Directed by: Lin-Manuel Miranda Written by: Steven Levenson Starring: Andrew Garfield, Robin De Jesus, Alexandra Shipp Film Review by Robert Stayte Lin-Manuel Miranda has had an incredibly busy and successful few years, beyond working with Disney on several projects, he has had the live stage performance of Hamilton, In the Heights’s film adaptation and now his directorial debut that carries the weight of having to both be a competent film and also capture the true story of the creator of Rent. But Tick Tick Boom! is a good example of both and another knockout musical for Miranda. In 1990, New York, aspiring musical writer Jonathan Larson lives in a cheap apartment. He spends many days attempting to get his dream Broadway show off the ground, fighting against his own sell by date as a young artist. He is also dealing with his personal relationships with his girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp) and best friend Michael (Robin De Jesus), especially with the ongoing AIDS crisis. Whilst the core of the story is familiar, the execution of it is incredibly relatable to anyone in a similar position to Jon. It feels like Lin has been in Jon’s shoes before, yet the film does not make him a flawless character, showing how being an ambitious artist can be a detriment to the people you care about. Yet there is also a sense of optimism and celebration in devotion despite the hard work and rejection one goes through to be a successful artist, something that Jon experiences and learns, which is why the creation of Rent was a true success story for him. Miranda also manages to help ground the film in the past despite its timeless story, The AIDS crisis of the 90’s gives the narrative an extra punch rather than being used for cheap foreshadowing to the creation of Rent. It is a surprisingly sad film that will make you cry at least once, particularly during the third act. Acting wise, Andrew Garfield delivers his best performance since Silence, succeeding at making Jon an incredibly likeable figure in spite of his flaws through his raw lovable energy and passion, not to mention being a pretty good singer. De Jesus gets some of the most powerful material in the film and has good chemistry with Garfield, as does Shipp. Look out for a lot of Broadway actors in the supporting cast too. As for Lin Manuel Miranda’s direction, it does feel shaky to begin with, mainly in the fact the first act feels jumpy and confusing in terms of how the musical numbers are presented, as they switch back and forth between diegetic and non-diegetic. But as it goes on, the musical numbers become more understandable and the songs themselves get better and better. The editing is fast and energetic, particularly during the song sequences, with a couple of them making great use of cross cutting. The cinematography is sometimes impressive and at other times a little uncreative, but visually Miranda captures the environment of New York very well. Tick Tick Boom! is a heartfelt and successfully inspiring debut feature for Lin-Manuel Miranda, who this year alone has been helping to remind audiences how the medium of musical theatre can translate well to film.

★★★★ Directed by: Mattherw Vaughn Written by: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman Starring: James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon, Micheal Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Holut Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen X-Men: First Class (2011) Film Review Remember last week where I concluded that Dr X can’t use his legs and it's all a sympathy ploy so that he can continue to profiteer off war? Sure you do, but apparently what I didn’t know is they made a movie all about how he apparently lost the use of his legs, and it’s all legit…yeah right I say, but for arguments sake, I thought it would be responsible of me to check out this so called true story of Dr X and his apparent inability to use his walking feet. X-Men: First Class (although no one travels in first class when on trains and planes which disappointed me) is the tale of Dr X and Magneto in their younger days - they both are on missions, Magneto wants to find the German dude who shot his mum when he was a child in the concentration camps, and Dr X wants to form an alliance with the CIA in order to help out. Really we know he is just getting weapons of mass destruction blueprints but whatever at this point. It’s not long before the two become pals; they play chess and bend metal and try to build an environment for other mutants to flourish in as they gather them from around the globe using some brain hat that Dr X wears which allows him to find people anywhere in the world who are mutants, think smartphones before smartphones. He gathers them together, they are the good guys, but Kevin Bacon is doing the same thing on a submarine, and they are the bad guys, I think we all know where this is heading… But there are missiles, and the humans are being idiots with them, of course, and some of the mutants are like “blow shiz up, Submarine power!!!” and Dr X is like “NO, we must help our homeland, America and wave a flag and do this all on a ship cos that’s fun”, they have the higher ground over Kevin Bacon’s submarine party… also because of this movie I think Kevin Bacon is always underwater, is he there now? Who knows, all we know is he is trying to sell us mobile data plans. But we digress from the most important part, Magneto flips hard and starts to go against Dr X and while doing so accidentally moves a bullet from the air and it goes into Dr X’s spine and then his legs are game over…oh really? You’re trying to tell me, after two hours of a movie where millions of people on earth have special powers, which range from flying, mind-reading, to turning into a beast, not one of them, not one single one, which he can hunt down because he has the special hat we mentioned earlier, can help him regain the use of his legs? Yeah, come at me with your reasoning comic book people because I don’t believe it for a second. Let’s talk actors…Kevin Bacon, he is my hot old man fantasy, and I don’t need to tell you he kicks ass, and of course keeps it up for his role as the bad boy in this flick, Michael Fassbender, a man who has a dynamic and diverse acting career, who always impresses me no matter what the role. Although I have avoided his superhero film career just because I don’t really like the genre, kills it. X-Men: First Class is not something I would normally reach for, but to be fair it was very enjoyable, it had a fun storyline, it’s covered all the bases that hardcore fans would want to see from an origin flick, it looks stunning and considering the multiple locations and being set in the 60’s, they have done good research into the appearances of the locations for that time in history. And yes, Michael Fassbender and Kevin Bacon speak German in this movie, and as someone who also speaks German, this was very hot…thanks boys. So, this week what have our superhero special hats zapped into our brains? I love the Fassbender man. Kevin Bacon always lives underwater And Dr X is refusing leg treatment in order to…profit from war. #RachelPullen

★★★★ Directed by: Sergei Alexander Written by: #SergeiAlexander Starring: Paul Stone, Jean-Philippe Boriau, Niamh Sullivan, Silva Beshi, James Knapp Indie Film Review by: #TaryllBaker Your Eyes on Me Movie Review Sergei Alexander’s Your Eyes on Me explores a romantic encounter between two drag artists. With colourful mundanity, the film knows precisely what it wants to ignite in the viewer and takes no time doing so with its short runtime. It’s at its most interesting when Alexander focuses solely on Paul Stone and Jean-Philippe Boriau’s characters, as they intertwine in a tangled but well-navigated relationship. The twists and turns may be surprising and perhaps far-fetched to some, but the execution is powerful and almost perfect. The performance from Jean-Philippe is wonderful, and he plays well across from his co-star Stone. I found the latter to be a mixed bag; both beautifully, internally traversed yet at times falling flat in delivery. However, believability remains unbroken and thus doesn’t damage or weaken the words being said. Supporting actors Niamh Sullivan, Silva Beshi and James Knapp are all joyous additions; their characters candid, aiding the lead performers with noticeable stability. The hair and makeup looks the part, supplying the actors with a frivolous and vivacious essence. Cinematographer Andrea Angelini captures everything with stillness that purposefully locks in on subjects from an intimate distance. Alex Wallace evokes a sense of hopefulness in his excelling score, with touches of bittersweet innocence and sorrowful charm. It aligns well with the sharp visuals, the camera always looking for a performance to get lost in, and the music looking to do the same. There is a story thread that opens up but then never really gets mentioned again, regarding family introductions and how difficult it can be for some. It would have been nice to see the director delve further into this, especially as it seemed to be a promising subject to survey, and something people in real life tend to struggle with. Nevertheless, it’s good that it was even touched upon in the first place. The narrative has its ups and downs like most, and while a few moments seem hard to believe, maybe due to its illicitness, I feel it’s part of what makes this film so uniquely different to what we’ve seen before. Most of the performances are stellar and the writing, although not as superb as the direction, is adequate enough. It piles up and up on itself, resulting in a state of melancholy without despair. Your Eyes on Me is a promising debut from Sergei Alexander. Your Eyes on Me is currently available to RENT on the UK Film Channel. Click the image below to WATCH NOW.

★★★ Directed by: #AJMattioli and #JonathanSalazar Written by: #MarcelSorza Starring: #MattyGlitteratiKinkel, #JonathanSalazar, #VincentDePaul Film Review by Lucy Clarke Neon Boys’ opening voiceover reminds us that some events in life are so momentous, they cause our lives to shift entirely. In our minds, moments before the event and after it are starkly defined. Based on star Jonathan Salazar’s true story, this is an important story of budding romance and heartbreak. Ricky (Jonathan Salazar) works at a gay nightclub in New York as an erotic dancer. He’s been working there for a while, but one day Ricky comes into work and he's introduced to a new colleague, Shawn (Matty Glitterati Kinkel). Shawn has just come out of prison, and he’s saving up to get his life back on track. Erotic dancing was the only job he could find, and he’s desperate to get back into his young daughter’s life. His ex, Rebecca (Kelsey Denae), is reluctant to let Shawn see their child. As soon as Ricky meets Shawn, he’s immediately attracted to him. Shawn’s never dated a man before, but it’s not before long that sparks begin to fly. Ricky and Shawn’s story is a worthy tale to commit to screen. The romance is intimate, and the heartbreak is devastating. However, the script doesn’t quite live up to this true story’s potential. This is a dialogue-heavy piece, and unfortunately, the dialogue never feels refined enough. Ricky and Shawn are given clichéd, recycled lines, and every sentence has a slight air of artifice. Thankfully, the writing doesn’t undermine the relationship between Ricky and Shawn. Jonathan Salazar portrays someone falling in love fantastically. When he meets Shawn, he’s bashful and suddenly seems insecure, searching for a sign that Shawn might like him too. It’s in the moments filled with raw emotions, that you genuinely believe in the budding romance between Shawn and Ricky. Directors A.J Mattioli and Jonathan Salazar contrast the purple neon shades of the nightclub with aerial shots of New York City. This contrast of the concrete jungle and the neon glow of the club grounds the film nicely. Alongside the lovely aerial shots, the soundtrack pops with some great song choices. The film bubbles with New York’s soul, and it’s nice to be immersed in the metropolis. While Neon Boys is by no means perfect, it was clearly made with a lot of heart. Even though this short film stumbles occasionally, the story at the centre of the film is captivating. If you’re looking for something to watch during Pride month, this short film might be just the ticket.

★★ Directed by: #HernanJimenez Written by: #DanielMackey, #RebeccaEwing Starring: #NinaDobrev, #JimmyOYang Film Review by: Emily Davison Los Angeles journalist Natalie (Dobrev), who earns a living writing about her unlucky dating encounters, is on a quest to find her ‘other half’ through online dating. After seemingly finding the perfect match in good looking Tag (Darren Barnet), she takes a leap of faith and catches a flight to the East Coast to surprise him for Christmas, only to discover she has been catfished by his childhood friend, Josh (Yang). The light-hearted American romantic comedy, released on Netflix November 5, chronicles her attempts to reel in love, only to not quite hit the mark with a sappy, unconvincing tread into all too familiar waters. The movie begins strongly with an endearing introduction to our main lead, the down on her luck Natalie, who is presented to us with snappy editing showcasing her disastrous past date experiences, which is causing her to lose hope to eventually find the right guy for her. Lush and warm cinematography throughout creates a fitting Christmas feel-good mood to the film, with inviting colourful visuals which keep the movie watchable, despite its shortcomings. The film’s title is a nod to the combination of Natalie and Josh’s favourite Christmas movies (Die Hard and Love Actually), which, unfortunately are not the only pop culture references the movie makes to appeal to the modern market. Once Natalie meets the real Josh, the screenplay is never able to successfully maintain the quirky tone it established in the first act, with a meandering and predictable plot as Natalie would rather go after the hotter Tag. We are presented with several set pieces of her attempting to navigate the awkward love triangle, with some nice comedic moments, but it is a mostly bland journey to its inevitable conclusion. As with many cliched rom coms, it is easy to see where things are leading to as Natalie realises the sporty daredevil type isn’t for her and the one she really wants was in front of her all along – of course it’s Josh! The film can be too sickly sweet at times with its attempts to showcase the ‘true love’ between Natalie and Josh, whose actors unfortunately do not share believable onscreen chemistry. It is ironic when Natalie cringes at the famous written love confession scene in Love Actually featuring fake carol singers and puppy dog eyes, when the very movie she is a part of can be just as sentimental and corny. The souless romantic gestures in the film, especially in regard to its cute but undeniably unrealistic ending, will certainly not appeal to everyone. Both Nina Dobrev and Jimmy Yang give good performances and have enough charisma to carry us through the shoddy script, but paired together, they act more like good friends or siblings and it is very difficult to buy into their eventual romance. Love Hard is generally a watchable, feel good Christmas flick with the typical clichés one should come to expect from a cheesy rom com. Although the visuals are appealing, the messy and all too familiar narrative combined with a lack of believable chemistry between its two leads, makes this movie fall into forgettable territory. #EmilyDavison Love Hard (2021) trailer:

★★★ Stars Directed by: #JoséLuisDucid, #AlfonsoCamarero, #MariaMeseguer Written by: #JoséLuisDucid Starring: #RichardHotz, #SilvanaSieiro Film Review by: Alicia Moore “Selected Milk is in the form of a manual for sellers of milk cartons in supermarkets. Meanwhile, the scenes reflect the flashes of life of a potential seller who does not meet the conditions of a milk carton salesman.” This award-winning film includes many art forms that intertwine together to create the experimental project. It is clear to me that Selected Milk showcases different elements of artistic delivery in a way that is original and incredibly unique. This short is composed of basically no moving captures, images that reflect each chapter of the film are used instead. Selected Milk is a refreshing watch in this regard because, as you listen to the voiceover monologues, a mental image of what is being discussed is immediately created. The audience is thrust into a separate cage of emotions with each chapter/section that is introduced throughout; each one of these holding a linked sense of powerful impact on the viewer due to the running theme of personal perspective discussed in the monologues, but the content beyond that creates a different view in the mind every time. These distinct worlds could easily appear in black and white but thanks to the great voiceover work (Richard Hotz, Silvana Sieiro) splashes of colour are added neatly inside the drawn outlines. The writing (José Luis Ducid) of the monologues themselves is simply stunning. They immerse you into their poetic nature yet, once again, each has its own understanding of a poetic approach to writing. Some sections radiate a calmer poetic context, whereas some appear more aggressive - as if each section has its own personality to make it distinctive. The diversity shown through artistic ability in Selected Milk is brilliant and, although I’ve mentioned a lot about the many differences to explore in this short film, everything still runs alongside one another in an orderly fashion that fits the film’s overall style. Using the idea of a manual for sellers of milk cartons to portray an array of life stories is totally unequalled. Reading the synopsis before watching doesn’t give you any insight into the content you are about to be given as an audience member and I love being surprised in that way. Taking views of the world and certain events that occur - discussions which you can also delve much deeper into - and doing so without acquiring particular sway is a skill in itself. Selected Milk seems to bypass pointed ridicule and takes a route of reciting from the heart and memory rather than handing over straight statements to the audience. Without the main focus of bias involved, it links better with the use of a manual. Quite frankly, I’m amazed at this connection. To describe the connection of manual and life, in terms of giving no spoilers and putting forward the idea that I personally took away from the film, I shall say this in conclusion: a manual is meant to support the salesperson rather than to clearly instruct step-by-step statements. It would be impossible to act upon rooted steps in a robotic fashion. Following the manual is necessary but your own knowledge and experience in life are needed to meet the required standards. Now pause for a moment... is there a strict manual for life, or is there just an idea of what it should or could be like? Check out the trailer for Selected Milk here.

★★★ Directed by: Bryn Singer Written by: Tom DeSanto, Bryan Singer, David Hayter Starring: Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen X-Men (2000) Film Review I was getting into a deep convo with some pals the other day. I spoke about how Dr X from X-Men can use his legs and is simply using his disability as an excuse for a pity parade so that people won’t be mad that he is profiteering from war crimes. I decided to start way, way back, before superhero movies were beaten to death in front of our eyes in order to score a quick buck, back to 2000, to where it all began, the first, but sadly not the last, X-Men movie. You’re 17, you wanna bone everything in sight, but oh no, when you do people seem to die, so you run away and meet a man with dreadful sideburns, he has pointy things in his hands, but does not know how they got there...cool who cares, not you, you got touching issues to worry about. But it's not long before some people hunt you down, because humans hate mutants, other mutants hate mutants and you end up at Dr X's school for freaks, or mutants...at this point, I was too distracted about seeing if he was going to use his legs. Dr X has built a school for the mutants to hang out and learn to use their powers more safely in, to do good I assume, although as I said, he could be profiteering off war crimes, who knows, but what we do know is at this point is all the X-Men wanna hump each other and Dr X is pretending he still can't walk...get up, I know you can. But life is not all school lessons and trying to hump, apparently, there are bad guy X-Men who wanna ruin things and make the normal humans hate the mutants more, jealousy clearly, and it's not long before Magneto (played by Ian McKellen) wants to steal the Rouge girl from the start of the movie, because her powers are valuable to him, I'm also gonna say it, why can't they heal Dr X so he can walk? Like if they all have different powers surely someone can do that, but they don't...because he is a war criminal and this is all a lie! Back to the movie... Of course like all superhero films play out, they have a showdown on a famous monument, or in a well-recognized location like the moon or on the tip of the Eiffel Tower, which always seems to have just enough space to accommodate all the kicking and flipping that's gonna take place, this time they chose the Statue of Liberty, which was explained to me because it was gonna use the copper to help with the radiation or something. They fight, they win, and the humans are all like...thanks but we still don't like mutants, conveniently leaving an open end for a sequel, and another, and another, but while it is known that I'm not one for the superhero genre of films, I do quite enjoy this movie. Now I'm not going to call it a masterpiece or anything but it has a certain charm to it that I quite like, it's not too over the top, special effects are minimal because it was 2000 of course, and due to that I feel like we get to spend more time with character development, I really felt connected to the outcomes of the characters’ story arcs and I haven’t really felt that way watching some of the more recent contributions to cinema from the MCU, and so I say, well done X-Men, this hammy little contribution shall not go forgotten. So if you wanna enjoy a superhero film but not be overwhelmed by flips and kicks and lazers and rainbow bridges that I couldn't care less about, then slip on your leather wear, retract those claws and settle in for a simpler time in the world of superhero films...and Dr X can walk, no one will convince me otherwise. So this week we have learnt. Dr X is a liar All X-Men are sexually frustrated And famous monuments = obvious showdown territory. #RachelPullen

★ Directed by: #AnkitSingha Written by: Ankit Singha Starring: #ArpanDutta Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch Well, the title is certainly accurate as the bulk of Face Wash’s screen time is devoted to the imagery of a man compulsively washing his face. Why is he doing this? What has driven him to this point? Is it insecurity? Obsession? Addiction? A question I’m sure writer-director Ankit Singha wants the audience to ponder through this brief production, yet is left with no interesting resolution. The man at the bathroom mirror is drawn again and again to the seemingly tantalising face wash, examining his skin and repeating the process until it leads to his demise. The ambiguity comes across more like an empty gesture rather than a thematic riddle for the audience, there is little reason to care or be driven by this. Face Wash feels like a film that tries to make something out of nothing, a low budget affair that uses black and white cinematography and quick editing to invoke grander meaning in a mundane action. This is not Scorsese’s The Big Shave, and Singha’s direction offers little tension or intrigue into his protagonists’ mental state, even in the short runtime, the frantic routine becomes stale. The editing of the mirror reflections and closeups do offer a claustrophobic mindset and that is an element I did like, the gritty rough look of the film. This tacky little bathroom stall that the character was trapped in, though there isn’t much narratively to go beyond that as the issue is there’s no clear visual marker on what ails the protagonist. He looks fine after the first time he uses the product, and there is never any discernible difference after any use, so what exactly is he chasing? My questions from before were broad strokes at what Singha could be hinting at, but insecurity about one’s physical appearance is a factor in using beauty products. The tacked-on commercial product voiceover at the end seems like a confirmation of the character’s motivation. This doesn’t make Face Wash interesting, however as Singha’s attempt to create a psychological thriller tone falls flat. That and the completely underwhelming almost comical ending just has one shrug in indifference feeling that their time has been wasted. #CoreyBulloch #shortfilm

★ Video editing and design by: Joshua Brown Written by: Erin Matthews and Joshua Scheid Starring: Felix Aguilar Tomlinson, Erin Matthews Film Review by: William Hemingway Okay, so it's probably best to say this now so that you don't need to read on any further if you don't want to – The Missing Piece is opera. Bet you're glad I mentioned that – huh? So now you know not to watch this stuff if opera aint your thing, which it probably isn't because you thought you were here to read a review of film – right? Now, we all know that crossovers happen; that most films these days are adapted from books or (sigh) comic books; that there's always been a place on the Silver Screen for song and dance numbers; that stage musicals and even stage plays do make it onto the big screen from time to time; but we also know that only very rarely do they manage the transition successfully, and even more rarely do they ever improve upon the original format. It seems pertinent then to question the validity of transposing opera onto a screen format, especially a static screen format such as this one, as it seems like all of the experience of going to the opera is taken away. It's kind of like when they show ballet on the telly at Christmas – does anyone ever watch it? Does anyone ever get the feeling of what it would actually be like to be at a ballet from seeing it like that on the telly? I didn't think so. So what is the benefit then of setting The Missing Piece on film? Strange Trace, the team behind it would tell you that it's about access, letting people come to opera who would otherwise be kept out from its elitist ways, but frankly this sounds like they're reaching. In reality it just appears to be a way for this troupe to get their mugs in front of the camera and be seen. Nothing else seems to be going on here. You could perhaps entertain their argument of access if their little mini-opera was any good and therefore have a chance of being seen by a (semi) large cohort of people – but it's not. In fact it's pretty dire by any standards. The premise is that of a company Zoom meeting gone wrong (the standard unoriginal lockdown scenario). So everyone is lined up in front of their static cameras, facing the audience and singing at one another, while the music plays from another member of the team sitting in a darkened room. There is some attempt at a plot involving a waffle-iron and team members who are randomly dying during the Zoom call, but this gets confused in amongst all of the singing and can even be seen as a blessing when there are less and less people to keep the singing going. The music, played by Greg Nahabedian, is the major turn off as it grates and gurns and gnashes its way through the whole film. The entire score sounds like it's being played by a blind, one eared, three-pawed cat walking up and down on a 70's Casio keyboard with its settings stuck on 'bad synth'. The choice of this style of music to accompany the film seems completely unfathomable. There's no acting, only singing, and no camera movement, yet somehow the characters do manage to come across somewhat. There are attempts at backstory and humour if you can decipher them from the lyrics, but for that you'd have to watch more than the first few minutes, and to do that is just not really worth it. There's also the fact that the audio recording (which has obviously been done separately in a recording booth) doesn't match up with the video and it is glaringly obvious that the people on screen aren't actually singing in front of their cameras at all, which when this is the entire shtick of what you're trying to do kind of undermines the whole affair from the start. At thirty-seven minutes long The Missing Piece isn't a short short but at least in terms of opera length it is mercifully shorter than the usual four hours. Still not worth your time though. #WilliamHemingway

★★★★ Directed by: #RobertDesanti, #MatthewVanVorst Written by: #RobertDesanti Starring: #RobertDesanti, #SuzanneSavoy Short Film Review by: Emily Davison After another rejection letter, neurotic writer Gregory Archambault (Desanti) struggles to commit suicide due to dissatisfaction with his own suicide note. The Epilogue of Gregory Archambault (2021) is a short dark comedy which depicts opposing forces of an artist’s aspirations and passions against the detached marketplace, which very often fails to understand expressionistic work sent to them. The film has received critical acclaim, winning six awards as well as receiving two nominations. Director, writer and star Robert Desanti’s bold take on an arguably taboo subject matter of a male artist’s mental health and suicidal thoughts is what makes this short so powerful and thought-provoking. Our opening long shot of a lone cabin in the woods at dusk already sets up our isolated and weary protagonist, Gregory Archambault, played with an energetic, intense flair by Desanti. The short exhibits fluid camerawork and impeccable cinematography, with a nice shot early on tilting the camera up as we see Gregory leave his desk to grab a gun from his loft with the intention of committing suicide. The filmmaking is very immersive with many extreme close-ups inviting us to become part of Gregory’s writing world and his deep personal struggles with his craft. The overall concept of the film is admirable and bound to be relatable for anyone who identifies as a creative individual or an artist, as Gregory is constantly berating himself to improve his writing after facing constant rejection from the outside world. Geoff Ryan’s sound design is very effective in capturing Gregory’s critical inner voice, which is a treat for the ears if viewed through headphones. Anyone with a passion for creativity will know what it is like to face rejection on a daily basis and many often feel misunderstood or misrepresented, with Gregory acting as an exaggerated embodiment of these insecurities as he struggles to find appreciation for his hard work. Desanti provides a very well realised combination of dark humour and touching drama in such a short space of time. The quirky fun of the film, which is just under fifteen minutes, comes with the dramatic irony of Gregory delaying his suicide attempt due to being dissatisfied with his suicidal note and his writing in general, which led to him wanting to take his own life in the first place. It is oddly satisfying to see this unfold onscreen; again, this seemingly endless spiral of creative misery authentically captures the universal struggles of artists everywhere. Gregory is eventually called by his mother as it is his birthday, which leads to a touching conversation where she appears to know exactly where his headspace is even as he tries to mask it and this connection with his mother causes him to reconsider his decisions for a moment. The final scene also hammers its thought provoking commentary home very effectively and will ensure you do not leave the film unsatisfied. The Epilogue of Gregory Archambault is a delightful short with an inspirational and comforting message about the complexities of being an artist. With a perfect blend of dark comedy and poignant drama, as well as a passionate performance by its lead, this movie is a must see for aspiring creators. #EmilyDavison The Epilogue of Gregory Archambault (2021) trailer:

Film Festival Feature by Chris Olson Nazis, Armed Robots, and some mini-golf...all this and more are things you can expect from the 2021 UK Film Review Festival! Having launched UKFRF in 2020 during the first UK lockdown, we wanted to keep our online film festival going as a COVID-proof film event that filmmakers from around the world could rely on. So we were more than pleased when we started getting submissions once our FilmFreeway page opened back in January this year. Our second online film festival is bigger than last year (with more submissions) and we have introduced a secondary way of attending! There are no two options to view a film at UKFRF: You can purchase an individual e-ticket to any particular film! You can purchase a Festival Pass - giving you access to EVERY film. Option 1 was not available at our 2020 film festival but was something we were keen to add because it allowed us to support indie film even more. "How" we hear you ask? Well, for every e-ticket sold to a particular film, the filmmaker behind that film will receive half the money! This was just one way we wanted our event to support the filmmakers who submit. Along with that, we also provided film reviews for EVERY film that entered and introduced a cash prize for the film marked BEST IN FEST. There is still plenty of time to get involved, so please head over to UK Film Channel and purchase an e-Ticket or a Festival Pass. Without further ado, here are the official selections for the 2021 UK Film Review Festival: Best Comedy Film Chimpsters Life's a Show Swingers Untitled Earth Sim 64 Best Crime / Thriller 4 Queens Close-Up: An Odyssey Danny Boy Hold Best Documentary Burbiszki Her Stories Holding These Moments Hope in the Holy Land It Gets In Your Blood The United States of Fashion Designer Elie Tahari Three Wise Men - Parallel Lives Vegetable Skin, An Interview Best Drama Film I'll Never Forget My High School Friends Mickey Hardaway Occupied Within Best Feature Film Be Good or Be Gone Dogwood Best Short Film 4 Queens A Good Home Cassandra Darling Girl Dear John, I'm Sorry dystopia Fuhrer's Fate Happy Gals Haunter Highly Competent Killers Incident at School Learning to Walk Again Obstacle Corpse Playgrounds Stick Up Strike Team Justice The Flying Fish The Lennox Report When the Tar Leaks Red Within So there you have it. All of the films confirmed for this year's film festival. We hope to see you there! #ChrisOlson #UKFRF

★★★★★ Stars Written and directed by: #PhilipConnolly Starring: #JamieLeeODonnell, #MarkBenton, #AdnanMustafa Film Review by: Alicia Moore Hope has a life changing piano audition coming up which is nerve-racking at the best of times. Unfortunately, as a sufferer of social anxiety, it's going to take extraordinary courage to seek the help needed to pursue her dream. The Fruit Fix, starring Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Hope) and Mark Benton (Doug,) is a story based on fictional characters – but the ‘fruit fix’ itself, the banana walk, is a very real and practiced form of therapy for social anxiety. This short film follows Hope and delves into her struggles, as well as allowing audiences to see the situation from Doug’s perspective as he does everything in his power to help her smoothly attend the piano audition. A very poignant observation that I feel I need to make as a sufferer of social anxiety is that The Fruit Fix thankfully doesn’t portray its included treatment as an overall cure. It can be very disheartening, and frankly quite stressful, to watch pieces of film that make treatment look easy to deal with. The struggle is the main plot point but then suddenly everything is cured, like a cold or a headache. It makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong; am I not doing enough to help myself? Film is more impactful than some people realise and it’s rare to find work that is both relatable, understanding and realistic. Writer and director Philip Connolly has taken a delicate subject and portrayed it beautifully, from both the character’s sense of isolation to the successes that are eventually found. The objective is to assist Hope in getting to her audition, not to rid her of something entirely. This type of therapy is a helping hand in a longer process; Connolly has taken that concept and held it with gentle hands and shining empathy. A large number of audience members, including myself, will be able to see themselves in the heartbreaking repeats of ‘I can’t’ from Hope and feel the power of Doug’s delicate responses. This approach to writing is made even greater when paired with the performances given. Jamie-Lee O’Donnell in particular makes a tender connection with her character, moving with care and raw emotion in each scene. Staying on the topic of true understanding, even the cinematography (Thomas Shaucroft) of The Fruit Fix brilliantly conveys the visuals of frantic thoughts and overwhelming emotions that social anxiety causes. The visuals seen in the film aren’t disorderly either; they are still pleasing to the eyes and flow naturally from scene to scene, but understanding of the struggle at hand has led to such wonderfully stirring shots. The Fruit Fix takes on a creative and overall magnificent approach to mental health awareness, staying focused on the objective of the characters and carrying through tasks with a realistic perspective. I couldn’t recommend this short film highly enough; I think it will remain a significant and timely watch for anyone at any time. You can watch the short film by clicking here.