On this page: THE DROWNING OF ARTHUR BRAXTON | HIDE AND SEEK | PIRATES

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Even with the surreal touches, Tarpey remains grounded and naturalistic as Arthur, finding terrific comical rhythms that nicely balance his darker thoughts and feelings. Other characters are broader, largely due to the fact that they're seen through Arthur's eyes. Vegas has some unexpectedly lucid moments as his father, most notably in the final act. And so does Rice. But many other characters are either enigmatic or exaggerated, including a ghostly girl (Wright) and her predatory father (Freeman).

The most chilling aspect of this story is the way Arthur seems to have slipped through the cracks of the system with no real support from anyone in his life. Teachers say the right things but are powerless to confront his tormentors, and Arthur's dad is so seriously unwell and bitter that being at home is unbearable. Some of the surprises that come along the way are a bit predictable, and many jarring twists and turns feel underpowered. But there's an overall story here that cuts through the fanciful flourishes.

themes, language, violence

7.Nov.21 rff

Meyers has strong presence as the cleanliness-obsessed Noah, although he's too relentlessly gloomy and inarticulate to be likeable. From a nice opening scene that establishes a relaxed dynamic with his wife and kids, he becomes increasingly sullen and isolated in his obsessive search for his brother. Sio while the side characters are nicely played, and some have a strong presence of their own, each of them feels specifically deployed only for Noah's story, rather than having a life of their own. Barrett, McColgan and Golden are solid but sidelined; Pantoliano hovers around the edges.

Even if the narrative never seems to grain traction, there's a churning underlying theme in Noah's consuming guilt, feeling that he has stolen his brother's birthright. Even if it never quite emerges from the subtext, this is far more interesting than the movie's actual plot, especially as the secrets come out in ways that aren't particularly exciting, relying on unexplained details and implausible action sequences. Which leaves the climactic scenes feeling more nasty than scary.

themes, language, violence

16.Nov.21

The camaraderie between Edusah, Peters and Elazouar is often thrilling to watch, played to perfection to convey a deep affection even when they have a falling out (as the script insists they must). Edush has a strong observational presence as the thoughtful Cap, the character through whose eyes we see much of the action. Peters makes T engagingly oblivious about his own trail of destruction, finding himself in one embarrassing encounter after another. As the chatty, impulsive Kid, Elazouar is simply hilarious. And other characters add plenty of colourful textures.

This movie is all about three 18-year-olds who don't quite realise that they still have a lot of growing up to do. They think they've arrived at adulthood fully formed, and over the course of this epic night they begin to understand their ignorance. This isn't perhaps realistic (it'll take another decade before they realise how little they know), but it gives the plot a nice arc that carries the audience through the goofy, simplistic comedy into something just a tiny bit more meaningful.

themes, language, violence

1.Nov.21