Skeletons

There are a fair number of brilliant, unusual, quirky films out there. Some of them are very well known, like Field of Dreams. Others not quite as well known such as like Little Miss Sunshine, The Station Agent, Shaolin Soccer, etc, etc. The thing that all of those films have in common, is that no matter how odd the story, and context, the characters are those whom you can care about and emotionally invest in. And they tackle big themes like loss and redemption, moral complexity etc in a way which is ultimately cathartic and uplifting. Skeletons, is as brilliant and enjoyable as any of the aforementioned films. All of the actors are superb, and the unusual story is captivating from beginning to end. A hidden and delightful gem.

I have been going through the alphabet doing a film each letter, and I came across this gem.

The characters are extremely well filled out and believable. The plot is simple but draws you, even with quiet a quirky main part with the characters jobs seem relatively ordinary and believable through out. It also shows what can be done with only cast members. The ending is a little weak, but expected and does wrap the story up nicely.

Would recommend this to pretty much everyone as a good watch. Its not action packed, but you never fell that it is dragging. Will be keeping my eye out for other films of this type.

I hope as many people as possible are given the opportunity to see this gem of an independent movie from a first time director. This is further proof that you do not need a massive budget or international superstars to make a genuinely interesting film that challenges and entertains at the same time.

Someone told me this week that it is easier to get a film made than to get a film distributed. I don't know if this is true or not but I am delighted that people cared enough to get this film made and screened.

Nothing about this film is conventional and it is difficult to describe it without giving too much away but imagine "Men in Black" made by Charlie Kaufman. Or "Don't Look Now" made by Terry Gilliam. That might give you some idea.

We all have skeletons in our cupboards and these are the "Skeletons" referenced in the film's title. Don't expect crucifix-wielding exorcisms but prepare for a refreshing, intelligent suggestion of how people could look at their lives.

This film is not perfect but is certainly worth searching out.

Most films with high concept values require a Herculean level of suspension of disbelief to prevent the what-ifs becoming a ceaseless stream of yeah-rights.

Quite often, a movie concept to which a viewer is asked to subscribe turns out to be poorly conceived and badly constructed. The movie then suffers from something I like to call China Syndrome: The concept is as far fetched as a bucket of chit from China.

Skeletons, although possessed of one of the most original move concepts I've ever seen, right from the opening scene, presents its concept in such a matter of fact and unassuming manner that the viewer is instantly on board. Even if, initially, you won't have a clue what's going on you will know that whatever is happening is happening for a reason and the world will somehow be a better place because of it.

Although many strange, unexplained and downright bizarre things happen in the film there wasn't, for me, any moment or event I felt required further questioning, it all seemed so natural and even the really odd things I couldn't immediately figure out were, in the context of the concept, sure to have an obvious and easily justifiable answer.

Brilliantly cast with excellent directing and if you don't 'get' Skeletons you have to understand, it's not the film, it is most probably you. Maybe there's something blocking your ability to enjoy stuff. Perhaps you ought to call someone in ?

9/10

One word sums up this movie: wow!

What an unbelievably fantastic movie this turned out to be. I had initially expected it to be some sort of comedy, but "Skeletons" turned out to be much more than just your average comedy. Sure there are funny elements to the movie, but it also deals with a much deeper thing than to just make you laugh. It deals with ordinary people and ordinary problems, plus two very extraordinary people - Simon and Bennett.

The story told in "Skeletons" was really phenomenal. It was really a fresh breath of air to the movie business. In the movie you have these people who can literally go into people's closets and see what skeletons and baggage is stored there. Sort of like a personal and spiritual enlightenment and cleansing if you will; enter Simon and Bennett. But the story also goes one step beyond the story of Simon and Bennett's extraordinary abilities, and tell the story of a family suffering from tragic events, events that were very easy to relate to somehow.

Now Simon (played by Will Adamsdale) and Bennett (played by Andrew Buckley) are two very ordinary men with extraordinary talents. And the way that Adamsdale and Buckley play their characters is right on the money. You can relate to their characters and they really come of a vibrant characters on the screen. This really goes to prove, that you don't need huge and glamorous Hollywood names to insure a good movie. Hats off to Adamsdale and Buckley, because they did a phenomenal job in "Skeletons". Now, they weren't alone to carry the movie, Jane (played by Paprika Steen) was also a very memorable character. All the characters in the movie were actually memorable and very lovable, because they were down to earth, ordinary people just like the rest of us. And that really made the movie work so well.

And the music in the movie was quite good as well, it had a very "gypsy-like" feel to it, adding a very weird and mysterious touch to the movie. So the score for the movie was really well composed and in tune with the story of the movie.

The director, Nick Whitfield, has honestly managed to put a very unique and beautiful movie together here. And if this is what to be expected from his next movie, then I am definitely looking forward to that one as well.

If you haven't gotten yourself acquainted with "Skeletons" yet, you definitely need to get into gear, because this movie is worth checking out. It is a very memorable and beautiful movie, and you will not be disappointed with this one. Thumbs up, way, way up for "Skeletons".