Shell

There are still places in the far north west of Scotland where you can drive for miles and scarcely see a house, with vast uninhabited moors between the roads, but for the most part, life in these parts is a story of small, remote communities that are communities nonetheless. Scott Graham's film takes us to lonelier place, however, the story of a young woman living an unhealthily close life with her needy, epileptic father: this might not be a normal life even in the highlands, but this a certainly a place where the daily practice of separation from others could lead to emotional isolation. The film follows the maxim of "show don't tell", which is often a good one; but here we only see a bleak portrait of empty lives, with exemplary incidents but little narrative: it's almost impossible to judge anyone as "good", "bad", or even "likeable" this far outside the normal physical and moral terrain. It's not an awful film, but a dash of something - humour, plot, malice - would not have gone amiss.

Sparse but beautiful film about the difficulties of emotional connection and loneliness in a place with few people; set in the Scottish Highlands. Chloe Pirrie is very good as the teenager who is oppressed by the weight of need - her own need for connection, and the needs of others which are placed upon her. This film says more in 90 minutes than many others do in a much longer time.

This film is interesting. The setting is beautiful and so are the shots. The story is thrilling, but not in a crime or horror or mystery sort of way. It's slow moving, but there is a reason doe that as it fits into the isolation. I won't go into details, but I did enjoy this film. Characters are good.

A lonely existence in an isolated spot, looking after an introverted epileptic father.

In spite of the minimalistic tone both in terms of story, scenery and characters a good job has been done in terms of narrating the story of a father and a daughter in this seemingly isolated existence. What would have probably been intolerable for most, these two souls do not seem to mind, nor looking for a change in their situation. They have a close bond that surpasses everything and ties them together and to that place.

The raggedly beautiful backdrop of the windy Scottish Highlands adds a pleasant variance to the ambiance of this story.

A great thing about "Shell" is that the girl in the epicentre despite the remoteness in which she leaves she is popular among clients, some of whom openly express their feelings but it does not change her nor makes her full of herself. She always remains the girl at the gas station.

A let down is the prevailing sense of misery that seems to be the norm in most of modern British cinema.

Despite its contained nature, this is a careful and well exposed character study.

I recorded this not knowing what it was about, then set down to watch it 3 months later. As the movie progressed, clearly slower than most action movies, my curiosity and expectation turned into a growing sense of awkwardness as the scenes unfolded. A young woman unaware of - or grappling with her own sexuality becomes the focus of male urges in forbidden, fleeting or equally desperate desires. The location of desolate isolation intensifies the storyline of her yearning to break free from her roadside, family-tied prison-without-walls young life, and the pace becomes irrelevant or perhaps magnetizing. Genuine tension fills the air with each customer visit with growing concern of the outcome. This movie is a triumph in awkwardness. Well done Director.