On this page: APOCALYPSE CLOWN | COLD MEAT | THE MOOR

< < I N D I E S > >

All of this is absurd and relentlessly wacky, although the gags are only occasionally funny. Characters raise some sympathy as they stick to their schtick, even if no one else gets it. "The heart can't be wrong," says Pepe, "can it?" The actors are remarkably committed to these roles as people whose entire identity is entangled with the character they play. At one point, they make an attempt to return to who they were before they were clowns, with no success.

Stated at the beginning, the point here is that we need to learn to laugh at God instead of cursing him. And there's the question of whether the world actually needs clowns. These losers are addicted to adulation from the crowd, and they don't care who gets a custard pie in the face as long as someone does. So even if the premise is badly stretched in the final act, it's still goofy enough to hold the interest, especially as these offbeat performers discover the power in being themselves.

themes, language, violence

31.Aug.23

Essentially a two-hander between Leech and Bergman, the film finds considerable tension in their shifting dynamic, most notably as she makes discoveries about him. Leech plays David as an intelligent, kind man with a very, very dark secret. His well-spoken dialog conceals his grisly impulses, many of which are thankfully left to our imagination. And Bergman is terrific as the single mother opposite him, steely and unflinching, with an internalised resilience that's inspiring.

Both of these people have been crushed by awful circumstances in their childhood, and she's the one who notes that their past pain isn't an excuse for their present behaviour. Some of this is lost in whispered dialog, and the script deploys the folkloric story element without adding much meaning, so the impact feels muted. But at least it adds a touch of context to the bigger picture. And the way the story ends is witty and satisfying.

themes, language, violence

27.Aug.23 frf

Performances are internalised and honest, further developing the film's naturalistic vibe, which is heightened by dramatic turns in the plot. La Porta has a grounded sensibility as Claire, who maintains a clear head even as her past haunts her. Edward-Robinson and Peachey, as another man close to the case, bring a desperation to their roles that's compelling. And Dormer-Phillips manages to make Eleanor come across as a true believer rather than the usual soothsaying diva.

At the centre of the film is a community that has never been able to heal due to this unfinished case, forced to live with the fact that their children are most likely dead. The hope that they hold is fragile; for these parents, their children are still out there on the moor somewhere. So these investigations continually hint that something bigger is going on here. Tighter story editing would have made this meandering and repetitive movie a much more riveting thriller. But its more internalised touches hold the interest, and it's a nice reminder that some things don't make sense.

themes, language, violence

26.Aug.23