Elettricità

This movie did receive some promotion when it received a very limited release last year with Agyness Deyn appearing on Sky News explaining how ELECTRICITY is a realistic portrayal of epilepsy , which is what her character Lily suffers from . I've known epileptics myself and I'm sure you have also so I came in to the film expecting a rather expressionistic drama . One thing that puzzled me though was that just before seeing it I logged on to this page and noticed only a grand total of 74 people had given it a rating while only two people had commentated on it . That said ELECTRICITY isn't a film produced to sell out the local multiplex while the salad dodging audience chomp on pizza and suck up Coca-Cola through a straw and just because a film doesn't receive distribution doesn't equate to it being a truly awful film so I went in with an open mind

Now to be fair to everyone involved they must have made a film that nails the sheer misery of being an epileptic or having a loved one with suffers from this infliction . The cast are also very good especially the always underrated Paul Anderson in a small role but ELECTRICITY is a very unsatisfying film for a neutral audience . It belongs in a sub genre best described as "grief porn" which British film makers are very good at where someone tries to make the most depressing film in the history of cinema . The mood is gloomy and the story is rather threadbare . Lily is looking for her lost brother and the more she looks for him the more obstacles are in the way and the more depressed the audience become

As I said the technical achievements are more than competent and the scenes where the audience see an epileptic attack through the eyes of a sufferer are really well done but ELECTTRICITY shows that if you don't have a good story at the core of the film then you won't have a good film and this lack of narrative would have worked much better as a short film

Lilly O'Connor (Agyness Deyn -'Pusher') is a 'Northern lass' who has come from a horribly troubled background. Left with the physical and mental scars of her past she is thrown back to what she had escaped when her eldest brother contacts her. This is to say that their mother has died - it is then that she discovers her long lost and cherished younger brother may still be alive. So with her medication and a newfound hope - she sets off to track him down.

The above is the basic synopsis and I do not want to say any more as there is so much to this rather good independent film from director Bryn Higgins; who may be better known for his TV work especially on BBC hospital, drama 'Casualty'. The electricity of the title refers to the electric storm that Lilly experiences when she has an epileptic fit. From my experience of the condition - I have treated a few sufferers - this seems to be a very realistic depiction of the disease. The techniques used are all very effective.

There are many other issues looked at here including homelessness and familial bonds, but this is essentially a drama and one of memory, loss and love - a love that transcends most abuses. It is far from being a feel good movie though and that is of necessity intentional owing to the subject matter. It is good to see original British cinema being bold enough to make a film whose subject matter is essentially ignored by the mainstream. From the novel of the same name by Ray Robinson; this is one for indie fans and those who enjoy something off the beaten track.

I liked the story-line/acting/occasional visual effects to suggest the epileptic fits. Deyn is sensational as the main character. Visually striking and amazingly empathic. Low budget but goes to show a good movie doesn't need a big spend. Interesting how other reviewers with epilepsy state the way the seizures are presented is very effective. As a doctor it did give me some cause for pause in how we treat this difficult condition and hope that patients will just follow their prescription. Possibly essential viewing for all medical students.

I expect the director and cast will always remember this movie fondly - well done all!

Electricity is a low budget film starring Agyness Deyn who plays Lily O'Connor. She works in a cafe somewhere in Merseyside it seems but the film was partly shot in the north east.

Like most young girls she wants to have a good time but despite the medication her epileptic fits can set upon her at any time which leaves her emotionally and physically drained.

When her mother dies, her eldest brother, a gambler wants her to sell the house and split the proceeds. She does not want to sell because there is a younger brother she has not seen for years. When she is told he might be in London she sets off to track him down.

In London she befriends some homeless people who steal her money. At least they told her how to track down her brother and she contacts homeless shelters and people who work with the homeless.

However those epileptic fits are not far away but luckily she befriends someone who came to her aid when she blacked out.

The film is a straightforward drama of a young woman who has had a troubled family upbringing. She had a rough ride with her mother, problems with her brothers and issues with her disability that has led to a life of taking various medication to control it.

The title of the film reflects the visual effects that the director recreates when the epileptic fits occur. The film is not just about epilepsy but the drama about trying to find her long lost younger brother is a little bit mundane and by the numbers.

Lily is not cut out for the big city and we can guess she is just too trusting when she is exploring the underbelly of homelessness and drug abuse.

There are cameos from Paul Anderson and Tom Georgeson who kind of give this film a country & western feel with a northern beat. I had no idea that Agyness Deyn was some kind of fashion model, then again you are unlikely to look like one if your clothes look like they are from Primark. She really is believable as someone who is not letting her illness define her or get the better of her.

Typical low budget British film with epilepsy providing the electricity of the title. Model Agyness Dean makes her acting debut in the lead role as a northern UK lady called Lily searching for her long lost brother. The purpose being as well as the emotional delight of being reunited with him, to share the probate from the death of their 'interesting' mother.

Lily suffers from debilitating epilepsy. Her frequent seizures causing painful physical injuries. The search for her brother leads from Cleveland to the smoke of London complete with its mad mainline railway stations and claustrophobic underground system. Hardly environments to help her condition? The actual seizures are presented realistically and for that the film makers must be congratulated. The acting is a little woeful at times but the gritty Brit thriller does provide entertainment that would fill a daytime television channel schedule some day I suppose.