Femme

Femme is a brilliantly tense and gripping thriller that will truly have you on the edge of your seat.

It follows drag performer Jules who seeks a unique sort of revenge on the perpetrator of a homophobic attach against him. It's a thoroughly unique and engaging and superbly constructed plot that keeps pace and momentum throughout. It really feels like anything could happen at any moment which gives the film such a great energy.

The greatest thing about this film though is the two lead performances from Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George McKay. They are both exquisite and bring such intriguing complexity to each of their characters. The dynamic between them is so hard to capture but they both do it so well. The performance from McKay is particularly strong as he cultivates this anything could happen tone through his erratic portrayal of the character.

Aside from the brilliant performances and plot, the tone and style of the film are great and make for a rich and engaging film.

Femme is a powerful, punchy, and unique piece of cinema that will have you hooked from start to finish.

Femme is a psychosexual thriller that's unbearably tense from the get go. A tale of revenge and repression that barely gives itself a minute to breathe. Every scenario and encounter is filled with a growing sense of dread which culminates in an explosive confrontation that's terrifying.

The power play between Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and George MacKay is incredible to witness. As it progresses Nathan Stewart-Jarrett goes from being uneasy and uncomfortable to having real power over George MacKay, who starts off absolutely terrifying and becomes more self conscious in the later moments.

Debuting directors and writers Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping announce themselves with a heavy film that depicts its violence in an unflinching fashion and has a power play that's suitably sexually charged. It's all helped by Adam Janota Bzowski's score which is always present at the right moment.

I'd heard an interview with both George Mackay and Nathan Stuart-Jarrett about their experiences on set and during the filming of Femme, and was intrigued. Previously, Mackay has played pretty easy to like, or ar least average/'ordinary' character. He comes across as a,fairly gentle soul.

His performance in Femme is testament to his acting talent. He embodies a violent, intimidating man, who is almost unrecognisable from the actor as I'd had previously perceived him. When an actor can truly transform in the way he does, it is incredible to watch.

The film focuses on two main characters, one openly queer and immersed in the sphere of free expression of identity and gender and sexuality. The other, is caught up in a very toxic, aggressive, and closed minded circle, who are hostile to any 'non-traditional'/-patriarchal gender and sexual stereotypes. When these two characters collide, we witness devastating, moving and captivating consequences. Each is thrown into the other's completely foreign 'world', and the film explores how they navigate this- the impact it has upon their perceptions and relationships with themselves and those around them.

Nathan Stuart-Jarrett is lesser known than Mackay, but totally matches his skills at portraying a hugely complex character who is respond to life changing experiences. It is believable, tragic, beautiful, crushing and so so worthy of attention and praise.

A revenge drama is a tricky business. You don't want it to be a too much of exploitation trash, but you don't want it to be too safe either. 'Femme' falls closer to 'playing it too safe' team.

I found the biggest issue was that the key moments didn't ring true. The assault scene, for example, is the basis of the rest of the ensuing drama. I wouldn't have expected it to be the level of 'Irreversible'... but it definitely relied too much on camera works and editing than the rawness of the violence, thus making Jules' resulting trauma less gripping to the audience.

The following key moments of shift also failed to be convincing. How Jules re-encounters Preston, how that chance encounter leads to hook up, how that again leads to a proper steak date... all seem to just happen for the convenience of the plot. Also Preston's changes as a character, namely how he develops deeper feeling towards Jules and admits his submissive side... all come along without much development (after literally one scene after another of him using Jules like a sex toy, that is).

Together with Jules' frankly flimsy plan of 'revenge' (why would he bring Preston back to his place and let his friends meet him if he truly was serious about his revenge?), the overall result is that it made it hard to take the whole thing rather seriously. A revenge drama that keeps you at the edge of the seat, 'Femme' is not.

One of the weaknesses was also Stewart-Jarrett playing Jules. His switch between feminine-masculine persona was impressive, but his display of tension/fear/emotional struggle was pretty mono-toned. Say, his fear before the assault should have a different colour to his fear when he later faces Preston's thug friends, for example. But to my eyes, it all felt pretty generic 'fear'.

Mackay's display of explosive temper and the contrasting soft/weak side is great, but even his great acting cannot quite make up (already mentioned) lack of convincing development.

I want to see more risk taking and raw approach when the film maker took up such a controversial subject to start with.

"Jules" (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) is a confident drag artist who runs out of cigarettes one night after coming off stage. He sets off to the local shop to replenish and encounters a gang of homophobic chavs. Maybe ill-advisedly, he responds to their taunts and when outside is followed and badly beaten. Not surprisingly, this experience turns the young man into a bit of a recluse. He struggles to come to terms with what has happened and this affects his relationships with flatmates "Toby" (John McCrea) and "Molly" (Antonio Clarke). His mindset changes, however, after a trip to a sauna re-introduces him to his protagonist "Preston" (George MacKay) who aside from being a bit of a thug, is clearly closeted too. The two hook up, it's raw and visceral - and his new mate drives off and leaves him afterwards! This, however, sows a seed in his mind and some You-tubing later leaves him with a plan to film and expose "Preston" to the very creatures with whom he exists. What he doesn't quite count on, indeed neither man (nor us) really, follows as the story evolves from one of violence and vengeance into one that might actually touch on something deeper. "Jules" learns to adapt to his nemesis's world of drugs, violence and hatred - even to turn it to his own advantage, and that elicits a response from his new found "friend" that is almost touching at times... Thing is though, can leopard's change their spots? NJS is superb here but for me it's MacKay who made me sit up and take notice. There is something distinctly authentic about his depiction of this screwed up bully and as the film progresses and the dynamic between the men changes, his is the character that I actually began to feel ever so slightly sorry for. Don't look for vindication at the end, there is a finish to the film but not to the story... This is a well written drama that snacks of realism and reminds us all that bigotry in all it's forms is still alive and well! It's certainly worth watching.