battle royale with cheese (brwc)

When Dave’s girlfriend Annie returns home from a weekend away, she finds that her boyfriend has passed the time by building a seemingly pointless cardboard fort in the middle of their apartment. Irritated by this unnecessary obstruction to her living area, she asks him to come out, but he tells her he can’t as the fort is deceptively big and he has managed to get lost inside it. She eventually calls for back up, and a team of them enter the maze, only to find that this statement is most certainly true. One thing that must be said about this film off the bat is that the sets are incredibly impressive. Predominantly made out of cardboard, each room of Dave’s maze is an all-new, awe-inspiring piece of set design. We see puppetry, stop motion animation and exciting camera tricks, making ‘Dave Made a Maze’, if nothing else, a real feast for the eyes. What can become grating, however, are the characters and their vaguely irritating dialogue. Whether the praiseworthy visuals compensate for what is lacking in script and likeable personalities is purely dependant on your limits. The title character, Dave, is a struggling artist type who struggles to finish any of his projects and is sick of being reliant on his parents money. When his latest creation begins transforming into a kind of house of horrors funfair installation and killing off his friends, he decides that he must ‘finish’ it in order to stop whatever force is trying to hurt them. Whether the maze-cum-labyrinth is a metaphor for this inability to complete, or if this figment of his imagination that begins to destroy itself is a metaphor for self-sabotage could be pondered upon, but in the end we don’t really care. It is difficult to be particularly invested in the fate of the characters, but at least we are provided with a much-needed antidote to these aspects in the commendable aesthetics. A comedic camera crew, who probably provide the most laughs in the film, hear about the maze and follow the gang around, desperate to get some screen-worthy emotions from the gang. Whilst Dave’s rapport with the token best friend, Gordon (Adam Busch), might be annoying at times, the interviewer (played by James Urbaniak) and his crew do provide at least a bit of comic relief, shoving a boom in the characters’ faces at every opportunity. Instead of a gripping plot and moving characters that we really invest in and want to succeed, this is an experience not unlike moving through rooms at an art gallery, marvelling at what is presented to us. We explore Dave’s maze, accompanied by a few people whose conversations are slightly vexing and we wish wouldn’t speak so much, but we don’t mind too much that they are there, as we are distracted by quite a wonderful creation.

Stephanie is a single mum with cute cat socks and a vlog on baking and homemaking hacks. Emily is a PR director with sharp suits and penchant for strong martinis. As they’re brought together by their young sons’ play-date they form a fast, if slightly unbalanced, friendship. But when Emily suddenly goes missing, Stephanie finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, lies and dark pasts. Better known for the broad laughs of Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters, Paul Feig directs this soapy suburban thriller with a thick seam of comedy, from a script by Jessica Sharzer (American Horror Story) adapted from Darcey Bell’s novel. Anna Kendrick is perfectly cast as the nerdy and needy Stephanie, with her nervy enthusiasm and disarming charm making an engaging anchor for this twisty tale. Similarly, Blake Lively is effortlessly cool as the stylish and sweary Emily, who remains an elusive enigma right up to the finale. Like its cast, A Simply Favour certainly looks and sounds the part; as glossy as a Vogue cover, with an airy Instagram filter and a chic French pop soundtrack. The film flirts with taboo sex, drugs and violence, but never gets any real dirt under its manicured fingernails. Likewise, it has some fun with playing on gender conventions, but never really explores or subverts them in any great depth. There’s a lot of shallow fun to be had here, but it can occasionally feel a little soulless. The story canters at a pace to keep you keen through the many detours and deceptions, but the third act begins to wobble on its Louboutin heels, tripping over a wildly unravelling narrative before spiralling into a silly climax. Nevertheless, it’s a light, easy-sipping cocktail, with a sharp lemon twist. A Simple Favour is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and VOD through Lionsgate.

‘With micro-budgets, you need scripts that can be shot in one day, in one location, with a small cast and crew, and very little money. So, that was the challenge I set for myself. One room, two people are sitting at a table, write a story with a beginning, middle and end.’ That quote comes from Lorcan Reilly, the writer and creator of the award-winning short film Baghead, and it’s fair to say that the simplicity of the production, whether a financial decision or not, is a key factor behind the film’s success. Reilly actually won the £3000 budget thanks to a funding initiative for independent filmmakers, and the film’s singular location takes place in the basement of your typical pub. While some like to use drink by means of drowning their sorrows and perhaps searching for answers, Baghead follows similar themes, with our central character, Kevin, paying good money to see the ‘witch’ downstairs, and to ask questions only the dead can answer. Set almost entirely in the pub’s basement, this is an incredibly atmospheric piece of horror filmmaking. Director Alberto Corredor makes good use of patient camerawork and interesting lighting to create a chilling mood, and the film’s sound design is nothing short of top-notch, complimenting an already uniquely disturbing score from Hollie Buhagiar. The story is full of despair and uncertainty, feelings which translate to the viewer exceptionally well. The viewer will feel a great sense of discomfort as they watch the narrative unfold. As it becomes apparent what exactly it is that has brought Kevin to see ‘Baghead’, the film gradually begins to move with a spine-tingling intensity that is far more difficult to create than it may appear. Oliver Walker’s central performance is as convincing as it needs to be, while Natalie Oliver also does great work, and Julian Seager steals the show, with his comical remarks offering a successful breakaway from the tension at the heart of the narrative. The film’s technical aspects are, on the whole, oustanding, complete with superb make-up and practical effects that will make you nostalgic for the filmmaking of old; effects that truly bring the film to life. It’s not difficult to see why this film has attracted such praise on the festival circuit. Despite the low-budget, there is something impressively professional about the filmmaking involved. It’s technically impressive, well-acted and executed, armed with a great deal of suspense and anticipation for a film of just 15 minutes in length. Despite the short run-time, the film is in no rush to reach its conclusion, with the filmmakers clearly keen to keep their audience on the hook for as long as possible. Baghead is an expertly-crafted, atmospheric and unpredictable film, helmed by filmmakers with a clear passion for the art form. It’s as cinematic as it is discomforting, and it’s worthy viewing for any genre lover.

The House By The Sea (La Villa): Review Louise McLeod Tabouis Under a bright winter sun an elderly man mutters the words tant pis (too bad) as he looks over the stunning bay. Appearing to be resigning himself to something – life, his house, a regret – he has a stroke and these words remain a mystery. As his adult children reunite around him, a level of unease based on absence sets the tone of the film. An unequal inheritance in her favour has brought Angèle (Ariane Ascaride) back to her childhood home, and she and her brothers Armand (Gérard Meylan) and Joseph (Jean-Pierre Darrousin) treat each other carefully as they come together under the strained circumstance of the demise of Maurice, their father. Remains of a washed-up boat bring the army to the village in search of impending immigrants. The distance between the groups is palpable when they eventually do meet, dominated by sullen-faced concern and wary hospitality. Set in the modest and struggling family brasserie Le Mange Tout, in a fishing village near Marseille, the return home is one of anguish for Angèle (Ariane Ascardie), now a Parisian actress. Struck by the winter-induced absence of people and the ageing of others, the visit evokes a long-buried family tragedy. “How did you stay away from us for so long?”, asks her brother. As the film progresses, Ariane slowly asks herself the same question with the sea, lush vegetation, red soil, and an imposing viaduct carrying passing trains, evoking a physical memory of the past and dissipating her numbness. Besides Guédiguian’s stable trio – Ariane Ascardie, Jean-Pierre Darrousin and Gérard Meylan – who reunite in this story of memories, grief and change, the story is an intergenerational drama. Guediguian describes the film as a homecoming of sorts, to the bay that has been his home for almost 40 years. In this film Guediguian feels like the Aki Kaurismaki of the south. Recollections of Kaurismaki’s The Man without a Past (2002) came to me as I watched the wintery sun, sea, and a certain stilted dankness. Combined with gravity and gloominess, the hints of happiness never quite overrode the generally morose atmosphere. This is an intricate film. Various stories are woven into the periphery of the family core, including that of Benjamin (Robinson Stevenin), leading a life that encompasses more than his fisherman’s facade would suggest, providing both energy and light in what could have been a story dominated by melancholy and introspection.

The Favourite is by far the most accessible of Yogos Lanthimos films to date. Taking a real historical figure, his unique directing style and a script full of memorable one liners capped off with stellar performances by Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone make this a royally fun and entertaining way to spend two hours. The Favourite is set in the 18th century when England is at war with France and Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) sits on the throne. The real power behind the throne is Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), Duchess of Marlborough whose husband is leading the British resistance against the French. Sarah manages the Queen’s moods, ill health, fickle moods and any other fancies the Queen might have. Their happy little love in is shattered by the appearance of Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), later Baroness Masham a servant and long distant relation of Lady Sarah. Before you can say social climber, Abigail, is in the Queen’s bed but how will Lady Sarah Churchill take this especially as the Queen is her lover as well. Who will be the favourite? Good films start and end with the writing and this film proves this to be true. The writing duo, Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. ensure that the script is full of zippy lines: “we must fight for what we must fight for,“ or “I’m always on my side”. The vulnerability and private distress of what it must be like to be monarch who is largely unable to produce children is brought vividly to life by Olivia Coleman’s much lauded performance. What is refreshing about this film is that Queen Anne’s husband is never shown. The men add a little bit of texture but this is about the rather unusual love triangle between three women. It feels so fresh there are times you forget it is the 18th century. If you are looking for a historically accurate film this is not it. However if you are looking for something entertaining, stellar performances as well sumptuous cinematography and direction then this is the film just don’t dwell too much on the disappointing ending. The Favourite moves at a cracking pace and you’ll be hard pressed to pick a favourite out of the three leading actresses. The Favourite is nominated for ten Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actress at this years Oscar 2019.