Insyriated
Philippe Van Leeuw’s Insyriated is set almost entirely in one apartment in Syria. As the brutal war wages outside Oum Yazan (Hiam Abbass) tries to keep her extended family safe.
As the sounds of the war get ever closer the feeling of claustrophobia mounts, as does the tension. Abbas is terrific as Oum is pushed to breaking point and the rest of the cast are spot-on, giving the film a sense of realism.
Van Leeuw manages to make the film seem cinematic even with the cramped setting and the ending is nicely ambiguous and downbeat.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Una
As a 13 year-old, Una had a relationship with her middle-aged neighbour, Ray, until their tryst was discovered and he was sent to prison. Years later, he is free and she confronts him about their time together.
Despite a clutch of first rate performances from Roony Mara as the older Una, Ruby Stokes as her younger-self and Ben Mendelsohn as Ray, and an initially interesting treatment of the subject matter, I found this hard to warm-to.
Una still seems more upset about Ray ending the affair than his exploitation of her; her way of behaving due to her damaged persona seems a bit of a cliché; and her actions in the second half of the film increasingly unbelievable.
Rating: 6 out of 10