Ashes

This is an unusual film that straddles a few genres. It's filmed on a relatively small budget but as so often is the case outperforms films with much higher budget.

Ray Winstone is an interesting and charismatic actor and he does a great job in this as a man suffering from the crippling effects of Alzheimer's. Jim Sturgess provides excellent support as his seemingly concerned son.

The film can get quite confusing as it switches from drama to thriller and back again but this is to be applauded. You never quite know where it is heading and that makes a pleasant change from many predictable films in these genres. There are moments of real emotion and some nice twists of plot.

This is a well directed and acted British film and is highly recommended.

This is a film that isn't going to be what many viewers had in mind. You will not get your typical Ray Winstone film here, not in any form you've seen him in his prior roles. It's a tale of a son who has lost contact with his father for some time & begins to search him out. The film almost immediately starts with this goal being achieved, finding his Alzheimer ridden father at a nearby mental hospital in vary poor shape prone to very violent outbursts & unpredictability. The son is quick to break him out knowing full well it's not a good idea and leaves it's audience weary of his overall motives. There is much confusion and zero comedy as just keeping the son's father in tow is a serious problem. As the third act begins a twist is laid out bringing new life to a very depressing mood. It's well acted & filmed so no problems in that area, but I stand to believe many will find this not to be a very pleasing watch. It is listed correctly as a drama although I was kind of hoping for more action. There is a small dose towards the end. I would recommend this, but only to those that are aiming for a story driven drama which brings me to the rating of 5/10

This film tells the story of a man who has to pick his father up from a mental hospital, and deliver him back home. The father in question is a man with dementia, and has very confused and hallucinatory episodes every now and then.

The first half of "Ashes" tells a story of a demented man, and the soon who tries very hard to cope with the horrible symptoms of the father's dementia. The symptoms are severe but realistic, and it provokes empathy and respect for carers. The second half tells a different story, and I find it confusing and poorly built up. The interweaving flashbacks and reality of the demented man in the bar is very confusing. And the motives of the mysterious man behind the whole thing is beyond comprehension too, as there could have been much easier ways to achieve his goal. Overall, I find the film rather dull and boring.

So Ray Winston is brilliant in his portrayal of a man lost in time, with a tentative grip on reality. This is a dark think piece about relationships, compassion and violence. If you want to see Ray Winston in his usual roles then this isn't for you. He shows real depth and understanding of a horrific condition that leaves someone confused, vulnerable, scared and lost. The journey is incidental and metaphorical, the violence is genuine and not gratuitous. The filming is creative but does not overshadow the story telling.

Best thing I've seen recently.

The lead actress made me want her dead in the first 5 minutes. HORRIBLE ACTRESS, everyone else's acting was bad, but she took the cake. The ONLY good thing about the movie was the grandmother-hilarious, good acting. Such an embarrassing face-palm mess of a movie