Written and Directed by Ryan Felberbaum Starring Ricardo Bazo Short Film Review by Rachel Pullen William Tecumseh Sherman famously once said ''War is hell'' and quiet rightly so, causing thousands of deaths as well as putting countries into debt, war can present a whole host of psychological issues for those involved, which is of course commonly knows as shell shock or PTSD. This trauma inflicted on soldiers is the subject of filmmaker Ryan Felberbaum's new short piece Brave the past. We follow a young man who discovers a letter from an old friend discussing the day to day life he is facing fighting in a war, this unfortunately takes our main man on a downward spiral as he relives the terrors he felt being at war. He is in his own version of hell. He quickly becomes a victim of his post traumatic stress disorder as he slips into a psychotic episode, believing that he is fighting against unseen enemies and imaginary gunfire. Writer and Director Felberbaum allows the audience in to this psychotic behaviour when he switches the gun from a rifle to a pistol in a split second, confusing and upsetting the lead character, we see him flirt with the idea that this may all be in his mind, but sadly he is unable to retain any sense of order among the chaos. Visually this short film is of a good standard, lighting and surroundings give us a sense of a bleak desperation, of isolation, all of which makes for an uneasy feeling when viewing, and all of which is important considering there's little dialogue, just the friend's letter being read aloud. Despite this Brave the Past falls a little short when it come to packing any kind of punch, being under 5 minutes long, the audience has very little time to invest in the storyline; we are not given any time to connect and develop any kind of emotional reaction to our lead's mental breakdown, the story has little space to become something more, lacking in development we don't take much away from this short. Enjoyable as it is to watch, there is nothing that makes us crave more from this story and this character, which is a shame as it has the potential to develop if given the time and direction. Overall this is not a terrible short, visually interesting, with a storyline that could become something more with time, Brave the Past hovers in the middle between good and disposable, double the running length and Felberbaum could double his success. #WarFilms #RachelPullen #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #PTSD #RyanFlberbaum #RicardoBazo

★★ Directed by Clay Moffatt Written by Clay Moffatt and Aaron Saltou Starring Aiyana Irwin, Frank Prell, Jean McKay, Adam Berardi, Bill Connor, Greg Lutz, Sean Dillingham, Jessica Y. Martin, William Kenny, Tif Coleman Indie Film Review by Chris Olson Supernatural mystery The October Flowers from filmmaker Clay Moffatt is a tale of life and death coming together in imperfect harmony. An entourage of characters reveal themselves as ghosts in a house with a long history when Danielle (Aiyana Irwin) and her boyfriend Ben (Frank Prell) turn up, after they hear of the death of Betsy (Jean McKay) Danielle's grandmother, who owned the house. As the characters spin their yarns, numerous storylines intertwine, and the drama unfolds, one antagonist in particular, called C.J. (Sean Dillingham) haunts Danielle with a lascivious glee. Considering the nature of the story, Danielle's reactions are completely unbelievable, chatting to ghosts in the middle of the night like she is indulging confused strangers at a bus stop. Her wooden delivery and nonchalant attitude rid the film of any tension or depth, and the central mystery involving the flowers in the garden is clumsily handled. Many of the set pieces where she interacts with the ghosts (which Ben doesn't seem to see) are totally unconvincing, such as when a door slams shut in her bedroom and she pretends that it was a nightmare, or when she is threatened by C.J. and doesn't think to bother waking up Ben who is three feet in front of her! Some of the stories from the ghost characters are a lot more entertaining though. There is a freshness in the way a new one gets introduced over the run time keeping the pace jaunty. Several of the performers turn up with a great deal more charisma than the leading actors. Oliver (William Kenny) is an injection of fun, and Bill Connor's Victor is a marvellous cinematic creation. Then there is the menacing and formidable C.J. who offers the best dramatic scenes. Numerous aspects of the filmmaking fail to impress. The gratingly dramatic score is like a soap opera or an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark. This combined with the eye-rollingly bad use of lighting in The October Flowers, to create a scary atmosphere, all feels cheap and rather laughable. Furthermore, a few of the wipe transitions from the top to bottom, side to side, or corner to corner felt like the movie was put together using Microsoft PowerPoint. A couple of nice jump scares are introduced, though, but not enough to merit the horror genre tag. Overall it's a poorly balanced indie film that wants to tell a ghost story with a bit of mystery and scares. Instead the result is a lot of amateur dramatics, bad dialogue, and things that make you laugh when you shouldn't. Watch the official Movie Trailer for The October Flowers below... #IndieFilmReviews #IndieFilms #ChrisOlson #Horror #Mystery #ClayMoffatt #AaronSaltou #AiyanaIrwin #FrankPrell #JeanMcKay #AdamBerardi #BillConnor #GregLutz #SeanDillingham #WilliamKenny #JessicaYMartin #TifColeman

Directed by Elaine McMillion Netflix Film Review by Kirsty Asher Heroin(e) is a short documentary produced exclusively for Netflix as part of their Netflix Originals documentary contingent, and focuses on the post-industrial town of Huntington, West Virginia. The reason for doing so would seemingly be that this town has been devastated by the opioid epidemic that has gripped America, with one in four people addicted some form of opiate. Such alarming statistics would perhaps explain why Louis Theroux also decided to feature the town, and several of the same townspeople from Netflix’s doc, in the first episode of his Dark States series for the BBC. It’s a shame, for Theroux is a massive household name, and his almost indulgently bleak take on this town’s closed-door tragedy will inevitably garner a bigger audience, when this small film with a mighty heart is endlessly more captivating, inspiring, and above all optimistic. The director Elaine McMillion, a West Virginian herself, chose to follow the daily life of three upstanding female members of the community for her documentary (hence the double-entendre of the title); a firefighter, a judge, and a Christian missionary. These three very different women share a down-to-earth, no-nonsense but nevertheless compassionate and fair-minded approach to helping addicts get their life back. There is the judge Patricia Keller, who sets up a rehabilitation programme and whose tactile court judgements spare addicts the worst sentences in order that they can better themselves. There is Necia Freeman, who hands out bags of food to addicted sex workers and pleads addicts’ cases at hostels and rehab clinics. And there’s firefighter Jan Rader, who insists on continuing the use of Naloxone to save the lives of repeat overdose victims, despite hesitation by others in the fire department, and whose quiet but unfailing determination to continue saving lives is an enduring inspiration. All three are exemplary of how prominent community members can help things change for the better, and it is almost a relief that the focus is on their strident optimism rather than forcing the vulnerable addicts to unveil their uncomfortable truths as was the case with Theroux’s exploration. In the age of the opioid epidemic, it seems like a desperate race to produce cutting-edge and bleak content has emerged amongst documentary filmmakers, to deduce who can best highlight the despair and social danger associated with heroin. Yet this short manages to observe the bleakness while still looking ahead to a more promising future. Most pleasingly, and surprisingly, Heroin(e) never tips over into saccharine sentimentality, but rather acknowledges that the real heroes are those who continue to fight for the vulnerable while never relinquishing their pragmatism or their determination. It was also a welcoming sight to see such a positive piece of real- life film-making in 2017 – with the world and the United States in relative chaos, it’s very easy to forget that good people can still make a difference. #NetflixFilmReviews #DocumentaryFilmReviews #KirstyAsher #Netflix #ElaineMcMillion #LouisTheroux #SocialDrama

★★★★ Directed by Tom Konkle Starring Tom Konkle, Vernon Wells, Brittney Powell, Steve Tom, Benton Jennings, Mark Teich, Jordana Capra, Indie Film Review by Chris Olson Classic crime noir adventure in this indie film from director Tom Konkle, Trouble Is My Business taps into a reservoir of genre conventions to deliver a good ol' mystery and kidnapping story using amazing cinematography, costumes and filmmaking aesthetics to embolden the myriad of vibrant characters. Disgraced private investigator Roland Drake (Tom Konkle) may have taken on more than he can handle when the daughter of a prominent family comes to him for help in finding her father, who has been missing for a week. To make matters worse, she then goes missing! With a punctured reputation being splattered all over the tabloids and a rocky relationship (to say the least) with the authorities, Drake must navigate his way through copious amounts of mystery and violence to find answers. In the vain of films like Laura and Double Indemnity, Trouble Is My Business ticks a lot of cinematic boxes when it comes to delivering a period crime drama. The darkened urban streets and grimly lit office are all there alongside the tumblers of whisky and snappy dialogue. Even the font used on the opening credits smacks of '40s noir. Tonally there is a huge amount for audiences to be immersed in with this movie and great effort has been put into the sublime mise en scéne. Certain sequences may feel a little over the top but it's a genre movie that can certainly indulge in a bit of melodrama without jolting the audience out of the experience. Konkle is a particularly strong lead, containing all the wit, charm and ruggedness you could want for a private dick, and engaging in some fantastically theatrical banter with almost all of the characters. He gets ruffed up along the way by an absolutely sterling performance from Vernon Wells as Detective Tate, whose long arm of the law stretches far and wide. Along with Konkle in most scenes is the excellent Brittney Powell who commands so many of the frames she is in as Jennifer. With a running time of nearly two hours, Trouble Is My Business stretches itself too thin in terms of plot, especially during the final third. It's a storyline that keeps to the path well trodden and didn't need as much convolution as it has. That being said when cinema is as visually arresting as this you don't mind sticking around a little longer. The use of an eclectic array of Hollywood backdrops (I assume using green screen) is just magnificent, one rooftop scene where Tate beats seven bells out of Drake is sublimely put together, as are the numerous car scenes and shoot outs. The phrase "they don't make them like this anymore" could not be more apt for Konkle's film, co-written with Powell. It's a genre movie that completely dedicates itself to the form and reaps the benefits for its boldness. Fans of the masters of cinema will be in their absolute element, ricocheting against the costumes, sets, characters and more as the story unwinds into a classic caper with all the trimmings. Now...where did I leave MY whiskey tumbler. Watch the official Movie Trailer for Trouble Is My Business below... #IndieFilmReviews #IndieFilms #MovieTrailers #ChrisOlson #FilmNoir #ClassicFilm #Crime #Mystery #TomKonkle #VernonWells #BrittneyPowell #SteveTom #BentonJennings #MarkTeich #JordanaCapra

★ Directed by Josiah Swanson Starring Tim Kaiser, Tiffany Burns, Jared Withrow, Eric Moyer, Noah Robbie, Greg J. Wolfe, Mike T. Tremblay, Alethea Varner Indie Film Review by Jack Gibbs Sometimes a movie comes along and swiftly proves itself entertaining for all the wrong reasons. These films can emerge from anywhere, from well-financed Hollywood creations sporting magnetic names to independent productions made free from the restraints of studio executives. In this case, it comes from White Shore Films, who look to use this feature as the starting point of a monumentally grandiose fantasy realm, and who have evidently forgotten to scale back their dreams somewhat. A ‘modern’ fantasy vaguely evoking films such as Highlander and Beastmaster, featuring a central hero ripped from his time and finding himself a part of a world he scarcely understands, The Taker’s Crown focuses on the exploits of Wiglaf, as he and his companions waddle across urban and rural America – or rather, the world of ‘Everwyn’ - in a quest for the eponymous piece of headwear in a terribly amusing romp rife with stilted, wooden or exaggerated performances, ‘fight’ sequences that feature such riveting scenes as one person gently shoving another to the floor with the back of their arm, odd choices of special effects and props that take all the air out of the proceedings. The intention on the part of its makers is clear, even pure. It is intended to be the first in a series and it just wants to be a good old fantasy flick, a fun little send-up to the classics of the genre while evoking all the tried and true tropes that tend to work. This desire culminates in something so slapdash, however, that it’s hard not to find it humorous – even if that was not at all intentional. This manages to seep into almost every aspect of the film’s story and overall production, exemplifying ‘swing and a miss’. Characters share moments that fall flat, undone by hammy or bland acting, lifeless dialogue or tonally inappropriate music – or even the roar of passing cars, with audio quality varying from scene to scene. Events occur for the sake of the plot without explanation or later reference – a chief example of this being when a random woman walks up to Wiglaf in the middle of the street, spouts motivational drivel at him to get him out of his mid-film emotional slump and is never acknowledged or referred to again. Funnily enough, this is also a scene that completely destroys any semblance of this being set in a fantasy world, as a piece of art blatantly featuring what looks to be an American flag is conspicuous in the background. The choice of locations for a plot as grand and far-reaching as this tries to be is exceedingly peculiar and greatly limits the film’s ambition, even taking budgetary constraints into consideration – playgrounds and random house interiors do not make for sweeping scenery, and at times it even seems that the film’s universe doesn’t really know what it is. It is the most decidedly lifeless fantasy realm I have seen in all my years of knowing the genre, and that is not a good first impression to make. The plot is utterly unremarkable and the beats predictable as the film hurls itself sloppily through the motions across a running time just shy of 90 minutes, and its pervasive sense of blandness is further undermined by the utterly one-note nature of the majority of the cast. The characters play the old tropes too straight – a lost man searching for his friend who is looking to come to terms with a new world, two antagonists in service to the main villain, one seemingly utterly loyal and one with nagging doubts and a tragic past who, of course, comes from an orphanage, the quirky goofball who is actually deeply ‘intellectual’, all this and more. These traits define them almost completely, and in a genre where the focus so frequently lies on the diverse nature of a travelling band of adventurers, to care so little about what happens to these people is tantamount to giving this film a death sentence. Fragments of Wiglaf’s past seep through every now and then, offering us details of events far more tantalising than those we are made to witness, but they do precious little for characterisation here. It is a small tragedy, because White Shore Films evidently have their hearts in the right place, but crucial, even basic elements are missing that leave The Taker’s Crown a mess that struggles to piece itself together, hampered by poor, stale writing and directorial and technical ineptitude and hindered by a cast that scarcely seems to care. Tim Kaiser is as earnest as he can be as Wiglaf but is prone to bouts of excessive emotion that lack solid direction, and the performances of everyone else bar Mike Tremblay as Tome and Eric Moyer as Julian scarcely register. There are also a handful of moments that are genuinely intended to be comedic that actually serve their purpose alarmingly well, chiefly due to their absurdity. But this isn’t a fantasy flick that is meant to be watched for its humour – this is a fantasy flick that aims to stand out as something epic and noteworthy, the first chapter in a gripping saga and the springboard for an entire universe, and in that regard it fails entirely. If you want something that can evoke the old glory days of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, this is a prime contender. If, however, you want something that encapsulates the spirit of fantasy, there are far better options on offer, past and present. Only time will tell if White Shore Films will do more with the world they’ve created, but for now, this film is a defining example of everything negative about unchecked ambition. #IndieFilmsReviews #IndieFilms #JackGibbs #1Star #JosiahSwanson #TimKaiser #TiffanyBurns #JaredWithrow #EricMoyer #NoahRobbie

★★★ Directed by Christopher Landon Starring Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton and Jason Bayle Film Review by Niall Maggs Happy Death Day is your typical modern horror film, featuring every horror cliché you could think of, but succeeds with an original and interesting storyline filled with lots of tension. Obviously there is the typical hot girl in the film, like all modern horror flicks, this time played by Jessica Rothe, whose character development is satisfying. At first, she is unbearably rude and irritating, but throughout the film, her character changes to a more likeable person, and the audience can actually root for her. Her performance is also very good. The way she portrays her character is unique and she shows enthusiasm. We'll probably be seeing a lot more of her in the next few years. The cool, interesting premise is essentially Groundhog Day meets Scream. Tree (Jessica Rothe) wakes up after partying pretty hard a few hours before, all seems normal, she walks home from the surprise birthday party her friends held for her (it's her birthday, hence the name) and she gets murdered. However, just before this happens, there is a cliché abomination of a jump scare... sigh... Straight from this scene you think you know what you'll be getting for an hour and a half. Jump scare, after jump scare, after jump scare. But what we actually get is much better than a cliché fest. Thankfully. Tree wakes up and lives the same day over and over again, obviously to break the cycle she has to find out who the killer is. Happy Death Day's plot is so intriguing and manages to utilize this, to create a pretty decent horror movie. The first act is filled with great tension, but unfortunately leads to no pay off, just jump scenes, but these are only really used in this act. The other two rely more on suspense and thrills. The third act is very entertaining, and has more of a comedic undertone, rather than horror, but this works really well for the film. I would even go as far as saying some scenes are hilarious! In particular, near the end is a sequence involving a police officer and Tree, she's in a car trying to escape from the sadistic killer and encounters the cop after speeding in the vehicle. It was genuinely funny, and the ending conclusion is so enjoyable and entertaining that you just end up having a good time. There is an ending twist, which I won't give away, but it's extremely clever and interesting. There were also great references to other films such as a poster in Israel Broussard's character's (Carter) dorm room of the John Carpenter film They Live, and a genuine Groundhog Day nod right at the end. Christopher Landon's direction is quite good, considering the low budget. The pace was very smooth and never felt dragged or rushed. The overall storytelling is told in such an effective way that you can't help but feel immersed. The score is barely noticeable but does suit it's purpose, to provide continuous background tension throughout the duration. The suspense created adds to the overall effect of the film, and supplies substance and solidity. Happy Death Day is subject to countless tropes from every other horror movie in recent years, which does make the film suffer, and with such unlikeable characters in the first half, you just end up hating them. Regardless, it's possible that Happy Death Day will be a cult classic in the future, with great storytelling and an eerie killer who bares the unsettling mask of the school mascot. Effective tension is the backbone of the film and because of this, the flick is very entertaining and enjoyable even for non-horror fans! #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #NiallMaggs #ChristopherLandon #JessicaRothe #IsraelBroussard #RubyModine #CharlesAitken #LauraClifton #JasonBayle

★★ Directed by Alexander Payne Starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Udo Kier BFI London Film Festival Review by Chris Olson Honey I Shrunk the audience's patience in this sci-fi comedy Downsizing, starring Matt Damon as an everyman who leaves behind everything to join a community of people who have succumbed to the allure of brand new shrink technology. Living in consumerist heaven, these micro-societies are able to live the good life at a fraction of the cost (in money and for planet Earth), at least that’s the idea. However, once Paul (Damon) arrives having been jolted at the last minute by an uncertain Kristen Wiig, he finds that even in tiny town his problems are the same. Known for quirky comedies like About Schmidt and Sideways, Alexander Payne is a filmmaker that likes to take a running ideological stab at the average American. With Downsizing, the preaching has reached unbearable levels, with constant reminders that our planet is dying, people are generally lazy and useless, and that looking after the “little guy” is just as important as smoking cuban cigars. His story, co-written with Jim Taylor, fails to deliver enough comedic heft to balance such weighty concerns and instead leaves a carbon footprint that will wash away with audiences rather quickly. Damon is unfortunately quite bland, and given his decent turn in a lighter film like We Bought A Zoo, it seems confusing that his portrayal of this character could seem so unremarkable. He treads water for the majority of the movie, maintaining a dull metronome of cliched white man problems. His humanitarian efforts as an occupational therapist aside, there is nothing really to him. The comedy is left up to a charismatic neighbour (Christoph Waltz) and quirky cleaner (Hong Chau), both of whom needed introducing much earlier in Downsizing. As Paul attempts to find a destiny in life, Waltz’s character attempts to make a fortune selling illicit goods and Chau’s dynamic dissident wants to continue helping those less fortunate. The whole thing is incredibly messy. It is massively clunky and overlong, as if someone tried to staple together a science fiction B-Movie script with a leaflet about global warming and then wrote the movie flipping backwards and forwards between the two. There is a nice degree of nostalgic warmth about the filmmaking, and Waltz is having a wonderful time grinning maniacally at the camera, and many viewers may find it charming and offbeat, but it will baffle others how a film attempting to deal with the end of the world could lack any real conflict! There is an injection of adventure at times and some of the earlier sequences involving sizist people - who think that “tinies” should only be allowed a quarter of a vote - would have been a more interesting angle to explore, but sadly the narrative goes on an existential exploration of a rather boring character who attempts to find himself, only to find out that he’s not that interesting. Spectacularly average and way too long, considering the cast and filmmaking talent, Downsizing is as disappointing as opening up the tumble dryer to find you have shrunk all your favourite socks...who just lay there, lifeless, and covered in static. #FilmReviews #ChrisOlson #LFF #BFILFF #BFILFF2017 #BFILondonFilmFestival #LondonFilmFestival2017 #FilmFestival #MattDamon #AlexanderPayne #ChristophWaltz #HongChau #KristenWiig #JasonSudeikis #UdoKier

★★★★ Written and Directed by Douglas Mueller Starring Ryan Barton-Grimley, Jes Mercer, Cora Vander Broek, Ari Schneider, John Orantes Indie Film Review by Chris Olson A story of life in uniform in indie drama/comedy Repatriation, which stars Ryan Barton-Grimley as Chad - a soldier returning to his hometown where people from his past pay tribute to his sacrifice by buying him drinks as he makes his way from bar to bar on the way back to his father's house. As the night progresses, and more is revealed about Chad's life before the army in this small town, a distinct aroma of tension and bones to be picked arises. As a character drama, Repatriation is a slow burner. The opening third of the movie lacks any real conflict and the characters are so thinly drawn that audiences may question why they are watching the movie at all. It's not until things start to unravel for Chad that the good stuff gets going. During a sequence with Camille (Jes Mercer), who clings to Chad out of a schoolgirl crush, when their flirting turns into an argument, more depth is given to our man in khakis and his true nature. Barton-Grimley delivers a convincing and layered portrayal of a complex character, even coping well with the rambling slurring as Chad gets increasingly inebriated during his hometown pub crawl. The mystery behind Chad's behaviour and the revelations that come are slow but for the patient viewer very much worth sticking around for. Writer and director Douglas Mueller captures something quintessential about the military man story, and that is the awkward balance between the prestige and respect which the uniform commands and the fickle nature of the fact that anyone can put one on. As Chad's high school shenanigans are revealed and more is gleaned about his personality, there is a considerable dampening effect on his homecoming celebrations, most obviously reflected in the diminishing amount of free booze he receives. There is also a particularly brilliant, if tragically brief, appearance by Ari Schneider eating a pickle which was wonderfully executed. From a filmmaking stance, Repatriation is done to a very high standard. The camerawork is effortlessly handled, becoming increasingly frenetic as Chad gets more drunk, and a few of the outdoor shots were masterfully handled. I particularly liked an overhead distance shot of Chad and Camille walking away, and the exciting running scene the two embarked on. Lighting was also impressively used to capture the darkening tone of the story especially in the dimly lit bars which became noticeably more dive-like. It was a nice spin on the post-conflict genre to not opt for another PTSD story. Chad's involvement in US conflicts is not the driving force of Repatriation. Instead, themes of honour, pride, and integrity get explored through Chad's nomadic journey across town, and in all the inter-personal relationships which arise. His battle scars are most definitely not the defining aspect of his character. A well-made and engrossing human drama with glimmers of black comedy, Repatriation brings along some unnecessary baggage and an unremarkable script, but packs a punch in its central performance and controversial spin on the genre. Watch the official Movie Trailer below... #IndieFilmReviews #MovieTrailers #ChrisOlson #IndieFilms #WarFilms #DouglasMueller #RyanBartonGrimley #AriSchneider #JesMercer #CoraVanderBroek #JohnOrantes

★★★★ Written and Directed by Azazel Jacobs Starring Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aidan Gillen, Melora Walters, Tyler Ross, Jessica Sula BFI London Film Festival Review by Chris Olson There is a messiness to this black comedy drama from writer director Azazel Jacobs that reflects the central conflict which consumes its two central characters. Mary (Debra Winger) and Michael (Tracy Letts) are a married couple both currently engaging in well established affairs. Over the course of a few days, the pair independently and unbeknonst to the other plan to end their marriage and esconce with their respective lover. With the announcement that their son Joel (Tyler Ross) and his girlfiend Erin (Jessica Sula) will be arriving in a few days, these cold and detached spouses begin to experience a renaissance in their original affections for each other. It's like watching a married couple start to have an affair with themselves! Tonally rich and steeped with excellent performances, The Lovers is a film that benefits from not trying too hard. The premise, handled with less care, could have turned into something rather tawdry and saccharine. Instead we are offered a largely compelling and realistic glimpse into the deceptions of modern life and the attempts at fulfillment many people seek to have. Their relationship, ironically, is explored with brutal honesty by the filmmakers, touching on the detachment yes, but also the flirting and chemistry, we are delivered two believable people approaching a tragic impasse in their lives and feel compassion at the difficulty they experience trying to find direction among the chaos of life. Letts is an exceptional performer, and his role here is no less outstanding. Turning in plenty of subtle comedy and enjoyable yearning, his quest to find peace becomes the most intriguing aspect to his character. Likewise, the off-kilter display in the main section of the film by Winger is a spectacular reflection of how mutinuous her character is feeling and the lack of balance in her life is physically mirrored in her clumsiness. Tyler Ross copes admirably as the child from a not-quite-yet broken home, and Sula is excellent as the super supportive GF. Aidan Gillen, who plays one of The Lovers, is also decent as the jealous type struggling to deal with the lack of action on his cheater's behalf. And lastly Melora Walters is a knockout as the quirky ballet teacher with a vicious side. Large quantities of The Lovers have a televisual quality to them, and on numerous occasions I felt the bumbling trappings of a great show like Curb Your Enthusiasm. Comedy is so often better performed in TV than it is in film that this could very well be to its benefit. Using familiar locations such as office spaces and their home, contributed to this atmosphere too. The most important aspect of a comedy film like this is whether the script is funny, and for all intents and purposes Jacobs delivers this in full. There is a cynical charm to a lot of the dialogue and plenty of twisted hypocrisy that makes the characters rounded and interesting without ladling on morality lessons. It also has the delightful appeal of a modern rom-com, in particular sequences where Mary and Michael send goofy texts to each other like school kids. Intimate without feeling schmaltzy and full to the brim with deceit and affection, The Lovers is a tale of connection for the more mature/seasoned veteran of the romance genre, offering textual relationships that still have the ability to surprise us. #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #ChrisOlson #BFILondonFilmFestival #LondonFilmFestival2017 #LFF #BFILFF #BFILFF2017 #FilmFestival #AzazelJacobs #DebraWinger #TracyLetts #AidanGillen #MeloraWalters #TylerRoss #JessicaSula

Directed by Daniel Montanarini Starring Emily Barber Short Film Review by Daniel Reason It can be a difficult task telling an important person in your life something that will certainly create a reaction. You want to ensure you give all the details, while still being considerate and understanding of how much of a change can be made to their everyday life - for this is something that Daniel Montanarini’s short film, The Arrival is centred upon. Told purely through the thoughts of Anna, who is played by Emily Barber, we learn more about her as she decides whether or not to deliver the news. As one would expect, The Arrival has a very basic structure. The camera focuses only on Anna and her reactions, whilst her thoughts are delivered through a voice over. Despite this, Monatanarni makes an excellent decision himself by moving the camera closer and closer to Anna, all the while she considers more about this situation. In certain moments, the shot will pull back, demonstrating the arc within her mind. This remarkable use of directing is heightened further due to the high level of quality within the cinematography, by Alistair Little. Lighting is used impeccably, which will also change in accordance with what Anna is thinking. A clear use of the classic technique of “show, don’t tell” is demonstrated when suddenly Anna will stop, the camera will slowly pan towards her face and the lighting/tone shifts quickly. It must be applauded how articulate the filmmaking is here, especially due to the simplicity of the story. Of course, with it being rather “straight forward” it can be difficult to interpret anything more than what you get. Emily Barber delivers a voice over performance that works perfectly with the pacing, and her physical movements run parallel with those thoughts to a tee. It would have benefited, however, to include some form of conflict within the dialogue as it isn’t made too clear why she wouldn’t reveal the news to this unknown person, so it can feel a little one note at times. The ability to tell a simple story, in such a short period of time, at a high level is one that very few have. Daniel Montanaini, however, has created an engaging short, where his skills in directing are clear to see and his appreciation for his work is obvious. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #DanielReason #DanielMontanarini #EmilyBarber

★★★★ Directed by David Freyne Starring Ellen Page, Sam Keeley, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Stuart Graham BFI London Film Festival Review by Chris Olson Exploring monstrous reactions to monstrous behaviour, David Freyne's dystopian thriller The Cured is an offshoot of the zombie genre that introduces a new element into the fray - people who were infected but have been cured of a zombie disease but are still ostracised by society. Sam Keeley plays one such Cured man called Senan, who is haunted by the nightmares of his actions whilst infected, and attempts to find redemption in a community that is overtly and violently against him. Ellen Page plays the wife of someone who was killed during the outbreak which ravaged Ireland. Alone looking after her son, she volunteers to take in one of the Cured, Senan, during his rehabilitation. Another member of The Cured being rehabilitated is Connor (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), a seemingly less repetant victim than Senan, his transition is tumultuous - being rejected by his father and regularly antagonised by his military overseer (Stuart Graham). Whilt Senan and Connor are members of the 75% of Cured, there still remains a large amount of people immune to the cure who present a huge peril to the population. Tensions rise as the government make plans to deal with the remaining menace alongside the growing disparity between norms and The Cured. Visceral, gripping, and markedly intelligent, Freyne manages to offer up something original in this, let's face it, overpopulated genre. The Cured, serving up an array of horror conventions with remorseless glee (the sound design will give audiences heart palpitations for a week), also bites down hard on the social allegory side of things which is common for zombie movies. One of these themes is the idea of fighting fire with fire and the disastrous results which almost always ensue. Chaos and aggression seem to reign in this apocalyptic version of Ireland, with humanity left swirling into the drain as people on all sides react in increasingly volatile ways. What's great about Freyne's story is that no one is painted in a particularly good light, with norms going out of their way to make the lives of infected/cured a living nightmare, whilst the cured prepare to take up arms in order to reestablish themselves after so much indignity. Audiences will be hard stretched to miss the political overtones, but they are smartly delivered nonetheless. The performances are excellent, especially Keeley as a determined lead. His convincing remorse at his behaviour whilst infected is well done, and Vaughan-Lawlor is a compelling antagonist. It is someone else, however, who utterly steals the show. Ellen Page is absolutely immense, turning in a phenomanally layered portrayal. Her inner struggle to cope with such a broken society and find forgiveness for the people who killed the father of their child is savagely emotional, left to unfold slowly for the audience with relish. Not without its faults and low-budget issues, there is no reason why The Cured cannot stand toe-to-diseased-toe with the best of zombie flicks. It has a fierceness to the filmmaking that is what's needed, a rich and diverse tone to the story, and brilliant central performances which suck the viewer in. #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #ChrisOlson #Zombies #Horror #Ireland #DavidFreyne #EllenPage #SamKeeley #TomVaughanLawlor #StuartGraham #BFILondonFilmFestival #BFILFF #BFILFF2017 #LondonFilmFestival2017

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson Talking about his latest project Come Down, filmmaker Lorenzo Nera was kind enough to answer some of my questions about his filmmaking. It was awesome to hear his thoughts on the chaos of city life, the pros and cons of crowdfunding, and noir sci-fi. How would you describe your current project, Come Down, to a new audience? Come Down is a very exciting film project I've been working on for overall more than a year now. It's the audiovisual proof of concept for a dystopian urban world constantly bombarded with electronic music. The idea is to follow a character through his daily life in this city that looks and sounds like a rave party, in a particular moment of his relationship with his habitat. What was the reason you wanted to make this film and tell this story? This was an idea that I started developing together with a close friend of mine many years ago, and it grew up and reshaped itself as I was exploring new places and social environments outside of my hometown. Moving to a big and complex city like London from Italy - I was born and bred in Rome - was an important reason of inspiration, because I found in this new chaotic environment the signs of a dynamism that means efficiency, openness and entropy at the same time. Building the audiovisual world of Come Down is an attempt to reflect on the aesthetics of the excess while creating a strongly immersive depiction of an edgy and captivating, stylised future universe. Sounds amazing. You are currently fundraising. What is the money for and how can people help? The film was shot months ago on a relatively small budget and with the essential help of many incredible people that supported it, filmmakers and not. Since the shoot, I've personally been working on the film's VFX and music which are two very relevant aspects of its post-production: I've been experimenting and playing around to find techniques in both CGI and sound design that could best fit the project, and we’ve started cutting the material together with my editor. We're now entering the final stages of the work on the film but we don't have funds for its completion, especially for when it will be the time to finalize its sound, color grade the image and release the final cut...That's why we're crowdfunding on Indiegogo, hoping to find someone who's interested in what we are trying to achieve and wants to participate by sharing a few pounds with us or spreading the word about it with people who might like it! Crowdfunding has become a massive part of indie cinema. How do you feel about it? Crowdfunding is a very powerful tool and the approach of filmmakers to it has been changing a lot in the last few years: it seems like it quickly became a diffused, democratic and potentially very "healthy" way of gathering funds for fresh projects, with the tremendous potential of creating and consolidating communities around them...It still seems that among the projects that are the most successful, many are those that explicitly show references to cultural trends and/or popular commercial franchises while not being (necessarily) the most innovative, but crowdfunding platforms are still a huge advancement in the broadening of entertainment and cultural horizons. What's the hardest thing about making a film in 2017? There's no doubt that the advancement and the availability of mobile technologies are placing us in the best moment of history for making movies easily. One can find every kind of obstacle from the stage of concept of a film to its distribution depending on geographic location, socioeconomic position, practical scale of the projects, interpersonal network (and luck!) but ultimately the tools are there for everyone that has good ideas on what to do with them! Who are your inspirations when it comes to filmmaking? My cinema tastes are positioned on a fairly various range from Andrej Tarkovskij to Bojack Horseman! Sticking to Come Down, it's mainly close to a noir sci-fi visual style with injections of gritty handheld camera closeness. Cinema is an expanded world, so I also took expressive and narrative inspiration from comic book auteurs like Moebius, formally explorative filmmakers (if in my film there's the Ridley Scott of Blade Runner, in equal measure there are strange gems like The Forbidden Room by Guy Maddin as well) and a series of more or less known designers, illustrators and video artists...Better just watch the film! What's next for you? Come Down is just an example of a small story that can happen in this hypothetical world, but there are much bigger plans for this all. I've got a treatment for a feature film that I conceived before writing and shooting the short, and as soon as this one will be done it will be used to demonstrate our ideas and start looking for fundings to develop them into the bigger project...In the meantime I've recently been working in VFX and motion design, and I've edited a few amazing short and feature films which are currently starting their festival runs and show very exciting perspectives for 2018! What would you say if you were a dolphin? Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish. To find out more about the Come Down project (AND MAKE A DONATION) visit the official page here - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/come-down-a-sci-fi-vfx-short-film Or watch the official IndieGoGo project video below... #FilmmakerFeatures #Interviews #FilmmakerInterviews #ChrisOlson #Filmmaking #SupportIndieFilms #LorenzoNera #crowdfunding #Scifi