Afraid of the Dark (Bruises)

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and watch this Italian debut feature from Massimo Coppola about a young Romanian woman who elects to travel to Italy to try and find her mother. Told through the eyes of a Romanian immigrant I thought this would be a worthwhile and new approach to the subject matter; instead I was presented with a grim and dialogue light version of pure pretension.


I understand that sometimes the reality of life is mundane and most people are just trying to make an honest living however hard that may be and that the director was trying to portray this by creating a sad and lonely narrative. But there was nothing here that was informative or thought provoking, which should surely be the point of this film, to start a discussion on immigration policy. Perhaps I missed the point of the film or maybe it didn’t translate very well and Italian and Romanian audiences will get more out it than I did.

It had good intentions and the few scenes where there was some dialogue and acting were strong and affecting. The redeeming feature of the film lies with the acting of Alexandra Pirici who plays the main character, Eva, with passion. Otherwise I was faced with ninety minutes of depressing landscape scene shots shown one after another with a message that could have been easily conveyed as a short.

If you like miserable films, with no real point and Joy Division played extremely loudly at random intervals you will probably love it.

I honestly feel quite bad about giving this movie a poor review, as Alexandra Pirici, who gave a Q&A after the screening explained the difficulties in getting work as an actor in Romania and life in general. One person asked what it was like filming in such an ugly location and she replied with utter honesty “I live in Romania! It didn’t seem that grim to me, and the people were all very friendly.” I will keep an eye out for her future work but I didn’t rate the director and will probably not see another of his films in the near future.

You can read more about this film, that was shown at LFF here.

The Parking Lot Movie

This film follows past and present parking lot attendants, from the Corner Parking Lot, along the daily rigmarole faced when dealing with privileged people and their sense of entitlement. It shows how basic human decency literally goes out the window in certain circumstances; a social commentary on the class division in America and a delve into the minds of some particularly clever and philosophical men.

We are introduced to this motley crew of anthropologists, philosophers, musicians and artists who sit in their tiny hut covered in cardboard and artwork that strictly relates to their chosen occupation, with clips of their take on life and the American dream. There is a Moby-esque quietly spoken professor who openly admits that he knew it was time to move on from the parking lot when he started slamming a man’s head into his steering wheel, a young, cool musician in the mould of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause whose sardonic wit literally had me gasping for breath, and so many more characters that are a documentary makers dream.

They hang out together at the lot in their spare time, filling their days with games like cone flipping and spray-painting the barrier with a different phrase each day as a small act of rebellion, and in fact a form of modern art. It is a real life Clerks for the next generation, and as much as I didn’t want to make that analogy it is difficult to get away from. Fans of the Kevin Smith dialogue will love it, some people really just will not get it and I can guarantee it will be an underground, word of mouth hit. I cannot recommend this film more; it is funny, heart-warming and captures the current mood of my generation in all its cynical and contemptuous beauty.

I am so glad that Meghan Eckman decided to make this documentary. Underachievers everywhere will feel an affinity with the guys who work at the corner parking lot in Charlottesville, Virginia. As soon as I left the film I was straight onto the internet wanting to learn more about the director and the intelligent and wry parking lot attendants. Writing this now, I actually want to go back and watch it again so I can take notes on their study of humanity.

Watch the trailer here on the official website.

Manila Skies

Raymond Red (Director of Palme d’or winning short film, Shadows) creates a claustrophobic and intense feature film about an out of work labourer in the Philippines. Following Raul (Arellano) on his quest to better his life the right way and find a respectable job abroad we are taken on an unpredictable journey into the psyche of a frustrated man on the edge. Raul shows no empathy for other people in his situation as he watches real life footage of the destitution and poverty in Manila he simply shouts “bullshit”, from the start he is a disagreeable character.


The backdrop of the Philippines is shot in sepia tones with hints of red thrown in to portray the workers plight. It gives the city a stiflingly grim feel. With close up shots of dirty streets, rats scurrying about and the standstill traffic Red wholly conveys the problems of overpopulation. His cinematography is simply amazing, as he splices the ugly oppressive nature of life in the city with the starkly beautiful skyline of the buildings that make it up.

Raul is driven to desperation by a system that is failing him. When his attempts at getting a job don’t work out and he has no money to visit his sick father he turns to criminal activity. He hooks up with a gang of men who are planning a heist that is doomed to go wrong from the start. They have been conned out of money by an overseas work placement company and are looking for revenge. In the true spirit of this gloomy feature things go wrong in a particularly severe way including a graphic genitalia mutilation scene that makes for intentionally uneasy viewing. Raul manages to escape the demise that his friends face and embarks on a reckless attempt to get back to his home land of Romblon by hijacking a plane.

Raymond Red executes this feature with style and has obviously achieved what he set out to do. With the current state of the economy he has produced an extremely relevant narrative about not only the redundant workers in Manila but the frustration and crushing hopelessness that is being felt by many people across the world. Similar in style to Gus Van Sant’s Elephant as from the moment you start watching he builds the tension and ever-growing frustration in the character of Raul so well you know there could be no happy outcome. A relevant film that can be nothing other than deeply depressing.

BFI London Film Festival

I have spent most of this week at the London Film Festival and will be spending some more of my time there next week as well. It has been an enjoyable experience and so far I have managed to watch Africa United, Manila Skies, It's Kind of a Funny Story and The Parking Lot Movie. Next week I will be watching Afraid of the Dark (Bruises) and Spork and attempting to blag my way into others. Reviews to follow soon.

I really enjoy the vibe at a film festival, overhearing snippets of conversation and reviews from the fellow audience members and nodding my head in agreement. I love sharing my personal experience of a film with another person and being challenged, given a different perspective on a film and if there is something I may have missed I like for it to be explained to me. My opinion on a film is just that and by using Twitter, Facebook and other Internet tools I find it gives me a way to start a conversation.  I have been talking to people at the LFF whilst I sip on a latte in between films but not to the extent that I do when I am at TIFF. I think the British reservation sometimes creates a barrier between people but then again maybe North Americans are more open to listening to a mad woman talk in their face about film. They are both totally different film festival experiences and I would recommend both. Try and catch a film at LFF if you can, the festival runs until 28th October.

Africa United

Three Rwandan children set off to Rwanda’s capital city to audition for the opening ceremony of the 2010 world cup. In their attempts to travel for free they end up on the wrong bus and in the Congo. With a missed audition and hope in their hearts they decide to make their way to South Africa for the World Cup.

With no big names in the main cast and with many first time actors you wouldn’t expect such a stellar performance but the acting is extremely good. The child actors are dealt a difficult hand of producing both upbeat and dramatic performances and they deliver. It was a real stroke of genius casting Emmanuel Jal, former child soldier, as a rebel. His performance is so real and the strength of his acting creates a terrifying villain in this tale. A debut feature film this may be but Director, Debs Gardner-Paterson, knows Africa and has obviously done her research. The sheer amount of ground covered and the location shooting in Rwanda and Burundi really adds to the authenticity of this film.

Eriya Ndayambaje (Dudu), the leader of the group, the manager of their team and the artful dodger of the African terrain is a fantastic actor who shines from the moment he appears on screen. With his beaming smile and cheeky face when he delivers lines like “the world is your ostrich” and “after a long day of being chased by rebels, relax with nuts” you can’t help but laugh.

While the football is the binding element to this film it is certainly not the focal point. We follow this oddball troupe across Africa and it is their developing relationship and strong characters that make it such an interesting journey. Along the way they face the wrath of a couple of rebels, a panther and the results of a HIV test. With a former rebel called Foreman George and a child prostitute making up the group this is not your average children’s adventure film.

Dudu is given the task of telling a story within the film, and this is portrayed through a fabric and paper animation created by Blink ink. They create an imaginative and vibrant vista to accompany his story. Whilst some of the themes may seem too mature for children in the UK they are a reality faced by African children every day. A child’s innocent perspective is conveyed extremely well through the use of the animation. The weighty issues tackled in the film are well balanced with optimism and some extremely uplifting moments.

A road trip film for kids that deals with some relevant issues without being condescending. A very British film set in Africa with a good amount of realism and humour and an amazing soundtrack.