Going to Glasgow film Festival has been an unbelievable experience. For someone who hasn’t been to a red carpet or festival before everyone was really welcoming and very helpful.
The first film that I watched was REINAS and here is my review of it.
REINAS (QUEENS) –
I have never been a huge fan of sub-titled movies as I find the text distracting, but I have come to the decision that I am a convert. This movie, however, was less than the sum of its parts and needed a thread to hold the drama together. The narrative lacked “oomph” and some scenes fell flat and didn’t go anywhere.
When first reading the plot, I felt was quite optimistic but as the story unfolded, I soon realised that my hopes were going to be dashed.
REINAS IS about two daughters and a single mother living in Peru where they must cope with terrorism, police control and bombings as part of their everyday life. They want to escape the never-ending cycle of violence by emigrating to Minnesota as their mother has a new job opportunity there. Their father, who has abandoned the family comes back into their lives and the mother tolerates him because she needs him to sign the travel consent forms so that they can leave the country.
The daughters have a strained relationship with him and the bridges that are slowly being built between them are complicated by his hesitancy to sign the release documents. The father is insecure and pretends that he is a secret spy as he feels ashamed, he is in fact just getting by being a cab driver and security guard. To add further confusion, the oldest girl thinks she is pregnant which makes her then want to stay in Peru with her dad.
Will the family stay together, or will the girls and their mum make a new life for themselves in the USA?
The ensemble cast was good, the acting effective as you believed that they these characters were a family. The Director did well capturing the complicated emotions that unites people through the good and bad times.
I felt that this production had heart and worked hard to portray the struggles of living in Peru at that time. I feel like the script is what let it down, as it could have been more dynamic. A good effort but I was slightly disappointed.
SLIVER STAR
If you like an artsy road movie then this indie feature will be right up your street.
This film is about young woman who attempts a bank robbery to stop her estranged parents foreclosing on their house which would leave them homeless.
Even though Billie steals the money, the robbery goes awry when in the escape she takes the pregnant Franny hostage. Thus begins an unplanned relationship between the two as Franny decides to be an accomplice if Billie is willing to share the money with her.
They hit the road to escape and keep the money, and their journey is at the heart of this comedy drama. Its mainly a two hander, and it works well as the two slowly grow closer to each other. It reminded me of Bonnie and Clyde, but with two very different protagonists. It was funny and emotional, but most of all it had heart. You feel sorry for these two venerable human beings and by the end you really want them to succeed and have a future together.
Billie (Troy Johnson) was incredible, skilfully portraying a desperate woman with a good soul. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint what other films she has been in. Franny played by Grace Van Dein had a slightly annoying voice that was perfect for her character, and you found yourself warming to it as the story unfolds. You might recognise her from Stranger Things (Season Four) as Chrissy.
The chemistry between them was palpable and whenever they interacted with other characters you felt that they were intruding on the fugitive’s world.
I would really recommend watching SILVER STAR if you get the chance.