decide but it’s the ambiguity of such a complex character that only adds to the intrigue of the subject matter. The film spends a lot of time one-on-one with these people, but we also get to see the real-life parliamentary testimonials from Kaiser and Wylie, which in-turn dramatically contradict what we subsequently hear from Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix. There is also the much-publicized Mark Zuckerberg Congress hearing shown here side-by-side with the disbelieving reactions from the likes of David Caroll, Kaiser as they watch him seemingly play down Facebook's involvement in the whole affair. Not only does all this make for a fascinating watch, but it all helps paint a bigger and clearer picture of everything that happened. The Great Hack manages to be accessible for everyone at varying levels of familiarity with this topic, allowing us to fully comprehend what this all meant and continues to mean for us in the modern world where data has now become the leading global commodity. The film and its subjects ask a lot of questions. Are data rights the same as human rights? What can be done to preserve our democratic process? How do we hold those involved accountable? It’s true that the film doesn’t give us any answers, but its goal here is in fact to leave you with a lot of food for thought. Informative. Frustrating. Saddening. Eye-opening. Thought-provoking. The Great Hack is all these things and more. All in all, it is an important piece of filmmaking that seems a true testament to all the hard work of those who helped bring everything to the public eye.

★★ Directed by: #MeoshaBean Short Film Review by #ChrisBuick Halloween Horror Shorts Vol II is a collection of short horror films from award-winning filmmaker Meosha Bean in collaboration with several writers, actors and composers, as well as some of projects almost completely of her own creation. Made up of over a dozen shorts, the collection is certainly not lacking in quantity, however, most of them are guilty of an unquestionable absence of quality. From the start, many of the films as they run are essentially a carbon copy of the one that came before it, following the same simple concept where only the lonely setting and single actor have changed. Even putting that aside and taking each piece as it comes, a lot of these films are over before they even really get started, never seemingly taking their chance to build any suspense or allow us to try and get invested in what’s going on. A re-ordering of these films might have helped keep the flow moving a bit better, but what it really needs is for some of the shorts with slightly stronger concepts to be fleshed out and given a bit more attention. A few also seem to be laden with some unnecessary, and to be honest, aggravating narration that acts instead as blow by blow commentary of the action, missing what seems to be the basic lesson with horror; show, don’t tell. After a few of these in succession, attentions will start to wear thin pretty quickly. Despite this, gladly there are a couple in the collection that set themselves apart. One film called Night Games which was written, directed, produced by and starring Bean herself runs longer than the rest and is one of the few stand-outs, not to mention the genuinely engrossing X Marks the Spot which completes the collection, using first-person perspective with a Slenderman vibe to tremendous effect, and both films will most likely be the ones that leave you wanting to see more. It must be said as well that the camerawork here can be quite extraordinary and this collection (as well as some of her other works) shows why Bean is an award-winning director and can definitely handle a camera. While the films themselves might be monotonous plot wise, Bean effectively uses a wide array of different styles to showcase her content, including panning shots, POV and found-footage styles to name just a few. Also, the scores and compositions are often on point and invoke the right tones of discomfort and suspense that good horror scores should, it is just a shame that the writing lets the rest down. While quite a few of the shorts in Halloween Horror Shorts Vol II simply don’t deliver, there are some that have a solid concept at the core, and there is potential here that is begging to be fulfilled, not to mention a clear passion for film throughout from Bean who is definitely a filmmaker to watch.

★★★ Directed by: #Shayaan Starring: Shayaan and others Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen I live under a rock, it’s fun, cosy even, and by doing so I am free from knowing about celebrity culture, Brexit, the Great British Bake Off and a whole bunch of other dumb shit that does not serve me and so to me, is pointless. But because of this, I often don’t know what basic stuff is, and today I have had to do a learning and delve into the world of bitcoin...why you may ask? Well duh, it’s the driving source of conflict in director Shayaan’s short film Break Even. So bitcoin in essence is a form of digital money that is exchanged through users online in exchange for goods and services, in a nutshell, it's just online cash, but it is protected by private keys, [one time a user lost theirs and claimed a loss of over 7500 bitcoin which was something like a million dollars...sucks to be him] so it pays to keep ya digital coin close. Now I’m sure there is a lot more to how this fake money/real money/monopoly money situation works but I don’t have time, nor do I really care that much...and by care, I mean don’t understand, so let’s move into the movie world of Break Even. This short tells the tale of three young men, who have become involved in bitcoin, and in the start everything is going well, they can afford top shop t-shirts, M&S meal deals [fancy!] sitting in but not driving somewhat expensive cars...they are living the high life. But it’s not long before greed rears its ugly head, they all want more, and soon they are all trying to push the others out in order to have more, to get to the private key that holds all the precious bitcoins...I mean without it they may have to go back to the lower class Tesco meal deal...disgusting. Story wise, this is a tale of corruption and greed, what it does to you and your friendships and as well as that, what it does to your moral compass [ I don’t have one so I’m fine...but again, what the hell is bitcoin?] we see very quickly this friendship turn sour at the expense of expenses. As well as a study of moral corruption, this #shortfilm has a spicy sprinkling of low level gangster culture, kids running around with masks on, punching each other in the nuggets and making mom jokes...real hardcore Scarface shiz, in honesty it has the feel of Adulthood but with humour and zero budget, the sense of self awareness involved in the film allows us to laugh along with them, and that’s what makes the charm of this short so ...well charming. Break Even is beyond rough around the edges, sound quality is off at points [but if anyone has made films we know how hard getting good sound quality is], the acting is a little amateur, but directing style is there, some of the angle choices are well developed, we can see that Shayaan has had fun experimenting and being creative behind the camera, and it pays off. So what, loyal readers, have we learned: if you want to eat M&S lunches you gotta be a rich bitch, don’t do business with your homies and bitcoin is confusing...like really I still don’t get it. #RachelPullen

★★ Directed by: #ScottAmbrose and #MarleyWorth Written by: Scott Ambrose and Marley Worth Starring: Scott Ambrose and Marley Worth Indie Film Review by: Corey Bulloch Opening with a montage of random images relating to current Britain whether it be to religion, commercialism, or politics all to the rhapsodic anthem of Dies Irae its painfully obvious that Welcome to Paradise is going to be pretentious. Followed immediately by Scott Ambrose’s character of Johnny Powell reciting slam poetry lamenting the country’s state, the film transforms into its main narrative of a mockumentary following Ambrose’s miserable alt-right character. Ambrose and Worth, Worth playing “himself” as the documentarian are attempting some half-assed social commentary about the paralysed nature of Britain due to Brexit and continued divide between political ideologies. Their film focuses on the fictional character of Johnny Powell, a bigoted, ignorant man full of uninformed contradictive opinions on society. Welcome to Paradise’s best asset is Ambrose’s performance as it perfectly captures the pathetic nature of this obtuse culture fuelled by nationalism. Worth’s character conducts interviews with Johnny and follows him around his daily routine in an attempt to understand and challenge his views but the actual film never presents a true conflict or narrative for its characters. Johnny continuously spouts his uninformed opinions on a variety of topics revealing hateful judgments to just about every demographic. Claiming to be a proud Englishman, Johnny spends the film complaining about the current state of the country, blaming his personal disparity on anything besides himself, unable to see that his personality is toxic. Realism aside nothing is happening besides continuous repetition of the same story beat, Johnny reveals a new horrible viewpoint of his, accompanied by footage of him walking around Walthamstow in Greater London. While it sells the Iannucian satire to the character there is no challenge to the narrow-minded judgements he repeatedly spouts. There is an attempt to show a progression of time to see if the vision of Brexit has improved Johnny’s life but the film continues to cut back to earlier talking head interviews confusing the timeline of the film. There are a few moments where Worth tries to confront Johnny about what he’s saying and how its offensive but Johnny always brushes him off and starts off a new tangent. Worth can frequently catch Johnny in his lies and contradictions, playing him as the fool and embarrassing him but it doesn’t lead to anything. The film ends on a sudden uncompleted note, the entire mockumentary has been building towards an unsatisfying ending to represent the hollow nature to Johnny’s worldview. Worth even goes on camera to admit this deliberate decision to not have the film have any meaningful commentary. It may be a meta decision to have the film be as spineless as actual journalists towards the alt-right but without any meaningful commentary to these viewpoints it makes Welcome to Paradise a waste of time. Its satire with no struggle, Johnny’s character is essentially given carte blanche to say whatever he likes in the film and suffer no real consequence, it doesn’t teach the audience about anything as Johnny is reprehensible and unsympathetic and doesn’t want to offer any solutions to it. Welcome to Paradise just like its main character spends its entire runtime complaining about everything around them and offering no tangible solutions for anything. Highlighting these irrational and ignorant mindsets to condemn them is important but for a 90-minute film that goes nowhere the shtick of parody wears off fast. #CoreyBulloch #Indiefilm