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Nyong'o is a gift to a movie like this, able to be sunny and funny while layering in much darker emotions. She also sings, dances and plays the ukelele like a pro! And her rom-com connection with the scrappy Hemsworth-like England is surprisingly engaging. He somehow manages to make it convincing when this self-centred loser begins to transform into a more honest, sensitive young man. La Torraca is a gifted young actor in his own right, and Gad has a lot of fun with the panicky Teddy.

There's nothing remotely deep going on in here: this is a purely entertaining movie that merely wants to make the audience laugh, flinch and then sigh. And Forsythe shows considerable skill at all three, keeping the witty comical touches going from start to finish, stirring in some genuinely frightening moments with full-on gore, and then finding proper emotional resonance in a series of final twists and turns. It's a terrific little film that deserves to become a cult favourite.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

12.Aug.19

In a textured role, Golding shines as a young man who decides to be open to whatever life throws at him. As a result, Kit is very easy to identify with, so his journey touches on themes that resonate vividly. His scenes with Sawyers are terrific, shifting effortlessly from chitchat and hot sex to something deeper and remarkably tender. That this central romance becomes the heart of the film is a lovely touch. And Tran is also terrific as the quietly thoughtful Lee, understanding what reconnecting with Kit means on perhaps too many levels.

Cinematographer Benjamin Cracun's camera often uses wide shots to place Kit in a larger landscape, which makes great use of locations and also offers an intriguing sense of perspective. And John Cummings' textured score is remarkably fresh, also catching inner moods. Khaou is a filmmaker who is expert at making it look like nothing at all is happening on-screen, but under the surface the world is churning. That he so elegantly pulls us into this story is a real skill, putting us into Kit's shoes and showing us ourselves at every step.

themes, language

4.Oct.19 lff

Performances are earthy and emotional, played largely in a barely audible near whisper. Eyes are almost always brimming with tears of sadness, frustration or rage. These heightened levels of feeling are realistic, and beautifully acted by the entire cast without even a hint of the usual repression that goes with films about men fighting with that closet door in middle age. It definitely helps that Vaughan-Lawlor is likeable and sympathetic, even when he makes some very bad decisions.

The script's openhanded sensibility never pushes a message. This makes it provocative, challenging stereotypes and preconceptions while allowing the characters space to breathe as individuals. This is very heavy stuff, and in many ways its themes feel more like they belong in a movie from the 1980s. But writer O'Halloran and director Burns give it a specific truthfulness. It's a vivid depiction of how impossible it is to truly love someone if you hate yourself.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

20.Sep.19 lff