Generation Britpop

My understanding is this was not a short film but a trailer for a proposed TV series. As such there's no real continuing narrative (which is refreshing for a short) but quick ideas of dialogue and style. Each monologue acts as a teaser for the new characters giving insights into style of personalities to expect in the series. With a connection to the era looming Britpop of 1990's as the backdrop. And who doesn't love that music?! We start with Matt Ryan played by Darren Bransford; he looks the part and gives a monologue about the excitement he feels, escaping to somewhere new. This is shot from the street, train station and bars closing him in, all good metaphors. Second is Linda played by Sophie Sumner, the impression I get is the character is going to be a spoilt girl gone bad? With excellent editing and a nice jackal and hyde persona it cuts from perfect girl to messed up psyhco. Jay Sutherland's Steve is the most static of the characters in his camera shots but it allows him a nice start to finish aspect of his dialogue and a slow build-up of self-doubt seen with the very clever trick of being split personality at the end. Tom Geoffrey's James is very murky, dark, shot in a rainy toilet somewhere! But suitably menacing with undertones of trouble he's gonna bring. Finally is Marie played by Lucy Brooks, whom captures the sexual and artistic freedom in an excellent voyeuristic fashion, she is in fact spying on us and not us watching her! Really well shot experimenting with different devices in a new wave surreal way in some cases. The acting makes me want to see how the characters will play out in the serial. Not going to be for everyone's tastes specially if you're looking for a linear narrative but that's what I really liked about it when I saw it at a short festival, it's something different that's making you think a little!

Disjointed and amateur. Watching this reminded me of my school days, witnessing over rehearsed, over acted monologues. The storyline - if you can really call it that, is limited, it has no where to go, there is no room for development. Though that could be a blessing in disguise!. The first monologue was more like a party political broadcast, and lets face it, who wants to watch them! The young girl in bed faired no better I'm afraid, she seemed to skit between psychotic and erotic. No one i knew reacted to uni in this random way. Then there is the lad in the mirror. Whilst he seemed the most realistic in terms of his "goals" for uni, his character lacked any real depth and the actor seemed to be stuck in drama school with his reminiscent looks and attempt to look brooding. Finally there is Marie. Well i suppose she was the best of a sorry bunch. Sorry but my advice would be to stick to the short films as much more of this and id have turned over.