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HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Critically Acclaimed Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Sep 5, 2022 Directed by: Thomas Loone Written by: Thomas Loone Starring: Thomas Loone, Mia Mills Imagine a gritty British drama, set in the dark, urban environment of Scotland - a far cry from the picturesque view many have of the area. It sounds a lot like ‘Trainspotting’, but imagine ‘Trainspotting’ through the veins of Ken Loach, Mike Leigh or Jim Sheridan. That’s the film which ‘Critically Acclaimed’ tantalisingly taunts you with in the beginning, and although you know that it must end, you don’t want it to. The good thing is that ‘Critically Acclaimed’ doesn’t dramatically nosedive after an exhilarating opening, instead gently plateauing over the remainder of its runtime into an effective commentary on the other side of fame. The star at the forefront of the piece is Jim (played by Thomas Loone, who also directed and wrote the short), who has just delivered an impressive performance in an upcoming film, and has been heralded as the ‘next Fassbender’ in overwhelmingly positive early critic reviews. Life seems to be on the up for Jim, he’s been paid a lot for the film, and is garnering the attention of the press - doing interviews for all your daytime TV shows. There’s another side to fame, however, and it’s a side that many fail to adapt to. The false niceties of the interviewee, Cassandra Higgins (played by Mia Mills), who hasn’t even seen the film, and the onslaught of inane questions turn out to be the straw which breaks the camel’s back and brings out Jim’s anxieties. Jim’s already become alienated from his friends due to his newfound fame, and is struggling to adapt to the spotlight. With a pressing agent, who clearly doesn’t have Jim’s best interests at heart, he’s slowly finding himself falling in on himself, and seeing the rough side of his new career. Perhaps the best thing about ‘Critically Acclaimed’ is the fact that were this short to do well, and Thomas Loone’s fabulous performance to be recognised, it wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine him in the same situation a couple of years from now. It certainly deserves to do well, and Loone certainly deserves the recognition his performance is controlled and measured, showing us the panic in his mind as he’s scared of how people will judge him for the interview answers, with the tell-tell sign being in his eyes, which are scared and constantly flickering upwards. In the film-within-a-film he’s a more engaging character - confident and decisive - but he easily switches mannerisms to the quiet, toned-down Jim. Loone’s direction is strong and steady, though is the weakest of his three roles as the writing far excels it - delivering a clear, concise, to-the-point screenplay, the kind Jim’s PR would be very fond of. The only stumbling block for the film is in some disappointing supporting performances and a slight tail-off towards its conclusion, which feels out of character with the rest of the film, and doesn’t quite deliver the sharp message which the rest of ‘Critically Acclaimed’ so wonderfully sets up. Nevertheless, it is a film which, like the film it features, should have critics gushing, especially over its central performance, and should propel Thomas Loone onto a path similar to his character. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Perfect Days Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 22, 2024 Directed by: Wim Wenders Written by: Wim Wenders, Takuma Takasaki Starring: Koji Yakusho Wim Wenders is having a year. Though his epic 3D documentary Anselm somehow regrettably missed out on a Best Documentary nomination from the Academy, his unhurried slice-of-life Perfect Days caught their attention. Nominated for Best International Film, Wenders’s lovely drama tails Hirayama (Koji Yakusho, perfection) through about two weeks in his life. Hirayama doesn’t have a lot to say, but he misses nothing in his days driving from public restroom to public restroom with Tokyo Toilet written on the back of his pristine blue jumpsuit. Tools in rubber-gloved hand, Hirayama is meticulous as he works. He has a routine that suits him—brings him joy, even—and Wenders cycles us through that routine day after day after day. At a full two hours, Perfect Days begs your indulgence with this montage of minutely changing events. The cumulative effect is, at first, lulling. As days pass, some small change draws attention and we try to predict a plot—will this turn into a love story, will that create financial chaos, is a tragic backstory of abuse about to come to light? Not the goal of this movie. The film actually began as a commissioned short film meant to celebrate Tokyo’s pristine public toilets. I swear to God. It blossomed from there into a lithe, meditative character study shouldered by an impeccable Yakusho. Though there are moments in the film that feel orchestrated—today, this happens; today, this happens—but not one breath, smile or nod of Hirayama’s head betrays the fiction. His is a mainly solitary, nearly silent life that can be surmised as a middle-aged man’s intentional creation. Hirayama has left something behind, has stripped himself of something, and what remains is what he finds vital: work where you can see a result; floor to ceiling shelves of books; a tidy and enormous collection of cassette tapes; a room full of tiny plants taking root, thanks to his tender care. You could fit Hirayama’s dialog on less than a single page, and there are times when his silence feels forced and almost comedic. But Yakusho’s brilliantly nuanced, heartbreakingly felt performance makes up for any flaws in the film. Wenders punctuates scenes with joyously on-the-nose song choices—minus the cassette hiss—and the final few singalong minutes showcase one actor’s transcendent work. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Yellow Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: May 16, 2023 Directed by: Elham Ehsas Written by: Elham Ehsas Starring: Afsaneh Dehrouyeh, Ahmad Jan Mano, Elham Ehsas In August 2021, the Taliban overtook Afghanistan. This short drama explores the aftermath. It is a busy market in Kabul and a young woman (Dehrouyeh) is looking to purchase her first chadari. He enters a clothing shop and requests one from the assistant (Ehsas). He helps her make the right choice, gives her advice and is quite helpful. She does not seem to be fond of the garment and appears to realise that her life is changing. This film is about a turning point in a woman's life, following the Taliban's conquest of Afghanistan. It is obvious that it is the first time she is wearing a chadari, as she does not know how to put it on, which highlights the change that she is going through. Through her eyes, the audience sees a procedure that many women in Afghanistan are going through: getting a chadari for the first time and entering a new stage in their life. The screenplay calmly examines the procedures that the heroine undertakes in order to obtain a chadari and thus (in some ways) go through a transformation and become another person, a person who the Taliban approve of. The film dramatically points out some of the effects of the Taliban takeover. One is the degradation of women, which is explored through Dehrouyeh's character and a television news broadcast about the strict laws applied by the Taliban regarding women wearing a chadari. Another is the banning of music, which is briefly shown through Ehsas' character. One part that stands out is a dance scene that feels almost magical thanks to slow motion and creative editing by Ehsas and Ross Leppard. Director of photography Yiannis Manolopoulos does a great job with the cinematography and commendations go to Jessica Holme for the costumes. An effective point-of-view shot places the viewer in the heroine's position, helping them feel how she feels. This film is a poignant and hard-hitting commentary about the Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan, how it affects the people of that country, particularly women. It provides an insight into the current situation, painting a bleak vision of the future. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

★★★★ Starring: #JayJayJegathesan and #MiraeJang Directed by: #PeterRenzullo Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Isabella is a short film directed by Peter Renzullo, the story is disturbing, intense and dark and stars Jay Jay Jegathesan who was made for this role and had previously been in another one of Renzullo’s films The Jewel Wasp . Watching his performance, he seemed like the perfect choice to make for this sinister film and certainly intensified the scene with his story of an emerald wasp and a helpless cockroach. Isabella is unfortunately seated opposite Khan and must endure this uncomfortable tale, but what exactly is the relationship between the two? The scene opens to Khan sitting in a dark suit across from Isabella. At this stage we do not know what Isabella looks like, the audience can merely hear her voice responding to Khan as he begins to tell her a story. There is an ominous air to Khan, the room appears cold and his presence even colder. With just a table in between him and Isabella and his words, the film is very powerful. Instantly, I became hooked on his every word and although disturbed by the story as he describes the calculating and detailed torture that an emerald wasp performs on a cockroach, it was hard to look away. His voice is low and dark and as he tells the story, you begin to feel slightly concerned for poor Isabella and worry for her safety! It’s not until the final scene that we discover why Isabella is there, her calm response to Khan really throws the audience off the scent and it becomes shocking when we finally get a glimpse of her. The sounds of cockroaches and insects can occasionally be heard as Khan is speaking which makes your skin crawl and your fear heighten. Its interesting to see the different ways in which directors can tell a story. There have been some short films where there is no dialogue throughout, and the storyline is followed by facial cues and imagery. Or there are films such as this, where we are not shown much, and the sound of someone’s voice carries the film and drives the storyline. I am a fan of all types of storytelling, if it can really convey that message and entices the viewer from the offset. Isabella has certainly achieved this; Khan’s dark and mysterious tale of horrors was one that I cannot shake. The performance of Jay Jay Jegathesan was a perfect cast for this role and took the film to a very sinister place. The slow pans and long takes, added to the eeriness of the film and made for an uncomfortable watch, forced to listen and endure much like Isabella. Dark and sinister but a great performance and very well written, keeping the audience hanging onto every word.

★★★★★ Starring: #AliKhan, #MaggieOllerenshaw, #AngusBarnett, #DebbieChazen and #JessicaBalmer Directed by: #JacobDudman Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Finger Food , a short film that is both funny, clever and extraterrestrial! Directed by Jacob Dudman this film shows the awkward encounters of meeting your girlfriends’ parents for the first time. However, it becomes even more of an awkward situation when you learn that her parents are aliens! This short was very comical and light-hearted, and a great film for both sci-fi fans and comedies. After dating for a while, it was time for Jason to meet Lucy’s family. Unfortunately for Jason, he arrives just a bit too early and must enter the family home alone as Lucy makes her way back from work after a delayed train. If you couldn’t think of anything worse, the family also have some odd habits and are finding it hard to hide their true selves! Boyfriend Jason played by Ali Khan who also starred in A Haunting in Venice , was pulling out all the stops to impress his in laws, greeting them with flowers and a seemingly big smile. Unfortunately, none of these acts of kindness are doing anything to sway dad Steve. However, they seem to win round mum and nana…maybe even a little too much for nana. The acting within this short was seamless from start to finish, especially from Angus Barnett. Although he had limited dialogue, his presence on screen was powerful and made me feel nervous! The same goes for Ali Khan, you can feel a lot of emotion from an actor by just facial expressions and judging from his fear-stricken face and wide eyes, this was not a family he wished to be a part of anytime soon. I really enjoyed watching the discomfort play out and found that you can relate to some of the scenes, particularly with Jason who wanted nothing more than to get out quick. The storyline had a clever twist, an ordinary family with a dark secret. Will they accept Jason, or will he be the next on their ingredients list. The location and ambience of the home included a lot of details that were simple and effective. The colours used for the lighting as well as the costume designs, made this into a high-quality film, it was entertaining to watch, and you become quickly invested in the storyline. I really loved all the characters, and the acting style cannot be faulted for this short. Although crazy in some respect, the story worked well, and I wanted to know how far this was going to escalate for poor Jason!

★★★★ Starring: #LexsyMckowen, #MariahMaison and #CourtneyLeigh Directed by: #ChrisRNotarile Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Warrior: Predator , a short film written and directed by Chris. R. Notarile. This sci-fi takes a unique spin on the stereotypical characters, by attempting to breakdown the formulaic monsters and creatures in many science fiction films we see today. Many of these films will include a male protagonist and a male creature, even occasionally a female lead but still a male opponent. However, Notarile has an all-female cast, giving a distinctive twist on the classic predator films. This short focuses on a 16th century native American warrior coming face to face with two predator sisters and is forced to fight for her life in an epic battle, but there can only be one victor. The first aspect to recognise in this short is the costumes. Although some audience members may be dissecting every detail, for a small budget film, the costumes and makeup on all the characters were great! Its fantastic to see what can be achieved on a small budget production. For me, the designs and detail with each costume was creative and shows that you don’t need loads of money to make an impact, just creativity and an eye for detail. It was also great to find out that the director had made one of the costumes as well! This shows a lot of dedication and passion towards the project and highlights the fact that if you want something bad enough you will find a way to make it happen. With some inspiration of other cosplayers costumes, it was evident that a lot of thought went into this production. Another element to note is the fact there is no dialogue throughout this piece. Occasionally, this can hinder a film particularly if the storyline is not coherent without any dialogue and it’s needed as an aid to help the audience grasp each scene. However, this was a clear and driven short film, there was a strong storyline which was simple and effective. Great to see a new twist on the predator characters and see strong female lead roles, this is something that is certainly lacking in the film industry, so it was interesting to see the dynamic of both heroine and villain as female, it’s a new and exciting perspective on the predator films. The location was even well scoped out, the incorporation of the cave was able to set this film in the right time frame and isolated the characters away from civilisation, making for intense fight scenes and building the warrior into an independent and fierce character. Warrior: Predator is a great short film that with just a small budget, was innovative and provided the audience with a fresh perspective on the predator films. It would be interesting to see what can be done with a bigger budget especially as this film was creative and showed a lot of promise, therefore it can go beyond that creative milestone with a bigger budget. This was an enjoyable film that can be explored further and delve deeper into each of the characters and their background which would be great to see.