Overheard at Raindance

"Confine is great, Daisy Lowe did a great job and so did her sister - they're so alike!!"
(Heard after the second screening of 'Confine' by a young man referring to Daisy Lowe's double role, which they obviously didn't realise was played by two people - a compliment in itself).

Best of the Fest

The Raindance 20^th Film Festival has only a few days left. If you’ve missed it so far, you’ve really missed out. But fear not! Here’s a recap of the best of the fest so far and some of these will be repeated in the next few days.

5.  Shorts.

Raindance has always nurtured and supported short films even finding some of them avenues of release when others have shunned them. The short films shown previously have launched careers and this year is no different. If you missed a program don’t you dare miss the rest. With 3 more shorts programs still showing, be sure to catch High Octane City which repeats in around 20 minutes (hurry!). You won’t be disappointed and if you can’t make that then catch the repeats of Best International Shorts and Gone Astray. I’m still reeling from wondering what the hell happened in ‘Fangst’, the amorous anarchy of ‘Romance’, the sweetness of ‘Superhero’ and the return of Ralph Macchio (from The Karate Kid) in ‘Danko Jones’. Seriously, do yourself a favour and don’t miss any more.

4.  Bill Martell’s Workshops.

Less a lesson in craft and more a jovial discussion with interesting facts, Bill Martell provides great fuel for writers’ fingers to get them tapping away. Particularly if you have the idea and are exploring a genre. ‘Jaws’ was recently released on Bluray and no-one’s come close to recreating the terror since. Bill knows and explains why as well as goes through why the first ten pages of a script are crucial to hooking a producer, investor and filmgoer and right now he’s talking about the “found footage” phenomenon which is about to burn up the charts with “Sinister” and “Paranormal Activity 4”. Some would say Bill’s inside knowledge is an omen of things to come. Don’t miss these if you’re writing. The sessions are every day and cheaper than chips.

3.  Confine.

Low budget, taut thriller that’s high in tension, unpredictable and has great performances by Daisy Lowe and the lovely Eliza Bennett (currently ruling the stage in Loserville). If you want a great indie low-budget thriller starring the stars of tomorrow, look no further. Confine satisfies on every level. Sadly you can’t catch this film anymore, but you’ll probably read more about it later when its released and kick yourself for not watching it at it’s world premiere at Raindance.

2.  Banaz – A Love Story… and other documentaries.

The documentaries this year at Raindance have outdone every year gone by without a doubt. From ‘The Lottery of Birth’ and ‘Trashed’ which got fantastic receptions and awakened audiences to a world before them that they couldn’t see even with their eyes prized open (and have been called “life changing” by some audience members) to ‘Despite the Gods’ which puts the term “reality TV” to shame, documentaries are eye openers you can’t miss. ‘The Hidden Hand’ will expand your world beyond the earth today and the one on the man in black, Johnny Cash, showed the timeless icon like never before by someone who knew him extremely well. Banaz a Love Story has affected me deeply because the topic is something completely unexplainable yet presented so brilliantly by a new filmmaker who goes the extra mile for the cause of highlighting an honour killing which should never have happened. Mistakes by the authorities are highlighted, a young woman’s life is taken and documentary filmmaker Deeyah is granted unprecedented access to get to the bottom of the story and how it unfolds in a hope to spread a message that will make sure it never happens again.

There’s still more to come including one on the sex trade industry, one on the banjo and another on couch surfing. Just let’s forget about ‘Sunset Strip’.

1.  Dark Hearts.

This delightfully delectable dark comedy horror is the highlight of the festival so far. Breakout performances, a star is born in Sonja Kinski, Kyle Schmid is superb and the soundtrack makes you feel you’re in the film. Definitely the film of the festival so far, ‘Dark Hearts’ delivers on every level.

There’s still so much to see. What are you waiting for?

Confine

Confine is a true independent thriller that serves as a masterclass for the low budget independent filmmaker in today’s times. Shot entirely in one apartment, using available resources and creating a world where you never want or need to look outside it as well as having your main protagonist trapped (internally and externally) within the confines of four walls shows true indie thinking that has not sacrificed story or style.

Director Tobias Tobbell’s debut feature is striking from the first shot itself. The first scene shows the protagonist shaking with her hands covered in blood. A door is locked shut and we realize the prison she’s in. As the story unfolds we see the isolation she lives in, the prison she’s created for herself and how a burglary gone wrong compels her to fight all she has become.

The two leads, Daisy Lowe and Eliza Bennett are on fire from the beginning. Daisy Lowe plays Pippa, a disfigured former model who now is an art dealer living in her apartment alone and unable to face the outside world despite filling her abode with mirrors which she’s never too shy to look at herself in. Kayleigh (Eliza) is an intruder who hides in her apartment (note the dichotomy of the two souls – one hides away from the world and makes it her own safehouse while the other hides away in it temporarily by choice, hiding from the outside world but feels suffocated by her surroundings) and the relationship between the two is explored through the film.

Reflections of each other, Pippa and Kayleigh engage in a cat and mouse game which Tobbell has taken great delight in crafting on paper and screen. When Kayleigh enters she is a brunette who could be mistaken for Pippa, but while Pippa walks with a stick for an aid, Kayleigh strides confidently. Their body language is similar including when they are both involved in a physical struggle and seem fascinated with each others’ lives while focusing on the means to an end.

A twist takes place which adds to the reflection theme (I won’t disclose it here as it’s what’s considered a major spoiler) and we see an interesting scenario which brings out heightened tension and allows both Kayleigh and Pippa to come into their element. The conclusion is both gratifying and logical and we’re left wanting to see more from this exciting young director who has achieved a fantastic debut through knowing his craft.

Daisy Lowe is superb as Pippa. Her mannerisms, physicality and ability to portray the restrictions of her character while not succumbing to an over exertion of her disabilities is marvelous. Eliza Bennett delivers a powerhouse of a performance which has shades of good, evil and grey while maintaining the characters motives and reflecting Pippa’s suffocated self with ease. She elevates the film to another level and adds to the brilliant directing of Tobbell adding to the list of people associated with this film as “ones to watch”.

Overall ‘Confine’ is a taut thriller that has edge-of-your-seat moments, astute narration and performances that make it one of the standout films of the festival. It's a true triumph of filmmaking, tension & British cinema.