Film Magazine Review Draft 2

(This magazine review will be in the same format as those in the Sight and Sound magazine)

United Kingdom

Film Title:

Director: Ben Bishop

Certificate:

I understand this film completely - the day rolls around when you plan on meeting that special someone but as you are about to leave your stomach tightens into a sudden knot. We are introduced to Ajax at this point, as he lies hunched over at the front door of his house. Bishop, the director,  has a knack of creating films focusing on how love can make us react. His previous film, Blissful Torture, focused on a boy who failed to express his emotions at an opportune moment. This film focuses on how the protagonist, Ajax is in a constant conflict within himself about whether or not to push forward on his journey or to give up and return to the safety of his own home. Ajax’s friend is the bubbly type which acknowledges his/her friends problem and tries to calm them by talking about their own problems. I think that we can all relate to this. We all have that one friend which we can turn to and they either provide us with joyful conversation or just leave us with closed answers. Fortunately for Ajax this time the friend, _____, keeps Ajax’s mind occupied as they travel to the town centre. The centre is awash with people, bustling around and Ajax somehow has to get to the other side in order to reach his loved one. Falling down once again into the pit of despair.  This is one of a few social realism films which ends with a happy ending and it really deserves it. Too much of the world is filled with darkness and upset.

One of the best films I have watched in a long time and leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction. Observing the film in a critical way, I think that the friend driving Ajax to the town centre could have been a little more empathetic about how Ajax was feeling at the time however as mentioned earlier, the friend is off a talkative nature so perhaps they already know Ajax feels like this and just brushes it off. Once in the town centre the friend really changes and turns down from 11 to a much lower number as they give Ajax a much needed confidence boost right before he steps out into the street. Now we talk about the conclusion and oh what a conclusion it is. Blissful torture would have begged for a ending like this! The shine in Ella’s eyes, the soft and quiet voice of Ajax, this film’s conclusion doesn’t “pull on your heartstrings and then tear them out”, instead it plays them like a harp whilst making you think if the film can end happily. When you have finished watching the film you realise that what you just watched classifies as Social Realism! Outstanding! Social realism and indeed the world needs more happy endings and this film does not fail to provide!