Length: 12:19
Logline: A man is accused of rape after a drunken night which he cannot remember.
After the least inventive introduction/title sequence I've seen in a long while, this film quickly turns into a story which describes my life on a daily basis (not the rape part of course). The film is more of a drink awareness warning rather than a conclusive fiction and the open ending feels like a bit of a cop-out but provides food for thought none the less.
The walking to the car scene could have been cut as it only serves to make the audience wonder about the non-police car the detectives use. Fortunately the hook, and mystery elements of the plot are enough to hold interest through the interview and police station scenes which have limited edits/shots and with little visual stimulation. A few close-ups wouldn't have gone a miss, particularly with protagonist, John, played by Will Silverside, or to help deliver some subtext in there.
The story works well within the genre, the voice over is actually a nice narrative devise to use, and the plot encourages viewers to start doing some of the detective work in their own minds as they watch. I liked the dialogue. It has that crime solving factual feel about it but at the same time, other than a couple of vaguely raised voices, it could also be seen as a little bit unemotional.
Production wise, again (this seems to be happening a lot) with the poor lighting, the way too bright natural backlighting and the complete lack of attention to set design resulting in large blank walls in several shots. Picture quality is okay but there's little in the way of dynamic shot composition, varied angles or interesting cinematography and the absence of a soundtrack leaves it feeling flat.
All the performances are adequate, professional and suit the genre. It feels competently well written but the whole thing fails to impress due to the average edit and shot choice. The foundation is there but this needs more.
After the least inventive introduction/title sequence I've seen in a long while, this film quickly turns into a story which describes my life on a daily basis (not the rape part of course). The film is more of a drink awareness warning rather than a conclusive fiction and the open ending feels like a bit of a cop-out but provides food for thought none the less.
The walking to the car scene could have been cut as it only serves to make the audience wonder about the non-police car the detectives use. Fortunately the hook, and mystery elements of the plot are enough to hold interest through the interview and police station scenes which have limited edits/shots and with little visual stimulation. A few close-ups wouldn't have gone a miss, particularly with protagonist, John, played by Will Silverside, or to help deliver some subtext in there.
The story works well within the genre, the voice over is actually a nice narrative devise to use, and the plot encourages viewers to start doing some of the detective work in their own minds as they watch. I liked the dialogue. It has that crime solving factual feel about it but at the same time, other than a couple of vaguely raised voices, it could also be seen as a little bit unemotional.
Production wise, again (this seems to be happening a lot) with the poor lighting, the way too bright natural backlighting and the complete lack of attention to set design resulting in large blank walls in several shots. Picture quality is okay but there's little in the way of dynamic shot composition, varied angles or interesting cinematography and the absence of a soundtrack leaves it feeling flat.
All the performances are adequate, professional and suit the genre. It feels competently well written but the whole thing fails to impress due to the average edit and shot choice. The foundation is there but this needs more.
Best Bit: The mystery to solve plot line.
Worst Bit: The mystery never gets solved. Plus visually boring to look at.
Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.
I enjoyed the film. I thought the interview scene was almost reminiscent of deceased playwright Joe Orton in parts with its clever reasoning and interchange of dialogue. It requires the audience to concentrate, but at the same time leaves them absorbed and engrossed with the argument at stake.
ReplyDeleteI personally know the director. He's actually a very gifted author, check out 'Putrid Underbelly' but with a better budget and the lighting issues addressed, I think Shaun's next film will be even better.
Dan Wagstaffe (Director - Bang Up Or Pay Back?)
Cheers Dan, will do.
ReplyDelete