MagicalMissJ

I was lucky enough to attend the premiere of this excellent documentary about Neil Fingleton, who found success in America playing basketball and later moved into acting. This was a touching story about someone who turned something that could have been a burden (his record height) into an asset and was the jumping off point for his success.

The film is a good mixture of talking heads of Neil's family and those who knew him through his two fascinating careers and also archive footage of his basketball games. It is both funny and moving and provides a view of someone who was once the tallest man in Britain but was also so much more than that.

A very strong follow up to Floppy Toast with Drippy Butter, the previous film from this creative team that I very much enjoyed. This new film gives us a view of the back story and home life of the "villain" from Floppy Toast and allows us to see that things are not always as they seem and emotions are never as simple as black and white. This is a well acted and well written story with a powerful message and is well worth a watch. The film is also beautifully shot with the dance scene in particular being stunning to look at.

I look forward to seeing where these characters go next and more from the writer and director.

Following on from their previous project, The Little Count, the team brings another interesting and amusing documentary about a noted local figure. Following largely the same format, the overall look and feel of the production is a big step forward in terms of technique and production. It is informative without feeling like a lesson and funny without feeling chaotic. I look forward to seeing where this group will go next.