Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Noutions Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

robinakaaly or, a funny (peculiar) thing happened in Fleetwood. A woman's sister disappeared several years ago. The police have given up searching for her, but the woman, who works as a fish gutter, feels there must be an answer somewhere. She acquires CCTV footage of her sister's last moments which appear to support her hunch. Meanwhile, her obsession has taken her to a local vicar-cum-psychotherapist who improperly gets the hots for her. Having successfully fought off a drunken friend, and seen her sister being paddled across the Styx by Chaeron, actually a hallucination on the Wyre, she realises that CCTV operator at the docks what dunnit. Sadly she too ends up in the bottom of the dock. Weird but passably done.

GladtobeGrey I have just finished watching this film on TV and I was totally absorbed. The casting was perfect, the coastal locations bleak but with a strange beauty as only our coasts have, and the story itself is haunting. This beautifully crafted film, reminiscent of Nick Roeg's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 'Don't Look Now', is a credit to the British Film industry. It just goes to prove that you don't need mega amounts of money and 'A list' Hollywood stars to make an thoughtful and very watchable film. In particular, I thought Shirley Henderson as Kath Swarbrick and Roshan Seth as Noyen Roy, were both superb and brought sensitivity to their roles which was both understated and convincing. The direction by Juliet McKoen and screenplay by her and Jayne Steel were, I thought, pretty much faultless. Some viewers have complained about the slow pace - unfortunately now-days the art and skill of building tension or atmosphere gradually is in danger of being lost in favour of crashing out everything at breakneck speed. I loved this film - if you're considering buying it on DVD, 10% of the proceeds goes towards the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

boab I looked forward to seeing this film as it features the Scottish actress, Shirley Henderson, who I have really admired for years and who finally gets a starring role here. This story of a woman's search for her missing sister feels quite relevant to today's newspaper stories of disappearing women. As the grieving Kath (Henderson) begins her search, the film takes on the form of a thriller and this story unfolds in a measured way that becomes totally mesmerising. The escalating tension is well judged, never letting the audience get ahead of the plot. What is pleasantly surprising are the strong performances that director Juliet McKoen gets from all her actors in her debut film. As expected, Henderson is superb, but I would also single out Richard Armitage as the Port Authority boss who helps Kath with her investigations into CCTV footage of her sister and who gives a performance of some subtlety. The treatment of Kath's encounters with the counsellor, movingly played by Roshan Seth, also treads a fine line emotionally.The sense of place in this film is palpable and is one of director McKoen's real achievements. You feel she knows the territory. The film is set in the port of Fleetwood which makes the film visually very distinctive. There are also strong scenes on Morecambe Bay producing some beautiful images of desolation that are quite haunting. The scenes of Kath and her fellow workers at the fish factory are well handled, though I would have liked to see some of these actors given more to do. It is a tribute to McKoen's casting efforts that many of these smaller parts are played by actors who have a track record in British TV drama. But it is Henderson, with an impeccable Lancashire accent, who carries the full weight of this film as she appears in virtually every scene. With some powerful close-ups of her expressive face, we really get inside this character's mind. There is a seriousness about this film which is to be applauded in an era when I, for one, find many filmgoing experiences instantly forgettable. There is plenty to think about here and this is one that stays with you

ohtheknives I recently saw 'Frozen' at the 2005 RiverRun International Film Festival, and I must say I enjoyed it. However, I don't think it's a film you'll watch over and over again... explanation: The basic synopsis of 'Frozen' is a girl, Kath, is curious about what happened to her sister, Annie. Is she alive? Dead? Living a new life? When Kath finds some evidence showing Annie the day she went missing, she becomes almost obsessed with finding her. It's not the most original plot you've ever heard of, but it is pulled off very well for what it is.Along Kath's "journey," you'll meet a few central characters, though after all is said and done, I find some of the characters --or more importantly, the one emphasized most (a therapist/priest character)-- has little to no real relation or development to the plot and could've been done without or built upon in many areas. Though the acting is convincing throughout, it's because of this that some of the exchanges can feel as if they're unnatural or dragging (even at a 90min. runtime.) What the previously mentioned slacks on, 'Frozen' more than makes up for with visuals and sound. The film uses lots of blues and dark greens, which give it a very cold feeling. This pulls you in to relate to the character, who describes herself multiple times as feeling "frozen." The camera work itself is good as well, with some very good shots scattered about. The sound is equally cold as the visuals. There's not much use of music here, which further helps with the feeling of isolation.Overall, the movie is nothing amazing, but even considering the flaws, 'Frozen' is a very good and interesting watch in the thriller category (especially considering what's been passing as "thrillers" lately.)