User Reviews

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This film was interesting from beginning to the end. The non linear narrative requires the audience to remain attentive in order to follow the story. The technique was effective in making the story gripping. The continuous flashbacks and flash forwards created uncertainty in what the present was meant to be. The safest assumption being that the flash forwards were the present. This break from conventional film making only serves to drive the film forward. The director Ali Paterson was clearly willing to take cinematic risks which many movie directors wouldn't.

Kevin Leslie played the central character Angus Young. I'm not sure if the writer realised the name is also shared by the AC DC guitarist from Australia. By using the non linear narrative we see Angus changing through the years which makes him surprising and unpredictable and the audience are uncertain what they are going to see next. An excellent device for use in a thriller. Angus appears to be cold and manipulative character in his appearance with Kalani, Macéo Bhardwaj

giving a very good performance as a confused soul for Angus's interest. The film then contains flashbacks to a very different Angus showing Kevin Leslie's range as an actor.

THe back story is delicately handled and Jamie Bird is central to this giving the most moving scene with Kevin Leslie. The main section of the film is Angus's transition in accordance to the film's promotion material the 'Lover-' is undergoing a new life. Theatre actor Vincent Jerome appears to build the story with Angus and the meaning of the title of this movie takes shape. The romantic element takes an unexpected tangent and the momentum moves up. Aspects from past scenes take on new meaning. This was not a script that could be predicted.

The film takes another leap with the reappearance of the mostly stage actor Steve Armourae. Having 2 notable but not very well known stage actors in Armourae and Jerome meant the film took on different energy, momentum and colour. Both filled the scenes and clearly enjoyed their characters. One of the major scenes has both asserting their characters like they were on the stage of the Globe theatre. I've seen Armourae in plays before. Clearly he often tones down the assertive, commanding big acting that he has done a couple of times and at one point in the Crucible got caught out by some snarling bass that got out of control. Here although largely let of the leash Armourae was keeping it under control. Kevin Leslie's performance having again to undergo a change of personality met Jerome and Armourae's challenge in the film's climax. The confrontation between Kevin Leslie and Armourae sounds like a confrontation between Christopher Lee (Armourae doing a bass baritone of Dracula) and Leslie growling like Clint Eastwood.

The film takes risks in many ways and has a fresh approach. The credits say it was partly inspired by Robert Rodriguea's techniques and th e pace and rhythm are similar to his work. Ali Paterson has underplayed the religious references and concentrated on the thriller which is preferable in this instalment; since the director said there will be a sequel 'The Rapture' which I imagine will explain and bring into prominence the intriguing religious and mystical references in this film.

This is an unusual independent movie that takes around 15 minutes to appreciate what you are watching which is when the jumping between time lines congeals into an engaging thriller. A film that doesn't make compromises to the audience to try to grab their attention in the first minute but requires attention from the audience in the same way as a classic novel.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to see a screening of this film at the BFI, along with most of the cast and crew. A friend of a friend had invited me, with only a brief mention of what it was all about. Basically a couple of nut jobs had tried to make a sprawling feature thriller and make it look as large a budget as possible on next to no budget. It was here that I found out about all the locations used, and my god there are many locations spanning literally continents.

The actually story is in much need of a good editor and a bit of TLC to polish it off, but the story is there, the acting is most definitely there, but what shone through above anything else was the passion that the makers put behind the project. I would be very interested to see how this film would have looked if a larger then the £2000 odd budget had been secured: I suspect sadly it would still be a bit rough around the edges, but be on a much larger scale.

Overall the story and structure is there: and works! I look forward to what they do next!