Brilliantlove

No money, fame, society or parents can tear down this brilliant and obsessive love. Raw, uninhibited, courageous and original "Brilliant Love" is what its title claims to be, a shining film by real artists. What makes these two young and horny lovers want each other so passionately is what most of people are missing: imaginative and unconstrained attitude towards life, sex and friendship. To watch them LIVE carefree, it lifts you, makes you want to unbound yourself from the claws of consumerism and society's conventions.

There is nothing conventional in this film, it is more than love, and there is an attraction beyond love, almost sexual dependence, which is so rare between people.

Body fluids, animals, sex and attitudes are part of this well made film by a group of young and talented artists. Manchester and Noon, brilliantly played by Liam Brownie and Nancy Trotter Landry are a delight to watch, and to get pleasure from. Sex films, not porno films, are pretty difficult to make. But here, the balance of nakedness and the creative sexual acts are carefully and masterfully directed and edited. It could be easily called an ode to erotology, life, lovers and passion.

"The Orgasm Diaries" (originally "BrilliantLove" - a far better title) is an unusual British Indie film combining explicit eroticism with a fairy tale narrative. Manchester and Noon are a young couple deliriously in love and ravenous for each others' bodies. He is some kind of slacker freelance photographer and she a taxidermist, but neither appear to have any employment. They live in a shed located in a field, where they roll around in lubricious couplings most of the day and far into the night. Manchester habitually records their love-making with his Instamatic camera - until one fateful evening when he forgets his photos in a pub where they are discovered by a trader in erotica. This businessman tracks down the lustful snapper in order to tempt him with gallery exhibits and worldly success - which subsequently leads to the lovers' estrangement when Manchester inexplicably fails to inform Noon that images of their love-making are destined to become merchandise tickling the fancy of art connoisseurs.

The film is somewhat flawed by the way director Ashley Horner chooses to tell his story. He gives it the flavor of a stylized fable, and makes little effort to convince his audience of its reality. Manchester and Noon are portrayed as children of nature, and the art world as a zone of sinister decadence. Such stark contrasts undermine belief in the lovers' desolation - which is a great pity since Liam Browne and Nancy Trotter Landry give intense, uninhibited performances as the besotted pair. In particular, Landry's Noon is an authentic depiction of an earthy young woman made radiantly beautiful by sexual desire. The film possesses great originality, but casual oversights in plotting and character leave one feeling it was a missed opportunity to produce something truly extraordinary.

Most art movies fall over because of their pretentiousness. This one is bad because it is, well, bad. Incredibly badly made. It doesn't have enough plot to even aspire to being pretentious. Throw in some very weak performances and you have a craptacular movie.

The initial idea wasn't that original to start off, and reminded me of 9 Songs (for a few reasons...). However, 9 Songs had a reasonable plot, OK performances and some fantastic music. Not a great movie, but it was OK.

BrilliantLove, on the other hand, has nothing going for it. It just seems to drift throughout, with no point, unlikable characters and very lacklustre performances.

Avoid.

I was fortunate to be one of the first to see this at the EIFF press screening. I haven't felt a film speak so honestly before. Here we have two characters Manchester and Noon, tangled in a sexually fuelled and intense relationship. They both live for the moment and everything outside their world threatens their together-ness.

The film focuses heavily on racy, intimate scenes between the pair. The chemistry between the two is very believable, I especially enjoyed Noons character played by Nancy Trotter Landry. her angelic face catches every single moment of emotion and you are sometimes taken aback at how filthy she is during the film. I also commend Liam Browne who plays Manchester for being brave enough to show his genitals whether urinating or being frozen cold. I haven't seen a film like this where a relationship is so thoroughly sexually explored.

The plot of the film is lacking slightly but I feel it is contrasts the mundane northern feel. Nevertheless very good acting and I was fixed to my sit throughout. This feels like the way British cinema should be going, bold, brash and modern.

I'd never heard of Brilliantlove, the production company, director or any of the cast and so on. Discovered it when browsing through a mate's eclectic DVD collection... He said, "watch this, it's a little gem" - And I concur - I was pleasantly surprised. (I'm an action movie with explosions and CGI overload lover!) I won't go into the plot, other reviewers do a good job of this. Just want to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this little film - a low-budget British production with high production values: it looks nice, the garage is great in it's shabbiness, the cast are wonderful esp. the two leads who have genuine on-screen chemistry and are totally believable as a couple.

I liked the quirky-yet-sweet Noon with her wonderfully random hair styles and chipped nails with the floppy-haired, bendy-bodied Manchester. The couple are happy and funny: they laugh, they love, they are mad and random, yet endearing and vulnerable.

I am (like another reviewer) rather taken aback at the low score for this film, as not only has every review I've read has been positive, but it deserves better. A simply told drama with realism and quality - and love behind the camera - it is a winner for me. Especially when unexpected and without hype. I haven't watched a more refreshing, enjoyable, well-put-together little film in... well, I can't remember when!