Alright, this strand has gone on far, far longer than it should have. I will freely admit that I have been slack of late when it comes to this here blog. Let’s rattle through the last couple and bring this year’s reviews to a close.
After Love
Dir. Aleem Khan / Dur. 89 mins
Strand:- Love
In A Nutshell:- Grieving widow Mary discovers a secret about her late husband and heads across the Channel to find out the truth.
The Good:- Joanna Scanlan as Mary is an absolute powerhouse. She was great way back in the day in The Thick of It as long-suffering civil Terri Coverley but this really gives her a chance to show her range. To be perfectly honest, the whole film hangs off her performance which is great as large chunks are given over to her reactions to the events around her, often without much in the way of dialogue. It’s a tribute to her ability that she makes Mary so compelling to watch.
The Bad:- Unfortunately for me, the storyline itself felt a little familiar. It unfolded with a sort of inevitability and wrapped up in a way that felt a little too neat unfortunately.
The Verdict:- Joanna Scanlan is worth watching is anything and the film is completely driven by her performance (which is great as you would expect). Unfortunately, a predictable storyline leaves this feeling somewhat underwhelming as a film overall, which is a real shame as Scanlan’s turn in this does deserve to be seen.
Zanka Contact
Dir. Ismaël El Iraki / Dur. 120 mins
Strand:- Create
In A Nutshell:- A collision leads to a lively love story between a former rock star turned junkie and a prostitute.
The Good:- It’s a lively and fun tale, with a feel at times somewhere between a Tarantino film and a spaghetti western. The two main leads do a good job of portraying characters that are tough but damaged, in particular Khansa Batma as Rajae.
The Bad:- There's a sequence at the start of the film with some English characters played by seemingly English actors but their accents and mannerisms just feel a bit off. It was almost enough to put me off but I'm glad it didn't.
The Verdict:- This was one of those films that I booked on a whim with no real expectations and it turned out to be a really enjoyable way to close out the festival. Lively and fun at times but with a strong emotional core, it was definitely one of the ones I enjoyed the more.
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