Fossil (2014)

Directed by: Alex Walker
Country: UK

Movie Review: “Fossil” is the directorial debut feature film from Alex Walker, who also wrote, edited and produced. The story focuses in a married couple, Paul and Camilla, whose increasingly cold relationship take them to try an injection of fresh air when they decided to spend some days in a secluded house in the French countryside. Soon we learn that something is wrong, since the visibly distant Camilla says she needs some space and is taking the birth control pill against her husband's will. Suddenly, their vacation plans will be altered when another couple, Richard and Julie, is caught using the swimming pool without authorization. Camilla, needing different people to talk, promptly invites them to stay while Paul is very disturbed with the situation. Anxiety and pressure will increase among the quartet, and tragedy will mark this small vacation. Not totally fresh in concept and with a flawed script, “Fossil” lives from embarrassing situations and tension (sexual included), which were never enough to make me absorbed in what it wanted to show. In the last 20 minutes, its dramatic tones are transformed in thriller, taking us to a dark ending and making us wonder what will be the future of Paul and Camilla, who added another problem to their tainted relationship without resolving the ones they already had. The picture was shot in warm tones and the performances were consistent, but like Paul and Camilla, the story needed some kind of freshness since there’s nothing here we haven’t seen before, aggravated with a few scenes depicted with disregard.

Honour (2014)

Directed by: Shan Khan
Country: UK

Movie Review: “Honour”, Shan Khan’s directorial debut on feature film, pointedly conveys a strong message, which doesn’t indicate that the means of expression chosen to do it have been the most appropriate. After the opening statement: ‘life is nothing without honor’, our attention is captured by a British couple provoking two Muslim women on a train. After a while we’re presented with a hideous crime – a brother (who also happens to be a well-connected cop) killing his sister, Mona, with the help and approval of his mother. The London-based Pakistani family was perpetrating what they call an honor killing, since Mona was planning to run away with a Punjabi man who was pledged to marry with another woman since childhood. Going back in time, the story leads us to the moment where the family hires a solitary bounty hunter to track her down, without ever dream that a dangerous empathy between hunter and prey could be possible. After the first hour, the fantastic mood was turned upside down when Mona, presumably dead inside a box, decides to rise up and run away once again. From then on, the film falls on cliché and predictability. The thrilling elements needed are there, along with an effective direction, but the plot hampered the chances of “Honour” become more valuable. The vile collective madness of a family boosted by its strict tradition is slightly confronted with the difficulties of living within a total different culture. A good idea needing maturation to better captivate us. Good performance by the talented Paddy Considine, though.

Still Life (2013)

Directed by: Uberto Pasolini
Country: UK / Italy

Movie Review: “Still Life” works as a poignant drama and black comedy, consisting in the sophomore feature film from Italian-born, British-based director, writer, producer, and former investment banker, Uberto Pasolini. The story focuses on John May, magnificently performed by Eddie Marsan, a council caseworker who tries to find the absent relatives of recently deceased lonely people, trying to persuade them to attend the funeral. Oftentimes, John is the unique presence in those funerals and that certainly makes him feel terrible and frustrated. Although very tidy, obsessive, and meticulous in his work, John receives order to leave the premises for good due to department reorganization, after 22 years in service. But not without finishing his last case concerning Billy Stoke, an isolated man with a violent past, who lost contact with his daughter that no one knew about. To satisfy his own curiosity, John starts gathering the maximum info by meeting Stoke’s relatives and acquaintances in person. Marsan was simply brilliant; his presence and expressions (like when he was absorbed in old photo albums) stick to our heads for a long time after the film is over. After all, the morbid yet good-hearted John himself, is also looking for a meaning in his solitary life. “Still Life” is a grey, gloomy, and fatalist film in every sense, but nonetheless rewards us deeply in the end. With four distinguished prizes at Venice, Pasolini, with a classy direction, seems condemned to a big career.

The Double (2013)

Directed by: Richard Ayoade
Country: UK

Movie Review: After become noticeable in 2010 with “Submarine”, helmer Richard Ayoade directs  “The Double”, an offbeat dramedy with surreal traces based on Dostoyevsky’s novella of the same name, and starring Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska. Simon James works in the same company for seven years, being responsible for several improvements in the field of regression analysis, a fact completely ignored by his uncaring boss. The shy, undecided, and often absent in mind, Simon, dreams with his co-worker and neighbor Hannah, following her with his eyes everywhere she goes – an obsession that takes voyeuristic proportions. Certain day, he finds out that a man, who physically looks exactly like him, is working in the company and occupies a relevant position. Becoming pals, the two duplicates will eventually clash when it comes to Hannah, the object of their fervent dispute. The eerie occurrences, oppressive dark settings, and weird characters present at the work premises are extensible to Simon’s home where his estranged mother whispers with a mysterious palm reader, saying her son is a strange person. Our senses are stimulated thanks to Eric Wilson’s compelling cinematography and Ayoade’s ‘off-the-hook’ direction, however the film doesn’t get close to the book that served as inspirational source. “The Double” belongs to those uncanny nightmares where everything can happen, ending ironically with Simon saying ‘I’d like to think I’m pretty unique’.

Locke (2013)

Directed by: Steven Knight
Country: UK / USA

Movie Review: Static and minimalist on visuals, and expeditious in words, “Locke” is a one-man drama, totally set in the streets of England inside of a car. While travelling from Birmingham to London, successful construction foreman Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) engages in a sequence of serious phone calls. Assuming a compromising mistake in the recent past, he just made the most courageous decision in life, putting at stake his family, his career, and his own mental state. Evincing an admirable cold-blood within a stressful situation, he tries to control himself and simultaneously calm down his wife, his partner who will have to prepare everything alone for the next fundamental day at work, his demanded boss, and the future mother of his new child who is about to be born. Director/screenwriter Steven Knight (“Redemption”) presents us an original and bold concept in his directorial sophomore feature film, unexpectedly creating tension through the conversations we witness. Certainly this won’t be a film for those who are searching for thrilling action moments or mysterious plots, since “Locke” lives much from Tom Hardy’s memorable performance and from what the viewers feel by putting themselves in his place. In the scarce moments in which he doesn’t talk to anyone, he imagines conversations with his deceased father, a fact that shows his despair and loneliness. The low budgeted “Locke” takes us purposely to commonplaces in terms of visuals, but even contrived, captivated my attention with its simple story of a man’s downfall.

Under the Skin (2013)

Directed by: Jonathan Glazer
Country: UK

Movie Review: I don’t have enough words to praise “Under the Skin”, Jonathan Glazer’s innovative sci-fi film, based on the novel with the same name by Michel Faber, and starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien embodying an attractive young woman who installs itself in Scotland to collect human skin that will serve to ‘dress’ her spatial invader friends. Her preys, very well selected, were allured and inevitably taken into a sophisticated process that removed their blood, flesh and bones. Emotionless at first, the visitant strangely starts to change after interact with a disfigured man, who she spared in an act of compassion. From this moment on, she becomes curious about what humans feel, going through different experiences that inevitably will lead her to the sad notion of how evil and scary our nature can be. The final scenes will remain in my head for a long time, and the idea that we, humans, can be very maleficent to one another, is so vividly exposed, that I couldn’t help wishing the alien’s revenge. The stylized, eerie, and hypnotic “Under the Skin” was cleverly conceived in order to grab our senses, proving Jonathan Glazer (“Sexy Beast”, “Birth”) as a filmmaker to follow, and giving Johansson an opportunity to shine in another memorable performance. I couldn’t find anything to rebuke here, apart from the Scottish accent, which sometimes makes the dialogues very difficult to understand. The distinguished plot and its exquisite execution make “Under the Skin” a modern sci-fi masterwork to watch and rewatch again!

Dom Hemingway (2013)

Directed by: Richard Shepard
Country: UK

Movie Review: American film director Richard Shepard, committed to TV series in the last six years, brings us a comedy-crime drama (a more vulgar version of Guy Ritchie’s old flicks) focused on the brash character of Dom Hemingway, a deranged safecracker looking for an opportunity after coming out of prison, where for 12 years he didn't snitch on his mates. Dom goes to his boss’ French villa to demand a good compensation but his plans are thwarted by a car accident and a greedy femme fatale. Penniless and angered, he returns to London to reconnect with his long-lost daughter, later realizing that she must be his priority. In the meantime, the vain Dom will have to come to terms with Lester, an old acquainted who hates him since he killed a cat called Bernard. The film is episodically demarcated through explanatory sentences in the beginning of each adventure, and intends to be a feast of dirty jokes and savage behavior from its unrestrained, petulant and defiant main character whose anger and vitality can make you love him or hate him. The plot is somewhat overdone in many aspects and sometimes loses track of balance and consistency, remaining watchable till the end only due to Jude Law’s great performance. In all his craziness, Dom just needs a deep breath to calm down and admit he’s a charmless monster, but inevitably and gradually, Shepard shows us that all he needs is love. Production values are good and score includes Motorhead, Pixies, and a sweet version of Waterboys’ “Fisherman’s Blues” by the actress Emilia Clarke.

For Those in Peril (2013)

Directed by: Paul Wright
Country: UK

Movie Review: From Scotland, arrives another valuable drama that starts with an impressive chilling mood accompanied by tenebrous images of an agitated sea. Aaron (George MacKay) is the only survivor of an unexplained boat accident that victimized his older brother and four other young men from his small fishing village. In a state of shock and without recalling what happened in that fatidic day at sea, Aaron keeps looking for his brother, being blamed by the superstitious villagers and getting more and more isolated in his own tortuous thoughts and deliriums. I felt sorry for the hopeless Aaron, realizing that sooner or later, the tiredness of body and mind he is subjected to, might end in another tragedy. Scenes of the brothers’ childhood are depicted under the form of ghostly flashbacks, helping to frame a chant of despair and loneliness that brings us a very sad awareness of loss. Erik Enocksson’s score was fundamental to create the low-spirited and fearsome atmosphere chosen by newcomer Paul Wright whose writing/direction was simply triumphant. George MacKay and Kate Dickie’s performances were worthy and co-responsible for turning “For Those in Peril” in a creepy experience. The surreal finale, recalling “The Tree of Life” or “Werckmeister Harmonies”, can be a letdown for many, but didn’t affect the pleasure of watching its enthralling images, or the curiosity of following Aaron’s somber mind.

Le Week-End (2013)

Directed by: Roger Michell
Country: UK

Movie Review: “Le Week-End” is the third collaboration between director Roger Michell (better known by the massive hit “Notting Hill”) and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi, after “The Mother” in 2003, and “Venus” in 2006. The result is an agreeable romantic comedy that is kept alive by constant changes in tone, whether in terms of speech or behavior. Nick (Jim Broadbent) and Meg Burrows (Lindsay Duncan) form a long-married British couple who decides to go to Paris for a weekend and try to give a break on crisis, 30 years after have spending their honeymoon there. Several tribulations, unexpected encounters, hearty speeches at dinner tables, and a mix of laugh and sorrow, will mark this special and unforgettable weekend. Despite some common situations, the film was able to celebrate love over any possible trouble that might come, not without some friction, dispute, and irritation. After they bump into Morgan (Jeff Goldblum), Nick’s former fellow student, Meg promptly accepts his invitation for a dinner party at his house. While he smokes a joint with Morgan’s teen son, she accepts an invitation for a drink addressed by another man. Things don’t seem to go in the right path and the tension grows until the film’s disarming last moments. Michell and his trio of actors put sufficient charm in an adventurous romantic story that, at least, had the merit of never being corny.

In Fear (2013)

Directed by: Jeremy Lovering
Country: UK

Movie Review: After the experience gained with TV series, Jeremy Lovering’s first feature reveals to be a simple but watchable horror film that relies on the same old techniques to impress. After making a stop (shrouded by mystery) in the unique pub of a remote Irish city, Tom and Lucy hit the deserted and mazy country roads with the intention of finding a house hotel. Driving in circles and running out of gas, the couple’s apprehension and uneasiness will be noticeable in their facial expressions when the night falls, spectral appearances start to occur, and an uninvited guest joins them to give every indication. The concept is far from being new, but the film gains some points by causing some chills and excitement through nocturnal images of the roads surrounded by woods, only illuminated by the car´s lights. The doubt about what happened in the pub and the uncertainty of what’s coming next never abandoned me, with the question if the threat was coming from this world or from another starting to emerge in my head. Minimal in terms of plot and execution, sparse in intentions, and evincing an efficient camera handling, “In Fear” makes of ambiguity its better tool to scare, well sustained by dim light images and a balanced alternation between silences and music. Considering the low budget and minimum resources, the film partly succeeds, even not unclasping the habitual stereotypes of the genre.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Country: UK / USA / others

Movie Review: Acclaimed indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch opens his contemporary vampire tale with a great shot: camera moving in circles following the movement of a vinyl record spinning, and showing the two protagonists, Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton), both vampires who are in love for centuries, but currently live physically separated. While she runs through narrow alleys in Tangier to find her blood dealer, he drives across the dark roads of Detroit to reach the hospital where he buys blood. Stating their appetite with their favorite drug, they show the pointed canines with pleasure and ecstasy. After speaking with each other, Eve senses the depression and discouragement of Adam who plans to kill himself with a 38-caliber bullet made of dense wood. She decides to be with him, but the arrival of Eve’s sister, Ava (Mia Masikowska), will bring uneasiness and trouble. Well-set scenarios help to compose the almost lyrical, contemplative atmosphere, adorned with medieval sounds and psychedelic rock. Don’t expect standard vampires, since the ones depicted here are more mature, controlled, and artistically cultivated. Only Ava showed not to be in the same level as the others, obeying to her strongest impulses and behaving irresponsibly. Many factors made me identify “Only Lovers Left Alive” as a Jarmusch film. Despite narratively more direct than some of his previous works, and without climax, I found it conceptually more interesting than “Byzantium” and much more adult than “Dark Shadows”.

Sunshine on Leith (2013)

Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Country: UK

Movie Review: English actor-turned-director, Dexter Fletcher, enters in the world of dramatic musicals with “Sunshine on Leith”, two years after his energetic directorial debut “Wild Bill”. The film adapts the stage musical of the same name, featuring songs of the Scottish folk-pop-rock band The Proclaimers. Buddies Davy and Ally return to the family comfort in Edinburgh after a two months passage in Afghanistan while at the service of British Army. Ally intends to marry his longtime girlfriend Liz, who happens to be Davy’s sister, while Davy falls almost instantly in love with Liz’s friend, Yvonne, after some drinks at a local pub. Following these two romances, a third one will be added, formed by David and Liz’s parents, Rab and Jean, who are celebrating 25 years of marriage. All of a sudden, when everything seemed perfect, every single relationship becomes complicated, and every situation is a pretext for one more melodic song by the Reid brothers. The picture was painted too beautifully, but I found the drama pretty standardized and somewhat honeyed. Although “Sunshine on Leith” has presented a noticeable background work, its staging love stories didn’t warm my heart, leaving me indifferent for long lasting periods of time. If you’re an enthusiast of movies such as “Mamma Mia!”, then this is a film you must consider, but don’t even think in a comparison with “Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (as I’ve read somewhere), which for me is miles ahead, both in depth and execution.

Filth (2013)

Directed by: Jon S. Baird
Country: UK

Movie Review: Adapted from another great novel by Irvine Welsh (“Trainspotting”), Jon S. Baird’s sophomore feature, “Filth”, is far more ambitious than its predecessor, “Cass”, carrying  all the irreverence and sarcastic humor, so traditional in this type of British comedies punctuated with bursts of violence and thrilling plots. Set in Edinburgh, Scotland the plot follows the anti-hero detective-sergeant Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy), a bipolar, alcoholic, and corrupt junkie cop whose dream is to be promoted to detective-inspector and then retrieve his wife and daughter. When a Japanese student is murdered in the silence of the night, Robertson has his opportunity since he was assigned to oversee the case. However, he sinks himself in a spiral of alcohol and drugs that will increase his frequent hallucinations and consequent cruel behaviors, especially involving his bland masonic-fellow friend Bladesey (Eddie Marsan). As the title implies, Baird frequently creates coarse scenarios, most of them involving sex, better defining Robertson’s miserable state of mind, but often accompanied with hilarious touches. His vibrant direction was able to enhance even more the disquietness whenever the film needed a push, never allowing the story to freeze in any occasion. “Filth” brings up a bustling vitality and finishes in style by drawing a wry scenario at the sound of Clint Mansell’s version of Radiohead’s “Creep”.

The Invisible Woman (2013)

Directed by: Ralph Fiennes
Country: UK

Movie Review: Ralph Fiennes’ sophomore feature film, “The Invisible Woman”, goes into the late life of Charles Dickens (performed by the same Fiennes), focusing particularly in the agitated relationship with his secret, and much younger mistress, Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones). The screenplay was written by Abi Morgan (“Shame”, “The Iron Lady”), based on Claire Tomalin’s book from 1991 entitled “The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens”, but the outcome wasn’t so favorable. The film presented pace issues, which was aggravated along the time with Fiennes’ static approach and some coldness in performances. At first I thought it was an initial strategy in order to prepare us for what was coming next, but the story never really showed the passion it claims for its protagonists. In some way, the expressionless love depicted here, vulgarized their doubts and certainties, failing to give an exciting course to their problematic romance. I couldn’t feel sorry for them in the worst situations of their lives, and that was a clear sign that beautiful shots and a perfect recreation of the period, weren’t sufficient to hold my attention. Perhaps Fiennes wanted so much to avoid the sentimental traps and stereotypes, so common in this biographical period dramas, that he made “The Invisible Woman” with too much formality and passivity rather than with emotions, placing it in the limits of watchable.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)

Directed by: Declan Lowney
Country: UK / France

Movie Review: “Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa” is an action comedy directed by Declan Lowney and based on the fictional TV and radio presenter, performed by English actor Steve Coogan, who also created it together with Armando Ianucci (“In the Loop”) and other show writers for the BBC Radio 4 program ‘On the Hour’. If Alan Partridge became an undoubtedly success on British TV and radio, in this feature-film is just a character that scarcely shines in its tactless talks, behaviors, and personality. Irish filmmaker Declan Lowney was never able to drop his TV routines, evincing an approach that feels closer to the small screen rather than the big one. Coogan conveyed all the superficiality and repulsiveness in the representation of his own creation, this time wrapped in a fierce competition with the depressed and threatening DJ Pat Farrell, but after its end, I didn’t miss Partridge’s dodgy adventures and was almost relieved for not have to hear him again. The problem here, with the exception of Lynn, Partridge’s magnificent assistant, is that “Alpha Papa” wasn’t so hilarious as it should, stumbling too many times along the powerless plot and only creating sporadically impact in situations that, in a blink of an eye, fall over and over again in inconsequent triviality. Likewise its main character, “Alpha Papa” needed a bigger dose of art and cleverness to work out. That’s why the already proven good idea didn’t result, in this ho-hum cinematic experience.

The Selfish Giant (2013)

Directed by: Clio Barnard
Country: UK

Movie Review: With her directorial sophomore, British filmmaker Clio Barnard doesn’t disappoint, and even demarcates a style that despite very own in many aspects, doesn’t hide influences of Ken Loach’s social realism, considering the subject-matter, naturalism and rawness presented. The absorbing “The Selfish Giant” that nothing has to do with gentleness or warmness, follows the 2009 experimental documentary “The Arbor”, about playwright Andrea Dunbar, where the same unrefined approach has been taken with highly satisfying results. The script, written by Barnard and inspired in a short tale by Oscar Wilde, follows two problematic young friends, the impetuous 13 year-old Arbor and his best friend, Swifty, who have a passion for horses. Expelled from school, they both beat the streets of their rough neighborhood searching for some opportunity to earn some bucks. That’s when they enter the illegal and risky business of stealing copper, encouraged by a greedy, unjust scrap dealer who will put them against each other and exploit them without any consideration for their lives. Self-conscious and eye-opener regarding educational problems, “The Selfish Giant” exposes juvenile delinquency in a very compelling manner, thanks to the unimpeachable performances of the young actors, but also aims greediness and exploitation, which, as usual, led to lamentable outcomes. Everything was presented under grey skies, hazy landscapes, and a cheerless atmosphere that will also make the viewers remember its strong images.

The Last Days on Mars (2013)

Directed by: Ruairi Robinson
Country: UK / Ireland

Movie Review: Created with the expected limitations of a low-budget film, “Last Days on Mars” relies more on the suspense of its story than anything else. Ruairi Robinson’s debut on direction was too modest and conventional to impress. The film, based on a short story and mainly shot at Jordan’s desert, follows a crew of astronauts who become exposed to a dangerous bacterial threat in the last days of their six-month mission to Mars, leading to tragic consequences. Victimizing one by one, these mysterious bacteria show strong resilience when tested with other substances. In the first half-hour I had to make an extra-effort to remain focused on what was happening, since the plot looked pretty familiar with its mediocre execution, tense score, and visuals that weren’t so creative. A big obstruction factor to a more acceptable result was that the ones infected became a sort of raging spatial zombies. When I compare “Last Days on Mars” with “Europa Report”, another low-budget sci-fi film released this year and reviewed in this blog, I came to the conclusion that the latter’s approach gains in terms of mystery and technical execution. I guess dead men turned into zombies in space just asphyxiated all the curiosity that could come out from a somber story of this type. The uncertain finale still tried to tease us somehow, but even that aspect wasn’t particularly new. It felt short with the lack of positive ideas.

Philomena (2013)

Directed by: Stephen Frears
Country: UK / USA

Movie Review: English helmer Stephen Frears returns to the right track after the recent mishaps in his career, as were the cases of uninteresting “Lay the Favorite”, or the completely tedious “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight”. Based on real events, “Philomena” was set as a traditional drama, but presented an openness and empathy that made it stand above other similar dramatizations. In addition to the good story, everything worked just perfect here due to the performances. Judi Dench was simply incredible as the desperate Philomena Lee, running against time to find the son who was taken away from her, 50 years before, when she was confined to an abbey in Roscrea, Ireland, as a pregnant teenager. Steve Coogan also did a good job as the inquisitive BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith, the man who got sensitized by Philomena’s story and made all the efforts to reach the truth. The sadness associated to the events and the infuriating revelations about Irish-Catholic church shouldn’t leave anyone indifferent, but how amazing was to see that Philomena, instead of being mad with them, was able to find peace in her heart by forgiveness. The film intelligently managed to convey all the resignation and compassion without being lame, sparing us to exaggerated heaviness and even adding some charm. Coogan and Jeff Pope were awarded with the best screenplay at Venice, festival where the filmmaker Stephen Frears was also distinguished with eight prizes for his career.

The Look of Love (2013)

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Country: UK / USA

Movie Review: Winterbottom’s “The Look of Love” is a biopic of UK's strip club pioneer, publisher of soft porn-magazines, and visionary real estate entrepreneur, Paul Raymond, who would become Britain’s wealthiest man and celebrity, being constantly sought by the press. After his daughter’s death of a heroin overdose in 1992, he became less and less sociable. The way Winterbottom addressed the story didn’t please me, giving us relevant info mixed with not so crucial scenes, causing the film to drag for several moments. The structure in its backs and forwards seemed to tremble, reinforced by a character whose life didn’t show to be so interesting or worth much attention. The most curious fact in the film was Raymond’s ex-wife becoming his model for a magazine, many years after their separation. He also tried to turn his daughter, performed by Imogen Poots, into singer/producer of his most expensive show, but her lack of talent just wasn’t enough. Steve Coogan’s performance was good without being memorable, being its fourth appearance in Michael Winterbottom’s films, following “The Trip”, “Tristram Shandy”, and the superb “24 Hour Party People”. Uninvolving and lacking some artistic artifacts, which I attribute to the filmmaker’s aptitude for independent productions instead of this kind of biopics, “The Look of Love” revealed to be disappointingly weak considering the calibers of its main actor and director.

How I Live Now (2013)

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Country: UK

Movie Review: Scottish helmer Kevin Macdonald has been recognized through some interesting works, not only on fiction with “The Last King of Scotland” and “State of Play”, but also on documentary, his career’s basis foundation, with “Touching the Void” and “Marley”. The brand-new apocalyptic romantic drama “How I Live Now” is perhaps one of his weakest works in terms of story and structure, along with 2011 “The Eagle”. Based on Meg Rosoff’s novel with the same title, “How I Live Now” starts with high premises but gradually falls in derivative movements that make the world threat seem a walk in the fields on a sunny day. The film stars Saoirse Ronan in the role of Daisy, a lonely American teenager who struggles with the huge amount of thoughts that keep coming to her mind, and finally encounters her happiness in England when she falls in love with her cousin Eddie. Sadly, the quietness of countryside and peace that blooms from love, are suddenly shaken with a nuclear explosion that leads to their evacuation and separation. Without neglecting the camera work and all the beautiful and clear images pulled out by Macdonald, the film failed in terms of credibility, conveying a sort of lightness that didn’t combine at all with the terror and anguish that should be present in a case of this nature. Ronan didn’t please me much here, in her abrupt transformation from a non-confident girl to a brave fighter searching for love. I’ve seen much better within the same genre than the soft existential issues and tepid romanticism depicted in this useless drama.