Dead Cat

Saw this at Cambridge Film Festival way back in 2013 and have re watched it online several times since, a touching and funny romantic comedy.

The leads have real chemistry and the group of friends provide laugh out loud moments.

90 minutes or so spent in the company of a warm group of friends.

Heartwarming and brilliantly funny in its subtle and unique-to-Britain ways, this is definitely a film that everyone should watch. With characters who ring true with so many of ones friends, you feel as if you're laughing with people instead of at them, and the problems that they face are ones we have all at least seen glimpses of. This brings the viewer very close to the protagonist. Directed superbly by Stefan Georgiou, it is fascinating and difficult to believe that it was made for so little money. It is well deserving of the prestigious British Lion Award, one of many more awards to come, I am sure. I wish the cast and crew all the best in their careers.

This movie could have used a few more whacks at the script, which is trying to be at least two completely different movies, with nothing much other than the lead character connecting them both. The first is a passable "quirky friends in their 20s" light comedy with no real meat, the second is a sharp left-turn into a low-rent Mike Leigh family drama. The actors do fine jobs with the material they're given but the characters are thinly drawn, largely unpleasant people with nothing informing the growth they apparently make during the course of the movie. Its a romance, but the "romantic lead" has no good qualities to recommend him, its a 'growing up' tale but the "before" and "after" for most of the characters are only mentioned and never shown, and small set pieces which probably looked really good in the writer's head just fall with a loud thud. If the writer 1) could have decided on what kind of movie he was making and 2) excised all the character and set beats that didn't fit with the theme, it might have been a better movie. As it is, its close to unwatchable.

Dead Cat is one of those rare films which make you think, laugh out loud and cry all within moments of each other. It also showcases London and the amazingly talented young people who made the film on a shoestring budget. The main theme of the film is about a couple who realize the relationship they

lost as teenagers was perhaps the one they should have stayed with. But the sub plots are also really involving, focusing on identity issues and searching for that important other in ones life. The scenes by the river are so funny that the whole cinema was laughing. To sum up it is tender, funny and thoughtful and a must see movie.

'Dead Cat'is a a beautifully crafted film completely void of pretensions and pretentiousness.Its honesty renders the story a charming,funny, entertaining and often deeply moving exploration of different types of human relationships, focusing in particular on a resurgent romance between Michael and Kristen.Making full use of London's cinematic locations, the viewer is taken on an expertly paced emotional journey,and although it is sometimes predictable, the film retains an authentic, fresh feel throughout. Intimate character moments are interspersed with grand set- pieces with startling skill,and the viewer can be laughing and crying within the same minute. Scenes featuring Michael's eclectic friends are especially amusing, and the dynamic between him and his bereaved father is incredibly powerful.A fantastic film.