Film review Draft 1 - Caroline Robertson

Abi Black and I have been given the roles of writing the review. We have found this to be more challenging that we origionally thought because of the writing style of Little White Lies, our chosen Film magazine in which the review would be featured. They use a very conversational writing style, but still incorporate complex language. This is one of our first drafts, but we will need to come back to the ratings, make it flow more and add some academic or film references to pull our word count up. A conclusion also needs to be added.



"Straight out of college, a collaboration between young directors Alexander Lloyd, Jack Storer, Kaz Robertson and Abi Black gives us a short social realism piece drenched with the stark realities of everyday life.

This story of a young boy delivers to the audience an honest representation of the harsh realities of learning to live and let go. We follow the story through the eyes of “Milo” (Junior Price), a ten year old boy struggling to make sense of his life. Living with both of his parents at home, his father an alcoholic and his mother a victim of domestic abuse, his isolation is mirrored by his surroundings. Rather than using the clichéd working class family there is a twist in the standard conventions- an average middleclass family hiding a sombre secret. As we hear Milo talk us through his everyday life via a monologue we watch as he shows us his way of coping with a downward spiralling family life which he can’t control.

A scene which stands out with powerful composition is one where the team of directors have used a shallow depth of field, portraying an iconic image of a child sitting staring into space as his parents are blurred out in the background and we hear them arguing.

Despite the sometimes unconvincing accent of Dominic Harper, Junior Price still manages to shine through as a powerful and moving young pro. His last film, “Trauma”, another social realism directed by Chris Davidson again reflects his abilities as a young actor, and he has not failed to disappoint the audience with his depiction of “Milo.” His performance is complemented by unique camerawork, clearly achieved by the combined efforts and laudable skills of the entire crew.

The directors have managed to avoid the painful parts of the reality whilst touching on the subject enough to reveal the bitter, bleak impact it has on the child. Although this pragmatic take on family life is something the audience will relate to, the director’s decision for the ending is questionable and may undermine the storylines credibility. You can come to a conclusion regarding the final scene for yourselves when watching the film, but it may not be everybody’s cup of tea.

The copacetic, yet natural lighting is complemented by the rural surroundings illustrating the physical isolation of Milo, again emphasized by use of long tracking shots which really helps us to empathise with the protagonist. His mental isolation is also apparent to the audience via the use of his “only friend” Sam, who is mentioned continuously throughout the film but that we never meet. It is again accentuated during a scene in which we see Milo on a trampoline alone, his surroundings bare as he tells us “We played crack the egg on his trampoline. It doesn’t work on my own. None of the games we played were as fun at home on my own.”

The monologue makes a clear connection between the viewer and the characters, and much like Joe Tunmers “Eight”, helps to almost create a relationship between us and Milo, almost to the point where we can relate with his situation, no matter how far from our own reality it may be."