Submerge at the LLGFF

Submerge

Australia 2012

Directed by Sophie O'Connor

Full production details on imdb

minigraph:

Amateurish but fairly enjoyable b-movie. praiseworthy for the understated treatment of bisexuality and fetishism.

Day two of the 27th BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and I'm off to see some pornography. Well, Submerge was originally conceived as a porn film by co-writer/producer Kat Holmes. In the 9 long years it has taken to reach the screens of the BFI it has come a long way.

Unraveling the Onion of Inception

Inception is an awesome film, combination tragi-thriller-scifi-heist. Having just watched it for the second time, I had an odd compulsion, not to write a review, but to explore the events of the film in a visual manner for all to see. Well not so much events as the layers of dreams within dreams of the onion of a film that is Inception. 

I'm not sure this will make any sense to anyone that hasn't seen Inception, but nevertheless would like to declare a *SPOILER ALERT,* don't read on if you haven't seen the film unless you have an irrational non fear of spoilers.

Oh The Shame!

Shame
2011
Directed by Steve McQueen
Full production details on imdb

minigraph:

a subtle and understated tale of modern isolation and need. beautifully atmospheric tragedy with perfect, sorrowful score.

McQueen's second feature as writer director is an intense and atmospheric tale of isolation. An adult tale in more than one sense it is a window into a rare intersection of the lives of estranged brother and sister Brandon (Michael Fassbender) and Sissy (Carey Mulligan). Both lost and alone, their lives teeter on the edge of sanity, both with needs and cravings, struggling to maintain normal human relations.

The Debt (the 114 minutes that they stole from me)

The Debt
2011
Directed by John Madden
Full production details on imdb

minigraph:

Thoroughly mediocre against raised expectations. Fun if you're easily gripped and can tolerate silly accents.

The characters are Israeli, it's set in Israel, they read Hebrew and there are Magen Davids everywhere. So why, oh why, do we need to have every character adopting a dubious and unique accent? It's clear what language they are 'speaking,' there is no purpose to this. The only logical argument I can see is that in a mixed nationality cast it is not clear which accent should be used for consistency, so why not settle for the accent of the language we are meant to imagine they are speaking. I'll tell you why not - because none of them can do it well enough and it just draws attention to the pretence, makes it forced and hammy. Better to have them all speak Hebrew in line with the German and Ukrainian segments. Or perhaps they thought we wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

So, The Debt and I didn't exactly get off to a great start.

Insert Play on Words About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin
2011
Directed by Lynne Ramsay
Full production details on imdb

minigraph:

A brave attempt at Shriver's book. Some of its power lost by being perhaps too faithful & unempathetic.

Kevin opens spectacularly, unexpectedly, uneasily. A surreal, grotesque, organic dream sequence with Swinton's Eva seemingly crucified and devoured. As this happens she wears her trademark expression which could be a smile, could be a grimace. Is this dream sequence a relief for Eva as she faces her demons, or is it just a manifestation of the hell she lives in? Either way this opening displays the richness of her subconscious, sets the tone and imagery of what is to come, raises unease.