Eletricidade

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.

I was drawn to this small, little-known British film by its star, since I have always found that model Agyness Deyn has such a fascinating face. In fact, Deyn - in her first major movie - is not just the central character but in every scene and, given her lack of acting experience, her performance is remarkable. She plays Lily O'Connor, a young woman from the north who travels down to London to seek the younger brother she has not seen since childhood.

The distinguishing feature of this film, directed by Bryn Higgins, is that from a very early age Lily has suffered frequent and severe epileptic fits. I was once travelling on an inter-city train when the young woman sitting next to me had an epileptic fit and I have never forgotten it. This film is part-funded by the Wellcome Foundation and its representation of such fits is very effective and striking.

'Electricity' has a touch of class in film making: An urban drama about a tough, young woman from the North of England, who has epilepsy. When her estranged mother dies, she will take risks to challenge her illness to travel to London to find her long lost brother who was taken into care at an early age.

The film is shot with imagination through the fuzzy sight and mind of 'Lily' in her medical condition. It is an independent, British film of classy drama -without the 'shouting aloud' of the nitty-gritty theatre- it skilfully boarders upon the very dangers encountered in raw, urban life with our heroine as a vulnerable person in risky territory.

I appreciate this film because it celebrates bravery of the heart. It is a personal and beautiful film with a slight touch of narrative documentary of self reflection. It shows courage in determination to live with life threatening illness: Rather than to convey present sadness, the film delivers personal courage, and has a flair for energy and compassion. Although boundaries are broken in a dysfunctional family, the film celebrates life! Starring Agyness Deyn as Lily - the film is based on the book by Ray Robinson, and was directed by Bryn Higgins.

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.