The BFI are for some inexplicable reason running a pre- release free movie ticket scheme for Alice Lowe's new film. Being a fan of her we booked for a free ticket. We arrived at the cinema, and the audience was about twenty people in a small screen cinema. I got the impression most were there because it was free, not because they were fans of Alice Lowe.
The premise of the film is the central character played by Alice Lowe is in love with another character played by Aneurin Bernard. And throughout history she stalks him, but never gets to consumate her love because she always dies gruesomely before that can happen. This certainly had comedic potential.
The film I have to say is one huge disappointment. It's very very low budget. It struggles to get and maintain its tone and pace right. The script needs a lot more attention, tightening up and sharpening of barbs. The story arc feels too feeble and so lacking in purpose you wait in vain for it to pull itself together. There needed to be some resolution or satirical punchline as to what she learns from all this stalking through history.
The 18th century and 1980's periods are both given far too much time. These are when the story flounders most. If the pace was snappier, the jokes more cutting and honed, then perhaps you wouldn't have minded so much. The senario might have made for a funny ten minute skit in a comedy sketch show. Each week repeating a further variant set in a different period. But here it feels so inadequate as to be embarrassing.
Alice Lowe, stars, writes and directs. And I would say at least one of those tasks should have been delegated to someone else. Despite a good ensemble cast including Nick Frost, Kate Dickie they are largely wasted, and can be seen visibly to struggle concocting some sense of purpose for their characters. Best line - when she described her vagina euphemistically as her - mossy treasure.
This is, sad to say, quite the worst film I've seen in many a year.
CARROT REVIEW - 3/8
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