Founded by Lydia Kay (@LydiaKayE15)
ActingHour™
  • Home
    • About
    • Who Are We?
  • News
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Podcast
    • Events >
      • Past Events
    • Join Our Mailing List
  • For You...
    • Workshops/Seminars
    • Special Offers >
      • Film Scores
      • Headshots
      • Success Toolkit for Actors Nicky Raby
      • Showreels
      • Personal Training
    • Promotion
    • Advertising
  • Stage
  • Screen
    • Trailers
    • Short Films
    • Web Series >
      • We Kill 'Em
      • Ride Share
      • History
      • Brains
      • How Did We Get Here?
  • Competitions
    • Actor of the Week >
      • Previous #AHactor Winners
    • Filmmaker of the Fortnight
    • Chosen Champions
  • Links / Contact
    • Careers
    • Opportunities
    • Feedback

'The Odds' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

26/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
A woman has entered a contest to play an underground game of pain endurance with the hope of winning a million dollar prize. This is an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the credits roll. As she tackles the challenges The Player comes to the realisation that her real opponent is the man who is running the game and not the other players. It becomes a question of if she can endure not only the challenges but also the horrific methods he employs to manipulate and defeat her.

'The Odds' gives you the gore but with a gripping and extremely well written plot and absolutely outstanding performances from both of the lead actors. Abbi Butler is absolutely stunning as The Player, taking us on one hell of a journey as she plays her way through the game, seeing how much pain she can endure in the quest to win. The resolve that she has is stunning and the chemistry between the two characters is what really holds your focus in this film.

James J. Fuertes is fascinating as the Game Master, the facilitator of the game and The Player's only link to information on how well she’s doing against the other players. The way that this character changes and develops is both scary and intriguing and Fuertes does a great job of keeping you on edge. It is also impressive that both actors succeeded in creating such an intense connection on screen despite the fact that you never even learn their names.

Expertly shot, and only in one location, this film sets the tense mood perfectly, giving you just enough horror and gore but without overdoing it. With the relationship between the two characters and the stories that she tells about her past, the film is also a metaphor for domestic abuse and inner strength. 'The Odds' is a triumph and definitely earned it’s spot as the closing night film at Raindance Film Festival.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'Love Possibly' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

26/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Utter genius. This is a fictional documentary following Alex in his awkward search for love, which involves meeting his future mail-order bride online and having to work with the language barrier. 'Love Possibly' is both heartfelt and hilarious. The story follows the stereotypical guidelines of a rom-com but with a fantastic mockumentary style. It centres around a character who struggles with social anxiety and is generally considered a bit of an oddball, but who also is a hopeless romantic.

'Love Possibly' is shot in a fly-on-the-wall documentary style and it works perfectly for this film as it allows you to see parts of the story and elements of Alex's personality that you wouldn't normally get to if it was shot in a more traditional feature film style. Mainly when Alex talks to the camera or interacts with it as these moments provide a lot of comedy as well as a deeper understanding of who he is as a person.

What’s great about the film is that although you are laughing at it, you also love the character of Alex. So while it is a mockumentary, it is not mocking him or his struggles, but more the situations he gets himself into. He is a rom-com obsessed virgin and believes that he has cracked the code as to how love works and has written out a list of steps for achieving true love. Steps that he begins to follow once he meets Lana on a Moldovan mail-order bride website.

​This obviously results in some deeply awkward and absolutely hilarious situations, and he really gets out of his depth when she makes the bold decision of moving to London to marry him. Will they be able to find common ground and a way to communicate, and will the rom-com steps that he swears by actually work and result in love..?

The acting in 'Love Possibly' is phenomenal and the performance from Steve Hodgetts as Alex is believable, lovable, relatable and also at times ridiculous. He deserves recognition for his transformation into this character, as well a commendation for the fact that there was also a lot of improvised performance from him in the film.  It’s a heartfelt story that will have you laughing your head off as well as making you really feel for Alex. Certainly a film that will make you smile.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'M' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

26/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
A wonderful film about two people, both struggling to communicate in different ways, who learn to communicate with each other in this beautiful love story. This film is a masterpiece of storytelling, with characters that you truly invest in and feel for. Mo is chatty and races cars illegally for his income, and Lila is a student with a paralysing speech impediment who is trying to prepare for her exams. After a chance meeting at a bus stop it is definitely a case of opposites attract as the two fall for each other.

'M' will really pull you in and take you with Lila and Mo on their journeys. Sara Forestier and Redouanne Harjane both give fantastic performances but it is Sara as Lila who really steals your heart in this film. Hats off to Forestier who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. It is really a shining example of the saying "never judge a book by its cover" as it encourages you to look beyond appearances and truly understand a person.

There are also comments on education within the film that encourage people to appreciate the education that we are given, as not everyone is lucky enough to have access to it, it is a privilege. 'M' also gives the opinion that if people support and help each other and work together then much greater things can be achieved than if they struggle alone. It is very difficult to find any bad points about this film as the script, cinematography, direction and acting are all just so good.

It is all about acceptance and learning to accept yourself for who you are. Love yourself for who you are, and love all of your faults as well because they make you who you are. Forget about what other people think. Only when you love all of yourself will you let someone else love all of you too. Watch this film.

Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'Luna's Revenge' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

25/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
'Luna's Revenge' is a tense story of heartbreak and discovery. Luna’s family are murdered in cold blood during their holiday in the mountains and the killers will stop at nothing the take her out too. As she runs for her life Luna uncovers the truth about her family and her father’s secret life as a Russian spy, but instead of leaving the country and heading for safety she decides that she wants revenge instead.

Lisa Vicari is fantastic as Luna and draws you in with her performance as you go on her journey of grief and fear with her. The film is tense and while it doesn’t do anything greatly surprising with the story, what it does do it does effectively and with great cinematic style. Based on a true story it is a brilliant portrayal of the subtleties of real life espionage.

While there are action scenes, this is not you typical action packed spy movie. It is much more personal than that and is very much about Luna and how the events change her, and also how they don't. As she discovers that her whole life has been a lie we see the childlike innocence stripped away as she becomes a determined young woman with resolve. 'Luna's Revenge' questions where the line is between duty and morals. It also makes a very strong political comment about Russian spies in Germany.

The only downside to this film is that it is essentially straightforward. The story is very well executed but it doesn't do anything surprising or clever, which is the one missing piece of the puzzle that would make it exceptional and a lot more memorable. But otherwise it is a great story and a great film.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'After the Sea' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

25/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
'After the Sea' is a beautiful and heartfelt story about grief. A separated couple reunite on a beach in their hometown to talk about their shared best friend and his suicide. It’s impressive that a film so short can evoke so much emotion and create characters that are totally relatable. Inspired by true events in the lives of the filmmakers, the writing is simple but effective and is supported by strong performances from Lauren Cato and particularly from Elliot James Langridge.

The film shows two people realising that sometimes what you’ve left behind is what you need, and that you can go back to what you want. It’s about forgiveness and accepting that everyone makes mistakes, and about supporting one another instead of assigning blame for matters that are sometimes out of your control. Acceptance that sometimes it’s nobody’s fault. The feeling of loss is strong throughout the film and they deal with the sensitive matter of suicide extremely well.

'After the Sea' makes a strong comment on mental health and also how losing someone you love can cause lasting devastation.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'We' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

25/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Eight teenage friends play games of discovery to alleviate the boredom during a hot summer in a Belgian-Dutch border village. 'We' (original name 'Wij') is a striking and very graphic story about a group of young people who lose their innocence while discovering, exploring, and then exploiting their sexuality in the quest for fun and money. They push the boundaries and challenge themselves and each other, but pretty soon their sexual curiosity begins to blur the lines between right and wrong.

The story is told in chapters through the eyes of different members of the group and we find out what happened while awaiting the outcome of a trial. ‘We’ is a great example of how things can quickly escalate and spiral out of control and the film is very well shot and directed. The chapter based style of storytelling works very well and ensures that things are revealed at the right moments to progress and build the narrative.

The acting was great all round and 
Aimé Claeys was particularly memorable as Thomas in the way that he showed so many different sides of the character throughout the film. He is definitely the most representative of the teenagers becoming predatory through games and sexual exploitation, and the conclusion to his story is one that will hang in the air once the film ends. What was most interesting was the motivations and reasons why the members of the group do the things that they do, and they all have different reasons.

The film questions responsibility, remorse and accountability and is both a great and somewhat shocking watch.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'Feelings To Tell' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

25/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
'Feelings to Tell' is a beautifully shot story about wanting to return to yourself, about reconnecting with life and who your are. A young painter named Jiang finds himself in a Taogu village where he meets a mute girl called Jiu'er. Her age means she will soon be taken away to become a mountain goddess. Set amongst stunning scenery in the mountains of China it is reflective of modern day life and getting lost in the rush and pressure of it all.

The film speaks volumes about the importance of inner peace, and it does so by speaking less. There are some beautiful dance sequences with Jiu'er as she prepares to become the goddess and there is a lot of focus on being connected with the people and environment around you. The sense of the loss and grief of our main character is truly felt as we piece together his story bit by bit.

Time is not linear in this film and while that makes for in interesting watch, it is also quite confusing. 'Feelings to Tell' succeeds more in getting its message and morals across than it does in giving us a fully coherent story. It is difficult to tell what is actually going on up in the mountains, you get the feeling that there is a deeper meaning to events but it remains unclear what that actually is.

The film is slow to tell its story, but it’s actually the better for it as it again echos the values of essentially finding your inner peace and serenity. The performances are subtle yet strong throughout and ‘Feelings to Tell’ is enjoyable and relaxing to watch.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'Accommodations' - Raindance Film Festival 2018

25/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
'Accommodations' is about a family who live a very lavish lifestyle, but who do not necessarily appreciate what they have and how lucky they are. The main character Edie kind of whines her way through the film, trying to figure out who she is without being the spoiled brat that she calls herself (and doesn’t want to be). In order to try and “find herself” and make space for herself in their lives she tries to become a writer and lead a more creative lifestyle.

This is something which her husband certainly is not supportive of, he frequently drags her to his work parties and uses her to help seal business deals by getting her to lie to his clients. He also kicks up a huge fuss if she doesn’t want to do it and more than once forces her not to leave, however as soon as it is one of her events he just bails and leaves her there. It is surprising that a film with such loose morals, that is definitely unintentionally biased toward women serving men has been shown in a major film festival so close to the #MeToo movement.

The plot doesn't really develop and the characters don't really grow at all, instead it sort of meanders around the things that they do to try and maintain their income and very comfortable lifestyle, all while still not being satisfied by it. There is a whole section where they decide to rent out their apartment which is basically just another example of the husband getting his own way in spite of Edie's protests, and gives her a chance to freak out about other people touching her stuff... but to no real point and purpose.

It is simply rich people moaning about how unfulfilled their lives are despite having no real problems. The film gets two stars because it was so well shot and the acting was good. It is just a shame that the script was so sorely lacking.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

'Saviors' - Randance Film Festival 2018

25/10/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
'Saviors' is a realistic look at the darker side or white supremacy extremism in America. The whole film is amazingly shot in one continuous take, giving it an odd dreamlike feeling which works extremely well for the film. It is also an incredible success in both its cinematography and direction to pull this off so seamlessly and so artistically. 'Saviors' really highlights some of the horrors hidden behind white supremacy in America, and it gives you a raw look at it without holding back anything.

The actors are all fantastic in their roles as you really go on the journey with them throughout the film. This is particularly the case with Megan Johnson as Blaze, and it is hard to believe that this is her screen debut. The scenes with the white supremacy group are particularly well written as their arguments for their actions are well justified and they really believe in why they’re doing what they’re doing, even though we as an audience know that it is so wrong and discriminatory.

'Saviors' raises awareness of issues that need to be spoken about and it certainly doesn’t pull any punches in getting its message across.
Picture
Review by May Heartly.
0 Comments

The Disaster Artist

23/1/2018

0 Comments

 
​Out now!
Picture
For those not familiar with cult films, 'The Disaster Artist' is about the making of notorious box office flop turned midnight movie sensation 'The Room'; written, directed, produced and financed by eccentric man of mysteries Tommy Wiseau, who also starred in it. Wiseau allegedly spent around $6 million on the film, with an opening box office week of $1800, and kept it in two theatres for 2 weeks to qualify for the Academy Awards...without success, in case you were wondering. 
According to most, 'The Room' isn’t just a bad film: it’s the worst film ever made, and/but 99 minutes of non-stop laughter. This earned the film an Audience Award in New York, and it later turned a profit through the Midnight movie circuit while reaching cult status. And nearly 15 years later, it’s still playing regularly in theatres such as the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, in case you’ve missed it until now ('The Disaster Artist' actually begins with various film personalities-JJ Abrams included-talking about this phenomenon more than 10 years on). ​
Picture
Based on the book The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made written by Tom Bissell and Wiseau’s co-star and friend Greg Sestero, 'The Disaster Artist' tells the story of Wiseau and Sestero, from their first meeting during a scene class in San Francisco, up to the film’s Hollywood premiere. With James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow and Zac Efron in the cast, I went in expecting pure comedy from start to finish. And the film has plenty of hilarious moments, starting with James Franco’s first appearance as Tommy in a hysterical rendition of A Streetcar Named Desire, part Frankenstein’s Creature, part 40-something hipster-Goth-90s-rock (ie 120% Wiseau). Franco’s commitment to the part is spectacular, and completely fitting to Wiseau’s own “just let it go” philosophy.

Against Dave Franco’s self-conscious all American Greg, we have a classic comedic pair from the get go. But what keeps us involved in the story is something else. Franco’s commitment goes beyond walking around a film set directing his cast literally butt naked (except for some penis covering pouch. What was that?) then filming a bafflingly ridiculous sex scene during which he seems to be making love to his co-star’s navel. Franco also shows Tommy’s cracks. Ok, very bad timing. I DO NOT mean his butt crack. Well, that too (you’ll see…). But there are also the cracks that allow the light to get in, as Franco’s Tommy is also vulnerable, sensitive, dark, generous, childlike, tyrannical, exasperatingly stubborn.... It’s all there, making the character larger than life comedy gold, and yet completely 3-dimensional and believable. Even moving at times.
Picture
Similarly committed are Dave Franco’s Greg, whose mounting frustration with his friend (yet love for him) is equality anchored; and Seth Rogen’s Sandy Schklair, Tommy’s dead pan script supervisor for 'The Room', who remains true to himself and his view of Wiseau to the very end, unlike many others which will have demanded some sort of bonding moments between Tommy and Sandy. 

This fantastic balance between comedy and drama is also thanks to a great by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (who also penned '500 Days of Summer' and 'The Faults in Our Stars') and to Franco’s overall direction. (The only time the film lost me was early on due to a choice of guerrilla style camera movement that felt quite jarring, but it didn’t last very long at all.) ​
Picture
Last but not least, the themes of the film themselves - going for one’s dreams, fear of failure, reaction to failure, the importance of friendship and love, the ambiguity between friendship and love - are all so timeless and universal. This film about a film can definitely appeal to anyone and everyone, whether you work in the film industry or not. 
(PS: ...but if you work in the film industry, some of the antics taking place on set might remind you of that project you said "yes" to. You know, the one that still gives you nightmares…)
Picture
Review by Sophie Martin.
Tell us what you think!
Rate the film and why not write your own review in the comments?
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Reviews

    Want us to review your work? Get in touch on the Contact page!

    Why not add your own review in the comments?
    #AHreviews

    Categories

    All
    1 Star
    2 Star
    3 Star
    4 Star
    5 Star
    Animations
    A - Z List
    Documentary
    Feature Films
    Film Festivals
    Independent Film / TV
    Musical
    Short Films
    Theatre
    Web Series
    West End

    Archives

    October 2018
    January 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    RSS Feed


    © ActingHour™ 2017.
    All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.