Kevin Haldon's Top 5 Of The Festival
Well it is that time again folks, Romford 2023 has come around super quick and we are kicking off in a little over one week. Which means we need to start helping you plan out your “MUST SEE” list of films.
Now I will say that my list is often the one that if you are looking for something that isn’t just 10 minutes of exquisitely framed and scored glory shots of a mountain (looking at Mr Barton) or a project that fetishises tentacle “sexy time” and dirty feet (calling Mr Blunden). Well you are in the right place because I don’t go in for all that. I am a classy movie going viewer, I like my movies like a Friday night in town… Full of substance.
With that said let’s have a look at the five movies you can’t afford to miss this year.
Blue Boy… Director Andy Kastelic has done something truly great with Blue Boy. Told a super compelling story about an ageing boxer that has seen his best years gone by with not a lot to show. A man so cut off from everything that he longs for some sort of connection. when a young man turns up claiming to be his son… Well that’s the spark he had been waiting for. Blue Boy has a distinctive style and tone that harkens back to the golden age of cinema, whereby the score is telling you what the characters don’t, the vibrant tones splash on a semi noir feel and our lead actor Jack Forcinito has that Brando/McQueen star presence.
Eric… What can we say about Eric? Well as part of the Horror Takeover day we have a plethora of wonderful movies on show but during the selection process Eric was a movie that just absolutely stood out in every way. Equal parts RomCom ‘sort of’ and horrific killer dog movie, it’s just bloody good fun. Jemma Moore (Host) is effortlessly brilliant and plays the sweet natured dead behind the eyes lead to a tee. I feel like Eric is one of those movies that you will be talking about long after this festival.
Desires and Delusions… it’s like Downton Abbey but not pants. I really didn’t know what to expect from this short and given the recent trend of high society period drama shows that currently sit on my “avoid” list I went in with a little trepidation. Nicole Sarah Fry won me over though as we saw 3 young actress making bold choices for their characters and taking a stand. Fresh, Clever and Fun dialogue perfectly partnered with a very cool original concept all the while poking a little bit of fun at where we are now. Apparently this is to be a proof of concept for a mini-series. This cast, this crew and this Director. Sign me up.
Stillness… Romford Film Fest has a history of bringing some of the most Powerful, Heart driven stories. Movies like Nicole Pott short Powerless (if you are playing along check that off your bingo card) Kemal Yildrims Wastelands and now Rachel Fowlers Stillness. As heartbreakingly beautiful as it gets, taking a hugely personal tragic moment in a couples lives and inserting a soul that guides them to the first step of grief. Caitlin Fitzgerald in the lead is sensational and is able to say everything we need to know about her own grief, the couples grief and by extension ours as the viewer without really saying much. I haven’t seen an actress this captivating since the arrival of Vicky McClure. Stillness is crazy good and while you feel you are stuck in this moment the full runtime I don’t think you will soon forget how you felt during it.
Care/We Care… Yes my last entry is a Two for one and for a couple of reasons really. Both shorts are similar in ways but opposite sides of the narratives in a way which provides a very interesting double bill for you to mull over.
Care is Joseph Millson Writer/Director Debut and he has come out the gate with a deeply meaningful, profound and personal short about a middle aged man going through some stuff and the pensioner he cares for, grudgingly. Tonally it embodies the sense of internal conflict inside all of us, as we are unable to look around and see what’s ahead. We may be where we are but that is not who we are! This short is shot beautifully and of course it is with Elliot Millson on the lens but make no mistake Joseph has meticulously planned down the granular second what he wants us to think and feel in any given moment. This is none more so evident than in the stairlift sequence toward the end of the short. It’s quiet, it sits for a while and if you listen carefully enough you can hear Millson say “That’s the one”. Perfect!!!
While Care is the story of the Carer, We Care is the story of the cared for. Based on a poem written by lead actress Steph Lacey. We meet Annie, a somewhat bubbly bigger lady who after an accident needs to be cared for. Told in a sort of Talking Heads kind of way we come to find that Annie is being physically abused by a new carer. We watch as the days progress and Annie’s demeanour becomes more and more broken. Breaking our hearts all while we are glued to our seats and can’t move Annie is bound to her wheelchair too. It’s a worrying fact that things like this are going on all the time and this short is a very powerful and sobering reminder that you may be listening but are you hearing. Huge effort by director Clare Louise French and her lead.
Well that’s it, my Top5 you can’t miss for this years fest. One thing is for sure, if you are coming to the festival you are in for some seriously powerful shorts and features. Some returning faces in Joseph Millsom, Nicole Pott (my favourite woman in the world.. outside of my family of course), Hugo Santa Cruz, Laura Bayston (crazy talented actress) and ME… Kevin Haldon or as they all like to call me “The best there is, was or ever will be”
See ya at the fest!!!
