Offside

Short films about characters making that odd trip from a child into a young adult are very common, so credit to Offside for managing to make it interesting and do it in a way that engages. The story sees a young girl learning from her single dad that she cannot keep playing football with the boys, while at the same time starting to experience cramps, and also noticing that she is not perceived by the boys in the same way as other girls are.

The film has a nicely natural air to it, which is fed by the observational eye of the camera but mostly by the performances. It does feel like this is a real situation, and the small moments make it work – in particular Kirsty's reactions to things, the small things she seems to pick up on, and the challenge of the nature of her relationship with her father. There is a level of precision in there that enables things to be seen but not spoken – such as her early sort of simple trust in her father, to a shift to realizing that he can't be everything that she wanted him to be when she was younger. Wade's performance is great throughout, and it is this strength in the core that makes it all work.

A familiar narrative perhaps, but one delivered in a way that is engaging, natural, and convincing.