Winter's End

Nice to see an independent film set in countryside I know. Anyway, it is a pretty good independent production, with as good performances as I've seen in any indie. For a movie set in rural Ireland, the accents weren't too hard to understand. If I had a fault with the film, it would be in the pacing. It needed a little faster pace. Also, the music, it was OK, got a little annoying after a while. Other than that, I was very happy with the DVD I purchased thru www.Indieflix.com, very good picture and sound. If you like suspense, and something a little different, then go check this one out, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The plot, production, direction and acting in Winters End are all top class. This translates into a really good film experience where you are sucked in and kept wondering until the last moments how it will all end up. The plot is really very interesting and plausible in a country that values the land and heritage more than anything else. Passions that have certainly driven many a man or woman to insanity and occasionally even murder. Although the film is mainly shot at one location - the acting is so powerful that the location only becomes a backdrop to the action rather than a distraction. The actors are very well cast and Henry is particular worth a mention as the psycho brother who has really lost the plot in the meaning of life. Looking forward to the next production from the team!

Winter's End is a Stylish Low Budget Thriller which I saw at this year's Galway Film Fleadh. It is a cross between " Misery " and " The Field ". Winter's End tells the story of Amy Rose live on a farm with her two brothers Henry and Sean and we follow Amy's progress from abuse and oppression at the hands of her older brother Henry, to independence and freedom. The acting, cinematography, music editing and directing are all of a very high standard. It has been recently nominated for two Irish Film and Television Awards (www.ifta.ie) in Best Actress for Jillian Bradbury and Best Music for Gregory Magee in a Feature Film. Definitely worth a viewing.

Why the high reviews for this film? This film is almost impossible to watch. It is gruesome, ridiculous, violent, and ignorant. It is also very poorly made with no cinematic qualities of interest - not acting, cinematography, editing, well, or anything worthy at all! What in the world are people finding of value here? It is not entertaining, not interesting, borderline laughable, with no message or point of view. How can viewers give it high ratings? Are the ratings all from people with money interest in the movie?

I loved this film. Mysteries are my favorite venue; I have all the English ones; Morse, Frost, Poirot, PDJames, Christie, Midsomer Murders, Alleyn, etc. and all of the Irish movies I can find. I loved the lighting in this film, the quiet yet intense suspense, and the purity of the filming which concentrates solely upon the characters and the situation. There are no gimmicks, flashbacks, or any device which detracts from the story. The intensity builds based upon the strong acting of the deranged brother and his emotionally blackmailed sister. As in the film "The Field", his monomaniacal, yet historically understandable, love of his land leads to the conclusion.