Rudy

"Rudy" is an inspiring and remarkable achievement. It is a beautiful and suspenseful family drama that shows that it is possible, even in the present dismal circumstances of British independent film, to produce serious, powerful and sincere regional cinema. The cast are marvellous. Esther McCormick's inwardness and pre-raphaelite beauty are set off against the amazing 8-year old Alice Knights as her quirkily hilarious sister. However, all the players are excellent, especially Darren Day as the decent, grief-tormented father. The countryside of Warwickshire and cityscape of Coventry, both almost unknown to cinema, play an important role in the background. I hope that this outstanding effort can serve as an inspiration to other regional film-makers.

A beautiful, absorbing, understated film that follows a teenager dealing with the loss of her mother, whist finding her own sense of self. It is beautifully done, there is no heavy exposition, and no unnecessarily dramatic storylines, rather the story unfolds delicately, through everyday interactions. The screenplay is very assured, and allowed silence and skilful filmography to illuminate the characters where a lesser film would have relied on dialogue alone. Yet it is never less than griping, it makes you care what happened to all the characters, not just the main protagonist, and all the characters are well observed and believable. The performances are all good, but the main character, Rudi, is exceptional and completely anchors the film. All of this is accompanied by a beautiful score and I just feel so frustrated that I saw this is a village hall and that a film which has so much depth,, done with such beauty struggles to get the same exposure as the more formulaic studio films. It certainly outshone any film I have seen at a multiplex this year. Catch it if you can. .

Rudy is a dramatic film, well acted and telling a story of loss and love on their farm. There is suspense and humour in their lives as the family coped without the father's wife and mother of their three children.

Tension throughout with local picturesque cinematography in and around, Rugby, Coventry and Warwickshire, by Graeme Dunn. The dramatic music added atmosphere and few words to portray the sad story, ten years in the making.

I was engrossed, watching the film in the intimate atmosphere created in the Alex, Rugby with seven others in the cosy, dark room of the old brewery. Good luck to local Director Shona Auerbach for a BAFTA nomination.

This film astonished me, watched in a small village hall with nine others I was absolutely not expecting the quality film that Rudy is. It was beautiful, moving, surrounded by stunning local scenery and set to the most fabulous music.

To have the personal touch of the makers being present to give introductions and questions and answers afterwards was a real bonus.

I could not rate this film highly enough, just a shame that the audience is so limited, would love to see it on a big screen some day soon.

Well done to all involved you captured a moving story beautifully, not sure you could better that !

Rudy is perfectly balanced - tender and heartwarming, but with just enough edge to keep you believing and wondering what's going to happen next. At its core is a love story, underpinned by compelling and authentic central performances, but there's much more to the film than that. I was struck by its meditation on community and the ways in which people desire it and improvise it against the odds. Beautifully shot, it makes the most of Coventry's extraordinary, layered urban environment. There are hypnotic passages where the music and images take over, and moments of almost unbearable suspense. The ending is perfectly judged, closing on an unexpected note of joyful ambiguity. Like all good films, it follows you out into the world and stays with you.