Knock Knock

Elijah and Scarlet have always had their quirks. When Elijah promised to marry Scarlet in the same place where he proposed, he was true to his word and they married in the downstairs shower. They have a child, Myrtle, who brings joy to the family even if both parents continue to have some of the stupidest superstitions ever seen. Things are hard for years when Myrtle gets her head hit by a revolving door. This film follows the family over the years.

For the Screen West Midlands funding stream "First Cut", 2004 was the year of the documentary and, yet again I held some vague aspiration to actually put my money where my mouth was and take part, however I never managed to get around to it! Seeing the end products, I'm not sure I would have had anything to really make a film about because the films are mostly pretty personal pieces. Knock Knock stands out as one of the better films although one has to wonder if it can be called a documentary because it feels like a "true" story told like a work of fiction – and that doesn't often get classed as a documentary. The film looks at one family and it is rather strange. It sweeps away details and tells us very little actually about them but it does it in a way that is funny and engaging.

The cast play the family pretty well and the narration is amiable and easy on the ear even if it is never clear who or what is meant to be giving it. I suspect the other directors may feel this film cheated a little bit because it is not a documentary if you compare to the other First Cut films from 2004, but it does manage to stand out from the crowd for that very reason and was one of the most enjoyable of the group.

Having watched the collection of short films of which Knock Knock is part of, it was probably the best of the bunch. However, there were some elements that were somewhat confusing about this film/documentary. The narration, I assume, is the burden of the door, as it guides us through the twists and turns in the lives of its owners. This is not completely clear, yet if I am correct in this assumption, it is a little odd!

However, good performance from Ellis Creez as Elijah. It may be "too early for black pants" to judge just how well this film will be received. More is needed from this particular group before any real potential can be shown.