Havelock01 Reviews

The Escape (II) (2017)

1st class acting, story needed work.

[7/10 · 8 April 2019]

Wow, this an excellent portrayal of depression, and I'm sure it'll resonate with so many mothers/wives out there. It is so good, so realistic and recognisable, it was very difficult to watch at times. Gemma Arterton should be applauded for her work here.

Unfortunately I felt the narrative too simplistic and the ending unsatisfying. They've also gone for minimal dialogue, which whilst I'm sure some would argue you don't need as everything is written on their faces, I personally found it much too minimal.

In summary - amazing and moving portrayal of depression and helplessness in the acting, but ultimately a not wholly satisfying film to watch. 7/10

Into the Forest (2015)

A quiet, powerful little movie

[7/10 · 2 December 2016]

The only thing I knew about this film apart from a brief synopsis, was that it was low budget.

When I started watching this quiet, powerful little film, I realised it isn't about what happens as such, but rather how the two main characters evolve to cope. This whole film is a careful, unshowy study of character development. If you like that sort of thing, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Unfortunately I think a lot of the negative reviews here are born from misconceptions of what this film was going to be - probably due to misrepresentation by cable and streaming services. It's not a post-apocalypse film, not a thriller or even about survivalism as such; it a psychological drama about two young people learning to cope on their own. The reviewers that focus on what the characters did wrong or the 'stupid' choices they made, are missing the point. People also forget that in such an alien situation - full of fear and isolation and uncertainty, people don't always make rational, sensible decisions. It doesn't make a character's story 'stupid' or 'unrealistic' if they take questionable, emotional actions. I wonder how well many of these reviewers would do if they were in these two characters' shoes.

This film is not without faults. By far the strongest aspect is the quality of the acting from the leads, on whose ability to make believable and likable characters, this whole film rests. I can understand why many people don't like this film, it's certainly not for everyone, but it is one that has made a real and heartfelt impact on me, and I think it will stay with me a long time.