UK Film Review recently reviewed short film, A Way Back which we described as "poetic and suspenseful". Filmmaker Alan King took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with us about films, directors, and how God made Daniel Day Lewis... 1) Who are you and what do you do? My name is Alan King, I’m 46 years old and I live in Australia with my wife and ten year old daughter. I have worked as a professional actor for over twenty-five years and I also love to paint. I finished a full time art degree in 2007. After art school I found myself gravitating towards filmmaking. Aside from loving movies, I found it to be the perfect platform to amalgamate both my performance and visual art skills. To date I have made four short films. 2) Tell us a little bit about your short film, A Way Back Well, fully completed only a few weeks ago, it is a 15-minute black and white short film that I wrote, directed, produced and acted in. The film is set both in the 1940s and 1950s and it explores the primary theme of regret and a man’s struggle to come to terms with the finality of his actions. 3) A Way Back has a lot of deep themes. Why did you decide to write this film? The subject matter for the film originated from of a lifelong study of the Nazi’s treatment of Jews during World War Two. I have self - educated by viewing countless hours of documentaries and reading many books on the subject. I, like many others, have always struggled to comprehend why this ever happened. One thing I have searched for in trying to come to terms with this horrible period of history is some or any gesture of remorse from those who were involved and to be honest it’s very rare to find any real depictions or portrayals of regretful German soldiers, who had contributed to the horrific Nazi war machine. Now I can’t say that there were or there weren’t large numbers of regretful German soldiers following the war, but I can say that I hope there were. So this film is a fantasy, a hope of mine to reflect a truly remorseful human that has emerged from an event where we have been continuously only ever been presented with monsters. 4) How was the filmmaking process on A Way Back? Did you need to overcome any limitations? Yes, no budget whatsoever! But as cliché as it sounds I am a true believer that through adversity sprouts creativity. Ironically, the elements I am most pleased with on this film wouldn’t be there if I had a decent budget. I was forced to think outside the square through necessity rather than choice. The film was all shot on a Go Pro and an IPhone 6. I did all the postproduction on my laptop using Final Cut X. All up the film cost about $200 which went towards some costume hire and a memory card for the camera. 5) What advice would you give to new filmmakers and writers? To keep creating; the only way you can improve your craft is to keep making work. But to do that you need to make it sustainable until you hopefully get to the point where you get paid to do it one day. I know a lot of filmmakers who have made one short film, racked up their credit card to the tune of thousands to do so and then spent the next 5 years working to pay it off without ever making another film. Modern day filmmaking really is on so many levels “Information Technology”. I would recommend learning as many “IT” skills that you can, especially post – production: editing, sound design, titles, colour grading, delivery of digital files, artwork design etc. This not only allows you to become more intimate with these aspects of the project but also means not having to rely on paying others or constantly calling in favours (which even if you are well liked, will only take you so far). We are very fortunate that we live in an age were we can do so many of these things on a home computer, all we need to do is educate ourselves on how to do it. As mentioned earlier having no budget does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. 6) Do you have any strong influences or role models in the film world? I really do love all genres of film done well and respect and enjoy the work of all the great directors: Scorsese, Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola and Ingmar Bergman to name a few but the one for me who stands out is Kubrick. He really did break the rules with the way he went about everything: visuals, story, structure, soundtrack, performances, the lot, but above the fact he was so avant guard is that after I watch his films they resonate with me for a long time. I feel this is because when watching his work, my subconscious is being engaged, as much as my conscious and for me this ability to get through to a deeper part of my mind is quite unique. The closest I have experienced this feeling with another director would be Paul Thomas Anderson with There Will Be Blood (2007) and The Master (2012). 7) Which actor would you most like to work with? Well it would have to be Daniel Day Lewis. It was like one day God decided I’m going to pool all my resources and create the ultimate actor, and then put D - Day Lewis amongst us. Sometimes he’s so good, when I look at his work I think “Oh he’s just taking the piss now!” Maybe if I worked with him he wouldn’t mind giving me a couple of tips! 8) If you were a dolphin, what would you say? “I can help you with that Rubik’s Cube, if you like”. Click here for the full film review for A Way Back . #Interview #ChrisOlson #Filmmaking #filmreviews #ShortFilms #SupportIndieFilms

Directed by Ryan Crepack and David Esposito Starring David Esposito, Dominik Zdzioch, Stephen Lo Biondo and Ryan Crepack Short film review by Monica Jowett Short film Fatal Premonition brings a mixture of emotions and genre to the table. Following two friends, one of whom has had a horrific dream that may or may not foreshadow his death; this short is a decent piece of filmmaking from the writer and director duo of Ryan Crepack and David Esposito. The film starts with Landon (David Esposito) getting a new job he is very happy about, to the point of arrogance. His friend Ed (Ryan Crepack) is waiting to hear the news, and Ed also turns out to be Landon’s employee at his job. Though this should be a happy moment for the two friends, Ed does not look pleased, and is particularly put off by Landon’s arrogance. The character of Landon is difficult to like from the first time he appears on screen. His arrogance about his new job becomes wearisome, and his friends feel that way too. He repeats how lucky he is in his life which starts to become another annoying aspect to his personality. Yet he has intrigue – you want to know if he will come to his senses about the irritating attitude he has towards his friends and his life. Certain moments throughout the short film reference a mysterious man. We slowly learn who the man is and the possible threat he poses to Ed and Landon in particular, and in this slow revelation we realise the thrilling and suspenseful side of the film and the reason behind the dramatic title. Landon has a dream that he dismisses at first then begins to understand could lead to his death through his action and interaction with the strange man. There is a crossover with humour throughout the film. Whether it is fully intended by the filmmakers or not, Fatal Premonition is humorous at times due to the relationship between the characters of Landon and Ed. Their grudging dislike and indifferent feelings for one another create great humour in the strangest of situation, which gives the film a surprising edge. Fatal Premonition is a difficult film to pin down to one genre, and though the acting feels stiff, it is a short film that does justice to the form. Explore more film reviews. #MonicaJowett #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #filmmaking

Directed by James Arden Starring Keir Brown, Robin Tudge & Carolyn Eden Short film review by Chris Olson Infidelity, corporate espionage and murder are just some of the aspects to James Arden's short thriller, The Technician, which boasts some solid performances and a taught, suspenseful atmosphere throughout. The Technician (Keir Brown) is a gifted I.T sort whose skills are headhunted by misogynist Benjamin (Robin Tudge) for whom our techie used to work for, but was fired under suspicious circumstances. Tempted by the money (100k to be exact), and the chance to pilfer information from a company that pretty much uses “password” as their security system, our protagonist looks forward to engaging in his hobby cyber hacking. What he doesn't know, though, is that his prying will enter him into a bitter love triangle filled with secrets and lies. As with most film reviews for shorts, we won't give away too much of the plot as audiences should definitely make time to see The Technician, if only for its twisted plot. The performances of a high standard; Brown is particularly great, coping well with the solo scenes in which most of his portrayal is done through intense facial shots, whilst Carolyn Eden as Benjamin’s wife Sarah turns up and steals the show by the end. This is a great ensemble piece though, and is noteworthy for its collective dramatic flair. Arden uses some slow zooms to build tension and close-quarter scenes of dialogue to create intensity, which is vital in a thriller like this. The storytelling is fluid and intelligent, never giving too much away, but allowing a lovely aroma of intrigue behind after each scene, building to an enthralling final sequence. A light score with a few dramatic touchstones is a wonderful accompaniment to The Technician’s subtle hold on the viewer. What is impressive about Arden’s story is the characters, and how we are never given anyone to really root for. Most arrive with their own particular set of dislikable traits and the domino effect in which our I.T becomes an unwitting part of is all the more gripping for it. The nuanced performances create a maelstrom of drama that violently swirls up the audience and grips them relentlessly. That is not to say this short film is without its flaws. A couple of moments felt a little wooden, and the opening café scene is heavy on the exposition, but these are totally forgivable given the high quality of filmmaking and performances on screen. Want to read more film reviews? #ChrisOlson #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #Thriller

★★★★½ Directed by Tim Miller Starring Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand & Stefan Kapicic Film review by Chris Olson The faint of heart should shut their easily offended ears now, shit’s about to get dirty in this film review for the most foul-mouthed superhero film around. The comic genre just had its nipples tweaked and received a tramp stamp from Ryan Reynolds and crew, who deliver a contender for the funniest film of the year. Wade Wilson (AKA Deadpool, AKA Reynolds) is a talented mercenary who receives a giant kick in the balls when he finds out he has an aggressive cancer eating away several parts of his body. In the hopes of preventing his death, and the subsequent tragedy for his naughty-but-nice GF Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Wade opts into a rather shady clinical trial which promises to cure his illness by provoking the possible mutant genes in his DNA - through a smorgasbord of torture methods. Realising the evil nature of these dudes, led by a psychotic guy named Francis or “Ajax” (Ed Skrein), and being turned into a less-than-attractive version of Ryan Reynolds, or an avocado’s love child, Wade manages to escape as a self-regenerating vigilante with a serious lust for vengeance. From the outset, Deadpool is a movie which leaves no ass un-kicked when it comes to dishing out the insults, even the opening credits refer to the players as “Hot Chick” or “Comic Relief” instead of any actors names. The comedy is like wang-whipping everybody in the face, without the nasty smell, and daring you not to laugh. Reynolds delivers jokes aplenty when it comes to sending up the superhero genre, but being completely self-aware at the same time - the fourth wall breaking is a hugely enjoyable addition, never overused but perfectly sticking a red middle finger at all the inevitable haters. With a 15 rating, the film already sets itself apart from the usual Marvel movies, serving up an array of foul language, gratuitous violence and some sex gags which would make Christian Grey blush. This level of subversive comedy and cock-and-balls attitude could only be justified when the writing is strong enough, and luckily for the Deadpool movie it has a highly commendable script that is simply hilarious. It is witty, smart, fearless (especially when jokingly referencing Hugh Jackman, Marvel, or even Reynolds himself). What is beautiful about the jokes is that they are delivered as a two-step nut-punch; just when you think the laugh has been delivered another lands breaking another rib. The plot is a little thin, suffering from “origin story” shackles that it never fully emancipates itself from. The first hour of the movie is like a “previously...on Deadpool” montage, but not one that is laborious, it just seems a little too content to stay in the small arena of Wade’s transformation and revenge. That being said, Deadpool is a largely unknown character in this seemingly endless Marvel Cinematic Universe, so a chunk of exposition now could be saving audiences a lot of time later. Given the level of exposure this movie had in the run up to the release, it is with great pleasure that we can report the best gags are not in the trailer - those moments actually fall pretty flat with an audience overly familiar with the marketing material. Instead, the film has so many fantastic moments that as long as you have a wicked sense of humour you will have more fun than should be legal in public. Reynolds is on top form, baring heart and soul (and ass and abs) into his performance, revelling in the naughtiness which this character is permitted. It is a world away from The Green Lantern (2011), and the Deadpool suit fits Reynolds like a glow - literally and figuratively. The supporting cast are a motley crew of ne’erdowells and Baccarin is seemingly up for a laugh, delivering a fantastic complement to Wade’s jaw-dropping profanity. Only watch this film is you crave more adult fun from your superhero movies, it is not for young viewers. Or the easily offended. Or the clergy. Or anyone unwilling to laugh at pornographic doodles and lines of dialogue like “If that leg is Thanksgiving and that leg is Christmas, can I see you between the holidays?”. Read more film reviews here. #ChrisOlson #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #TheatricalReleases #Superheroes #RyanReynolds #Marvel #Comedy

Directed by Zaid Alkayat Starring Johnny Sachon and Rachael Holoway Short film review by Chris Olson It’s February again, and whilst the genre of Romantic Comedies may well seem like an unwelcome arrival in the post-awards season gloom, there is always the unrelenting search for a genuinely entertaining movie about love and romance when Valentine’s Day comes a-knocking. Zaid Alkayat’s short film about the probability of finding a “Soulmate” is most definitely a refreshingly subtle and delicate take on the season, with a story that boasts lofty ideals of matchmaking and grounded themes of reality. Beginning with a poignant quote from Plato himself, Alkayat’s short film is largely concerned with the idea of soulmates, that human beings could be spiritually or even tangibly destined to find a missing piece to their life. Johnny Sachon plays a professor playfully arguing with a student about the credibility of Plato’s statement that soulmates are indeed a real thing. His student (Rachael Holoway) seems incredulous at her professor’s lack of “logic”, especially considering his status as an academic. As Sachon’s character boils down the numbers, though, a stark reality reveals itself that we are indeed limited by our surroundings, education, status and more, rendering a faint possibility of a one-true-love after all. Without the hokiness of a typical Rom-Com or the cynical commentary of a new-age love tale, Soulmates is a short film that perfectly balances itself between romanticism and realism. In an age obsessed, nay dependent, on figures and stats, there could be nothing more terrifying than the actuality of finding another person to share your life with. Common values, interests and attraction are just some of the criteria which prevent people from forming emotional bonds, not to mention faith and finding out whether they like Star Wars or Game of Thrones! (Watch the short film "Soulmates" above) Alkayat’s film has a delectable aesthetic about it, complemented by a gorgeous score from Simon Slater, serving up music that is emotive and moving. The performances are genuinely captivating too, with the chemistry between Sachon and Holoway utterly palpable. A few moments in the script seem a little hackneyed, if only from audience exposure to this kind of story, but the delicate tone that Alkayat achieves is both welcome and enjoyable. For fans of true love and romance, or even those who believe in celebrating great filmmaking, Zaid Alkayat’s short film Soulmates is a taste of possibility and poetry, of the whimsical ludicrousness of fate and inevitability. Revel in its sincerity or bask in its obscurity, either way you can’t help but feel a little loved up. For more film reviews click here. #ChrisOlson #filmreviews #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviewsUK #JohnnySachon #Filmmaking #SupportIndieFilms

Directed by Alan King Starring Alan King, Dino Marnika and Paul King Short film review by Chris Olson A poetic and suspenseful journey through one man's past in this short film, A Way Back, written and directed by Alan King. Drawing on influences from a range of cinematic genres, King's film is a deeply rich and evocative piece that visually questions the human condition and our perception of our past. Leo (Alan King) is undergoing therapy with Jorgen (Dino Marnika) in order to understand a peculiar dream that is haunting him, Leo, involving a Luftwaffe fighter plane. It is revealed that Leo's past contains a large regret and something which may forever plague his conscience. In terms of a synopsis this may seem a little brief, it would be detrimental to go much further because there is a tragic splendour to the unfolding of this short film which audiences should enjoy for themselves. However, I will say that this is really, really smart storytelling with superb filmmaking to match. King utilises intensely dramatic dialogue and intrigue with abstract visuals to create a bottomless depth to his movie that is as immersive as it is entertaining. Scenes are seamlessly joined that keeps the arthouse nature of the aesthetic from narrowing its appeal, instead delivering a fluid narrative that dissolves into the next, gripping sequence. Erick McNerney's score is utterly captivating, complementing the tone of A Way Back perfectly, which is a difficult feat given the complex makeup of its structure and themes. The performances are really strong, including Paul King who turns up as one of Leo's "ghosts". Alan King is understandably comfortable as his own character creation, still delivering a gripping and formidable performance. The scenes between Alan King and Dino Marnika are particularly engrossing, reminiscent of Hitchcockian dramas and classic noir. There were a few moments where the pacing felt a little heavy handed, too quick to move on where a little breathing room could have allowed the themes to percolate a touch more. The themes of the short film are its biggest strength, and were captured well, for the most part, revealing that this could definitely have been made into a feature. The phrase "thought provoking" is thrown around quite liberally, but A Way Back deserves such a tag. Leo's anxiety about his troubling past and the realisation of the finality of his regrets will strike a chord with most viewers, reinforced with some picturesque ocean cinematography that betrays the unending and irreversible nature of one's actions. Click here for more film reviews. #ChrisOlson #AlanKing #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #Arthouse

Directed by Eric Bair Starring Gregory Shelby and Holly Maag Short film review by Chris Olson Expressing one’s emotions in the modern world has become both ludicrously easy and tragically difficult. Culturally speaking, society has never been so connected (pun intended), we have all invaded each other's homes through mobile devices and social media. It is now so simple to let everyone know how you are feeling, and you can do it in a plethora of creative ways, that traditional forms of communication very often get bypassed. @Social #Connection is a short film, written and directed by Eric Bair, which takes a very modern relationship and throws it into the dark ages - literally. During a powercut, a couple (Gregory Shelby and Holly Maag), who met via a social dating app five years ago and have since spent the bulk of their relationship communicating via digital means, are forced to abandon their devices and reconnect (pun intended). Bair’s film, whilst slightly laboring the point, does capture the thematic depth of the story using some delightfully creative cinematic flair. Colour in particular reveals the nature of emotional connection, with the messages the pair send to each other in vibrant colour whilst they themselves remain in black and white, and during one scene where the two touch hands their image is flooded with colour. Sound is also an interesting, if irksome, feature in this silent movie. An electronic score, reminiscent of Super Mario Bros., is layered on top of the film and acts as a rather blatant signpost to the shallow nature of modern relationships like these, capturing the social “points” system in which social media is now a dictator of success or an indicator of popular acceptance, rather than any tangible connection we have within ourselves. There is a very powerful dynamic on screen, depicted by Shelby and Maag, in which the former’s attempts at real connection seem to be thwarted, mostly, by the latter’s predilection with a more technical relationship. At various points during the short film we see Shelby’s character make awkward moves to increase the physical nature of their relationship, such as inviting her over in person, or suggesting that they have a cuddle. This focus on the male character looking for something more substantial from the relationship, and not just something superficial, is refreshingly welcome in the romance genre, a genre that usually depicts men as open-all-hours sperm banks looking only for instant gratification. Whilst Bair’s film has a few flaws, such as a bland mise-en-scène and a repetitive story, this is an intelligent, fluent piece of filmmaking that contains some poignant observations about both the enduring themes of human relationships, and the newer twists that have been added to plague our attempts. Shelby’s performance in particular is noteworthy, capturing a refreshing take on the modern man that is thought-provoking. Now get onto Facebook and Twitter and share this film review so that we can feel better about ourselves…#lolz. #ChrisOlson #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #Shortfilmreviews #filmmaking

Directed by Adam Jones Starring Kitty Bailey, Lauren Donovan and Gabe Brozilla Short film review by Monica Jowett Short film Angels Forever from filmmaker Adam Jones is a visually arresting piece that will take you into a dream like sequence. In what could be the visualisation of Jones’ version of the afterlife, this short film combines elements of music and cinematography into a stunning visual piece of filmmaking. Aside from an opening scene which introduces the film to the audience and a short voice over narration, there is very little dialogue throughout the ten minute short film and during that time it does not feel needed. The story alone is told through the action of those seen on camera, the ambient music and gorgeous lighting. Based on a dream the filmmaker Adam Jones had, we first see a man rise from bed and move into the light. We hear a voice talk about angels being in heaven, and as he moves further into the light, we start to see figures emerge from the purple lights. These are the angels of the film, beautifully portrayed by Kitty Bailey, Lauren Donovan and Gabe Brozilla. We see them dance around, as if in slow motion, moving gracefully across the screen. The lighting design from Mark A. Viera is what is most noticeable within Angels Forever. A mixture of filters are used; purple, pink, yellow, blue, which takes away the feeling of realism – as this film is not set in a known reality, rather an abstract idea. The filters saturate the film in colour further adding to the dreamlike atmosphere. The high-key lighting style used within the film, along with strong backlighting, makes the features of the dancing angels stand out, and also makes the surrounding imagery fade away, so the woman dancing is the only object on screen. Jones used a panoramic sized screen for his film and this wide version makes everything feel distorted. The music makes the film stand out. Jones collaborated with two British composers for his short film. Benjamin McElroy brought in the violins which gives the film an ethereal feel and the other composer, David Beard, used more synthetic sounds that provide a darker tone for the film. Angels Forever is a dreamy, almost distracted piece of filmmaking. Aesthetically stunning and precisely artistic, the collaboration with the composers and lighting designer has made this a mesmerising short film. Want to read more film reviews? #MonicaJowett #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #filmmaking #Britishfilmmaking

★★★★ Directed by Adam McKay Written by Adam McKay and Charles Randolph Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt Film Review by Hannah Sayer After beating out the likes of The Revenant and Spotlight to win the Producers Guild of America’s Best Picture award, The Big Short has become the latest front runner who is predicted to take home the top price at the Academy Awards on the 28th February 2016. The PGA has predicted the winner of the Best Picture Oscar for the past eight years. Having been praised for everything from its strong ensemble, editing and directing, to Adam McKay’s and Charles Randolph’s adapted screenplay based on Michael Lewis’ best-seller ‘The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine’, The Big Short has successfully made an account of the financial crisis of 2007-2008 funny, entertaining and extremely compelling. Four outsiders saw what no-one else could: the collapse of the U.S. housing market. In 2005, hedge fund manager Michael Burry, in a worthy Academy Award nominated performance from Christian Bale, makes the discovery that the U.S. housing market is becoming increasingly unstable. He decides to ‘short’ (bet against) the house mortgage bond market. If they collapse, he profits. Trader Jared Vennett, played by Ryan Gosling, hears of Burry’s dealings and believes his predictions to be true. He teams up with hedge fund manager Mark Baum, played by Steve Carell, and his team, who decide to try and profit from the impending collapse. The film intertwines these two storylines with the account of two young investors, Charlie Geller (John Magaro) and Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock), who become involved with the help of retired banker Ben Rickert, played by Brad Pitt, who is also one of the film’s producers. The Big Short is certainly an ambitious piece in trying to bring this important but complicated story to a mainstream audience. In attempting to make the narrative more accessible, Ryan Gosling’s Jared Vennett breaks the fourth wall as an intrusive narrator to aid the audience with some of the jargon used and to reassure that we aren’t meant to have known these complex terms before the film began. McKay makes his dramatic debut with The Big Short, but humour is still prevalent. The use of celebrity cameos such as Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez to provide explanations of complex financial terminology like CDOs and sub-prime loans are effective in providing a basis for the audience to begin to digest the complicated concepts, while being directly addressed by people they recognise and admire. These brief narrative pauses work in allowing the audience moments of reflection on the somewhat horrifying and unbelievable events that lead up to the collapse. Throughout the narrative, there is an underlying tone created of both anger and disbelief at how the banks allowed for this to happen. By the end of The Big Short, it’s clear and shocking when you fully comprehend that there’s no reason why this won’t happen again. Click here to read more film reviews. #HannahSayer #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #AdamMcKay #ChristianBale #SteveCarell #RyanGosling #BradPitt #TheatricalReleases #InUKCinemasNow

Directed by Jessica Jeffries Starring Charlotte Dunnico, Shaun Cowlishaw, Gerard Arthur-Murphy, Short film review by Chris Olson *Spoilers* The idea of a "hero" character in a zombie film is always plagued with inconsistencies. Indeed, the brutal nature of a post-apocalyptic world brings with it the need for an archetypal rugged alpha who holds the prerequisite survival skills to endure, which very often contradict traditional connotations of heroism. Central characters in zombie films almost always need to disconnect from their former emotional sensibilities if they are going to be able to land a giant axe in a Walker's head. This is where Jessica Jeffries' short film, See You Tomorrow, is particularly effective. Opening in a nondescript wooded locale, we are quickly introduced to the two central characters; Grace (Charlotte Dunnico) and Zack (Shaun Cowlishaw). Roll on zombie #1, who has some pretty awesome make up, and the audience quickly gathers this is an all-too familiar genre piece. We discover that Grace seems to be suffering from memory loss and does not recall this world she inhabits (a classic sci-fi trope), whilst Zack is aware and quickly catches Grace up on basic survival techniques - which she is definitely going to need as she has a giant zombie bite mark chunked out of her arm. If you can get past the textbook feel to the plot so far, and we suggest you do, you can then explore this movie from an intimate vantage point, as Jeffries consistently places the viewer in the role of the decisionmaker. Whether it’s with a Peepshow-esque first-person camera shot, or moving the camera between the different choices available to Grace, this short film is made up of wonderful challenges for the audience to engage with. One such choice is seeing a non-Walker stranded on the roof of a car whilst a harem of undead attempt to grab a handful of her. Opting for the relative safety of a nearby house, Grace chooses to abandon the stranger to a certain, grisly death. This emotionally charged challenge to the audience, along with the fantastic make-up, are the two biggest strengths of this movie. Whilst the character of Grace is a basic everywoman, Dunnico does well to capture the vulnerability and conflict which ravage her. Cowlishaw is fantastic as the supporting player, and arguably delivers the stronger performance, particularly in adding a degree of intrigue into the motives of Zack. See You Tomorrow has a somewhat subversive ending, and sadly concludes itself on rocky footing with the introduction of Gerard Arthur-Murphy's cartoonish Lawrence Blair. Without giving much away, all is explained and feels slightly cheapened by doing so. That being said, the initial two-thirds is a really great addition to an already difficult genre to have a voice in. We for one would enjoy a feature of Grace and Zack, with a glut of dastardly decisionmaking thrown in to the filmmaking to create a more compelling zombie flick. Click here for more film reviews. #Shortfilmreviews #filmreviewsUK #ChrisOlson #Horror #SupportIndieFilms

★★★★ Directed by Lenny Abrahamson Written by Emma Donoghue Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, William H. Macy and Sean Bridgers Film review by Hannah Sayer Following on from the critical acclaim of his 2014 quirky hit Frank, Abrahamson has triumphed again with this intimate and equally quite frightening telling of Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel. Room, which was adapted for the screen by Donoghue and based on her novel of the same name, is both a story about hope and survival combined with the gripping intensity of the themes of abduction and imprisonment. Joy/Ma, played by the exceptionally talented Brie Larson, was kidnapped and imprisoned in a shed when she was only 17 years old. When the film begins, we are introduced to Joy at the age of 24 and her 5 year old son Jack, played by the brilliant Jacob Tremblay. She has been held captive in this soundproof shed by a man they call Old Nick (Sean Bridgers) for 7 years. For Jack, Room is all he knows and Joy chooses for him to believe that there is nothing else outside of this tiny space they call home. The juxtaposition between Jack’s view of Room as his entire world and Joy’s view of this same space as her prison is heartbreaking. When they finally break out of Room and are thrust back into the real world, Joy herself has to adapt back to reality while at the same time being a mother to Jacob, who is only just experiencing the outside world for the first time. Danny Cohen’s cinematography successfully captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of the enclosed space of Room. The use of low camera angles allows for the viewer to see the majority of the film from Jack’s point of view. The sense of intimacy that is created with this use of low shots allows for the viewer to appreciate Room as the only place this young boy has been witness to, as well as the horrific place of imprisonment for both Joy and Jack. The use of the setting of Room being only 10 square feet meant that the filmmaking restrictions did enable the tension and the claustrophobia to come across even more on screen. One of the most striking elements of the film is the way that Cohen has captured the vast difference between Room and the outside world. Once Joy and Jack are outside in the real world and looking back into the place they once called home, Cohen effectively captures an astonishing perspective of how small the space really was. Cohen is also responsible for the cinematography in the awards contender The Danish Girl. Although being shot using the same camera, Cohen used different lenses to achieve the two opposing styles seen on screen. Brie Larson’s performance is likely to win the Academy Award for Best Actress at the upcoming ceremony, which is in no way surprising. Jacob Tremblay gives one of the best performances by a child actor ever seen on film. His acting is well beyond his years. Room is a beautiful film with truly exceptional performances, which is unexpectedly hopeful and uplifting amongst the dark reality of the situation. In cinemas now. Check out film reviews of other Theatrical Releases. #filmreviews #filmreviewsUK #HannahSayer #LennyAbrahamson #BrieLarson #WilliamHMacy #TheatricalReleases #Oscars

Directed by Theo Gee Starring Chloë Crump, AJ Stevenson and Tori Hope Short film review by Monica Jowett Psychological thriller Amber, a short film from director and co-writer Theo Gee, has a smart story. Following the aftermath of a routine robbery, a criminal couple who have broken into a young woman’s home, everything in what should have been a simple job has gone wrong, ending up with a bound and gagged woman kidnapped on her own sofa. The couple responsible argue with one another about what to do next. Within twenty five minutes this short thriller brings three characters together, Amber (Chloë Crump) who is gagged on the sofa and Alex (Tori Hope) the angered leader and Ciaran (AJ Stevenson). When the arguing between Alex and Ciaran comes to a point where Amber’s gag needs to be removed, the young woman enters into the race of plotting against one another in a desperate attempt for the outcome to be in her favour. Each character is slowly revealed to have their own motives to get out of the terrible situation they have found themselves in. Once Amber’s gag is off, she carefully undermines the other two, and here Crump shows her strengths in acting over the others, standing out in the small cast. She brings to the table just the right mix of innocent vulnerability and intelligence enough to have both of her captors in the palm of her hand. The intriguing script based around the idea of Stockholm syndrome from co writers Theo Gee and Ian Bousher provides a solid ground for these actors to work from. For a short film it is an ambitious and brave piece, carefully thought out and developed. The overall result is something the filmmakers should be proud of; however the revelations made in the film do not pack as much of a punch as they were intended to. A minimalist film, it is impressive that it has been made by an amateur director with little knowledge of filmmaking and on a small budget. The visuals, though not ground-breaking, work well for this short, where everything is confined to one room; the close-up zoom is used well as more is revealed about each character, and is a simple but effective technique. Though it feels like we come into the story halfway through it’s telling, Amber is a strong psychological thriller with a decent character drama at its core. Click here for more film reviews.