Welcome to Karastan

An international co production, large crew,another 'film'to add to the personal credits . This film has a couple of interesting,what might have been,sequences, but it has no moral cinematic , creative or political heart.Instead it is the sum of itself. A movie about the exploitation of film by a dictator schooled in the age of public relations and self power.And that is what the film is for the makers themselves.A shrine to self indulgence, no thought,no heritage; a laugh with a budget that could have gone somewhere worthwhile.But no doubt the script was pitched professionally,the p.r. on the ball, the funding opportunities researched and proprieties followed to the letter. This film is an icon to an age of cinema resume writing, another DVD or cable TV notch on the "film maker" www./Facebook /IMDb bed post of empty consumerism.

Mathew Macfadyen, star of 'Riper Street and one of my favourite actors, stars as Emil Forrester an award winning film director who has hit a big creative block. With no stimulation and a dwindling bank balance, he is reaching the end of his tether. Then he gets an offer to attend the first ever international film festival in the newly established Democratic Republic of Karastan. A former Soviet state which is rife in the corruption and ineptitude one would expect.

Well once he gets there he sees the nightmare of poverty that exists but is taken by the charms of his chaperone. Then the President asks to meet him and offers him the chance to make a massive film about Krastan's national hero – and despite his misgivings, he accepts.

Now I enjoyed this, but it still has a few issues. The main one is in its ambition; and that is I found it hard to get what it was trying to be. It started off firmly as comedy and got a few laughs, then it goes into social commentary and then we have the story of a man who keeps making bad decisions who still relies on his own reasoning powers. The three main aspects just do not seem to mesh very well. That said the time did pass quite well and it did have some charm. The acting was all up to muster too. If you are still curious then consider the rental or streaming option as it is still worth a punt.

This movie can not decide what it wants to be - a cheap knock-off of "The interview", a romantic comedy or a social commentary on the ignorance of a young desperate director. Sadly it fails at everyone of these aspects in its own cringe-inducing way, though there are some cheap laughs to be had which sadly turn sour about mid-way through the film. The actors felt miscast, their performances forced and the camera and set-work was loveless to put it politely (an no, it does not feel intended). Once the end-credits roll you can't help but think that Mr Hopkins involuntarily filmed his own biography. Bottom-line: Save yourself the admission - by the time the movie was finally over even the few people who had not left the cinema early were sighing in collective relief.