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The perspective flickers back and forth between Celeste and Stella as they pursue their dreams and face a series of knock-backs. Both Bellamacina and Brown are quirky and natural, realistically close while also getting on each other's nerves. Their dialog often feels improvised, matching the fly-on-the-wall camerawork. By contrast, the people they encounter are like formidable obstacles in their lives, superbly played by scene-stealers Wade, Burr and Wizard, plus Winstone and Rutherford in goofy extended cameos.

The film's steady charm evens out the meandering stream of micro-dramas Celeste and Stella encounter, right to a vaguely startling final twist. Each of these things makes a small but pointed comment on issues faced by those who don't actually need much. So when push comes to shove, they realise that it's their closest friends who define them more than even family members do. There are deep ideas that echo throughout the film, but in the end it's the connection between these two women that makes it worth a look.

themes, language

16.Sep.20

The inexperienced cast brings earthy authenticity to the characters, with dialog that feels improvised and refreshingly random. In a star-making performance, Nwachukwu has terrific presence, intense but also thoughtful and observant. This makes him likeable even if interaction with so many people around him remains sketchy. The side characters are also bracingly realistic, even if they never quite come into focus. But Jay's reactions to them ripple with feelings that are easy to identify with, including a sudden violent outburst.

Jay wants the film he's writing to give a voice to the voiceless, worrying that his home is being "paved over by the whites like we never existed". But his friends feel like he abandoned them, seeing Jay as yet another outsider who is taking advantage of their lives and their struggle against oppression. This is a pungent, important idea that emerges organically, in bits and pieces. Gerima is a skilled artist, but a sharper sense of the story could have made this film feel even more urgent and essential.

themes, language, violence

10.Sep.20

Performances are relaxed and earthy, as everyone but Malik seems oblivious to the grisly goings-on. So Bowyer-Chapman's role is by nature much broader, a deeply terrified man who's pretending that everything is fine, even has he undertakes some Nancy Drew-style detective work. Everyone around him behaves just a bit too rationally, leading to some bonkers interaction as Malik's perhaps unhinged perception clashes with the way others are reacting. And the supporting cast members are excellent at keeping their characters both offhanded and menacing.

Deeper themes about stereotypes and prejudice weave throughout the script, adding clever wrinkles and unexpected freak-outs. And mental illness also plays a key role in the story, although it's clear that the narrative isn't going to progress along conventional paths. The way these ideas circle around the film's central plot threads builds a powerful sense of menace, even if it becomes increasingly clear where this is heading. Even so, the final act is properly nightmarish, with chilling ramifications.

themes, language, violence

8.Sep.20