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 Shadows off the beaten pathIndies, foreigns, docs and shorts...
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THE LOST CHILDREN OF TUAM |
SWEET MILK LAKE |
THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS
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| See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 18.Oct.26 | |||||||||||||
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The Lost Children of Tuam Review by Rich Cline | 
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 dir Frank Berry scr Rebecca Lenkiewicz prd Jules Daly, Liam Neeson, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe with Monica Dolan, Andrew Bennett, Ian McElhinney, Ruth McCabe, Lalor Roddy, Eoin Geoghegan, Jonathan Heed, Deirdre Monaghan, Michele Forbes, Elaine O'Dwyer, Anne O'Riordan, Jack Hassett release UK 9.Oct.26 26/Ireland BBC 1h24 Is it streaming? |
 Another true story about horrific abuse of children and unwed mothers by the Catholic Church in Ireland, this is not an easy film to watch. But it's anchored by a riveting performance by Monica Dolan as the unlikely hero who tenaciously refused to let the truth be ignored. Director Frank Berry wisely keeps the camera close to Dolan throughout the film, giving real-life events a powerfully resonant kick. In 2010, Catherine Corless (Dolan) was working on a research paper for a local history journal when she began to question the discovery of bones in a cistern where a mother and baby home once stood in Tuam. As she digs into the facts, she finds the names of 796 babies who died but were somehow never buried. The astonishingly high death-rate also hints at rampant neglect by the nuns, nurses who were charged with caring for these children. But to them, these illegitimate babies were barely human. And their mothers never knew what happened. It takes Catherine nearly a decade to finally get official recognition of this situation. Through it all, she is supported by her patient husband Aidan (Bennett) as she contacts survivors, meets one of the sisters (McCabe) and doggedly pursues information she needs to outline the wider picture of these deaths between 1925 and 1961. The film only occasionally allows for glimpses of flashbacks. Instead, it focusses on Catherine's determined work to find answers for families. Dolan brings a sometimes startling complexity to Catherine, a timid woman who doesn't like the spotlight. So watching her rise to the occasion is hugely moving, especially because Dolan refuses to indulge in the usual cliches of this kind of role: she keeps Catherine grounded and honest throughout. Her nuanced acting adds humour and emotion in unexpected places, and it helps to flesh out a minimalistic script that sticks to the facts. While the narrative reaches a satisfying conclusion after almost 10 years of Catherine's tenacious work, it still stops before there is a call for accountability and justice for what happened. Perhaps that's why these stories continue to elicit shocked emotions from audiences, along with the fact that people who set themselves up as carers have emerged to be some of the worse villains. If there's any hope here, it's in the fact that we now know unequivocally that the kind of violence uncovered in Tuam must never be allowed to happen again.
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Sweet Milk Lake Review by Rich Cline | 
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 dir-scr Harvey Zielinski prd Philippa Campey, Molly O'Connor, Harvey Zielinski with Harvey Zielinski, Hunter Page-Lochard, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Nicholas Cassim, Ngaire Pigram, David Howell, Belinda McClory, Mia Morrissey, Patrick Livesey, Emma Annand, Grace O'Sullivan, William Freeman release Aus Aug.26 miff, UK Oct.26 lff 26/Australia 1h34  Is it streaming? |
 Sharply written and played, this Australian film takes a refreshingly original approach to its story about a trans man finding his place in the world. Along with the internalised drama, the film has an engaging romcom sensibility, with a hint of slapstick in the way the plot unfolds through a series of intertwined secrets. And actor-filmmaker Harvey Zielinski also makes some important observations about the culture of masculinity. In Melbourne, Jake (Zielinski) learns that his estranged father Lee (Darcy-Smith) is dying, so he travels to the small mountain community where Lee is living with his friend Ken (Cassim), Ken's wife Phoebe (Pigram) and stoner son Mark (Howell). Unaware that Jake is trans, Lee mistakes him for his twin brother Sam (also Zielinski). And Jake is thrown to be welcomed as a man here, as he discovers an unexpected connection with his dad. So he goes along with the misunderstanding. He also begins flirting with Toby (Page-Lochard), a hot guy hanging around his hotel. Because in this rural town, people don't share their darker truths. So while we wait for the secrets to be exposed, it's fascinating to watch these characters interact based on a misconception, especially as Jake is simply expected to be a man for the first time in his life. This includes fishing, cliff jumping and brawling outside the local tavern. And while it challenges him deeply, it's also clear that he finds it exhilarating. In addition to writing and directing skills, Zielinski is excellent at balancing humour and emotion as the likeable young Jake, bringing us with him on an involving odyssey. He hates lying, but he is curious to see how this plays out. So his interaction bristles with real feelings and earthy wit. Darcy-Smith is especially vivid as the exuberant Lee, who abandoned his family decades ago and sees this as a second chance. And Page-Lochard gives Toby a superb spark that adds saucy edges to a surprisingly sweet romance. Because everything is played in a naturally grounded way, the comedy and drama never feel forced. This allows deeper ideas to ripple through each scene. So we thoroughly enjoy watching the story unfold, while the script continually catches us off guard with powerful themes that highlight realities for gay and trans people in societies that are open and accepting even as they pretend that these things don't exist. It's a remarkable little film that charms us thoroughly while offering a new perspective.
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These Violent Delights Review by Rich Cline |
Is it streaming?
|  Beautifully filmed in inventive locations, this dance-based adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet hones in on the final act, seeing through Juliet's eyes as she contemplates her fate. Fiercely cinematic, the story plays out in stylised flashbacks, skilfully staged, shot and edited with a new musical score by John Lemke. It also creatively mixes the work of six choreographers who give each character a distinctive voice. In present-day Scotland, Juliet Capulet (Tarantolo) is remembering how her parents (Akrill and Hendrick) were pushing her into an arranged marriage when she fell for Romeo (Mahabir-Stokes), who comes from the despised rival Montague household. So their romance has to develop in secret, with late-night visits to Apothecary, a lively queer nightclub. But Romeo's friends Mercutio (Azzari) and Benvolio (Micchiardi) get into a fight with Juliet's angry cousin Tybalt (Garrington), pushing the families further apart. And when Juliet decides to fake her death so she can escape, Romeo doesn't learn of her plan in time. Juliet's perspective gives the story a nice emotional kick, and filmmakers Hampson and Sansom have reduced the plot to its most essential elements, allowing the dance moves to express the characters' internal longings without the need for dialog (the only spoken words are Shakespearean lines in voiceover). The choreography is a gorgeous mix of classical ballet with modern flourishes, and even a bit of ballroom. Imaginative camerawork adeptly spins around the stunning settings, taking in lavish production design that ingeniously portrays the Capulets as new money and the Montagues as old. And the LGBTQ touches are superb. It helps that the dancers are so good at expressing themselves both with their full physicality and in understated emotional closeups that bring resonance to the story. So while this is a rather thin slice of the original play, it carries some powerfully moving moments, largely because the feelings are so vivid. And as a film, it's also dazzling to look at. This certainly isn't a stage show put on film; this is adeptly designed as a movie, and it carries its own gut punch.
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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL © 2026 by Rich Cline, Shadows
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