Incidental Characters
The lives of four people, who are connected in various ways, are explored over the course of a few days in Benjamin Verrall’s British drama. It might be tempting to stop watching a few minutes in as the four main characters, introduced via a set of interviews where they tell the audience what they had for breakfast, coming across as a bit precious. So, the prospect of spending another 90 minutes with them was not one I was relishing.

However, the film is worth persevering with as the characters become more empathetic as the film progresses, with the performances of Sophia Capasso as the free spirited Josie and Steve Watts as the lonely Tony ultimately ringing really true. Whilst Verrall’s script remains uneven, there are some touching and affecting moments.

The other draw for me was the setting, with the film being shot entirely in the town of Lewes. That is somewhere I am very familiar with, and Verrall captures it beautifully. It may sound odd, but I found it very pleasing to hear someone ordering a pint of Harvey’s Best – my favourite tipple – delivered from a brewery a few yards from the pub that the scene was shot in!

Some people may find this a little too mannered and quirky, but I was won over in the end.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Back Roads
Alex Pettyfer makes his directorial debut as well as starring in Back Roads. He plays Harley, a young man trying to provide for his family after his Mum (Juliette Lewis) is imprisoned after the death of his abusive father.

This is clearly a passion project for Pettyfer. It is clearly a well intentioned take on the impact of abuse on a family and the acting is uniformly good. But, it is an unremittingly gloomy and downbeat story that is unnecessarily interspersed with too many sex scenes, as Harley unwisely embarks on an affair.

In the end, as more and more misery rains down on Harley, the film becomes almost comical.
Rating: 5 out of 10

Little Joe
Alice (Emily Beecham) breeds new species of plants at a large corporation. She successfully creates a new plant that she names after her son (Joe, Kit Connor) but she when takes one home for him, his behaviour changes. She also notices something similar amongst her colleagues who have inhaled the plant pollen…

It is fitting this film feels as sterile and clinical as the laboratory that Alice works in. However, that also had the effect of leaving me feel too detached from the events unfolding. Whilst it is a very interesting concept, there is a distinct lack of dramatic heft and a great resemblance to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Also the discordant score is meant to be unsettling but I found it irritating.

Beecham is fine, and Ben Wishaw is quite creepy as her co-worker, but I think I would much rather watch either the 1956 or 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers again.
Rating: 6 out of 10

I watched all of the above on Amazon Video and they are available on all the usual services. The final film of the week, and my movie of the week can be found on Netflix.

Offering to the Storm
The third part of the Baztan trilogy was one of my most anticipated films of the second half of this year and it doesn’t disappoint. The story resumes where The Legacy of the Bones ended, with Inspector Amaia Salazar (the excellent Marta Etura) continuing to investigate the sinister events in the valley where she works.

This is the longest of the three films but there is a lot of plot to cram in, and, aside from a subplot involving Marta starting an ill advised affair, the pace and interest does not wane at all. The final twist is not that hard to see coming but there are plenty before to shock you.

As great as Etura is, it is good to see the other officers in the squad becoming more involved in the case, as they grow into a tight knit team. This is a hugely satisfying end to the story.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10