Kelly + Victor (2012)

You won't be disappointed!

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Sadly Over-hyped

As Good As It Gets

I saw this last night, and was impressed by the grittiness, good acting and directing. There seems to be a misguided notion in certain circles of British and European Indie film-making circles that a messed up tragedy is "higher art" than something which has a more positive outcome. Why, oh why would I actually WANT to see a movie which offers very little other than a display of lost individuals who make idiotic decisions? How does that enrich my life? Does it tell me that there are such moronic individuals on the planet, and if so, why would I want to waste my time watching a depressing movie, how does that help these actual people? It does not.So then again, why would one watch this drivel? Like Breaking The Waves, it is a pathetic romance of being messed up, which belongs in the rubbish heap of misguided notions, like the one that you have to be tortured to be a worthwhile artist.Give it a miss, go see something that is both gritty, intelligent as well as enlightened and uplifting. Why wouldn't you want that for yourself, I know I do.The movie gets 0/10 for plot and 8/10 for the good acting. Pity the film-maker was so obsessed with an obsolete notion.

Welsh screenwriter and director Kieran Evans' feature film debut which he wrote, is an adaptation of a novel from 2002 by English author Niall Griffiths. It premiered in the Dare section at the 56th London Film Festival in 2012, was screened at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2013, was shot on locations in England and North Wales and is a UK-Ireland co-production which was produced by producer Jainine Marmot. It tells the story about a man named Victor who lives at a disused school in Anfield, Liverpool in England with three other men and who spends most of his time with his sister named Lizzie who lives in a house with her husband named Mikey and their son named Connor, and his friends named Craig and Baz. Whilst celebrating at a nightclub on his birthday, Victor meets a woman named Kelly on the dance floor and accompanies her to her apartment.Distinctly and precisely directed by Welsh filmmaker Kieran Evans, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated simultaneously and interchangeably from the two main characters' viewpoints, draws a necessarily unsentimental and psychologically poetic portrayal of a woman who socialises with a Dominatrix named Victoria, and who on a night in June whilst out dancing approaches and initiates contact with a person she takes a liking to. While notable for its variegated and atmospheric milieu depictions, reverent cinematography by cinematographer Piers McGrail, production design by production designer Anthea Nelson, costume design by costume designer Orla Smyth-Mill and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about the consequences of human cruelty and how it in some cases can express itself, where a Gemini woman and Taurus man who chooses to trust one another and unite in an act of love which exposes their true selves and creates an unspoken promise and invaluable fragments of hope which transforms them and their relation to life, and where excruciating deeds gradually becomes understandable though not condonable, depicts two mindfully internalized studies of character and contains a timely and prominent score by composer Steve Fanagan. This lingeringly atmospheric, mysteriously spiritual and poignantly and yearningly romantic indie love-story which is set during a summer in England in the 21st century and where an English dock worker in his late twenties is introduced through his new acquaintance to unfamiliar expressions which causes bilateral reactions and instigates the presence of death in him, and a self-employed female designer whom unwillingly joins a friend to meet a banker who takes strange pleasure from being humiliated and dominated, starts acting in reckless and hazardous ways, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, efficiently abrupt film editing, contrasting perspectives, graceful interplay, scenes between Victor and Kelly, comment by a bartender at a pub : "Pick on someone your own size..." and the crucial and authentic acting performances by Northern Irish actress Antonia Campbell-Hughes and English actor Julian Morris. An importantly austere, densely cinematographic and humanizing character piece.

I really thought that there were some things that were out of bounds in the film genre, but I guess I was wrong. This film gives one explanation on how some men can get addicted to erotic asphyxiation. There is a sentence I thought I'd never say. Kelly (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) is a strange girl who apparently grew up with some major issues. I mean, I have had some wild times in my day, but nearly strangling someone during sex is not anything that I have ever thought about. Strangling them after we were done, now that's a different story (smile). Kelly looked like she was about twelve years old. She was really super thin and had absolutely no shape about her. At one point she was sitting in front of some food and I was thinking, please let this poor child put some kind of nourishment in her mouth. Apparently the lack of sustenance did not hamper her ability to over-power; I guess she had the same bone structure as Wolverine. As for Victor (Julian Morris), he seemed like just an average single guy looking to score. He hooks up with Kelly who introduces him to this violent form of sexual expression. I guess you don't know what you like until you have it for the first time. Things get even tougher if it becomes an obsession and everyone knows how hard it is to kick when you are obsessed. Not only was this an independent film, but it was a foreign film as well. There was a lot of sex and nudity in this film, but that is not unusual for films from other countries (especially Europe). I can remember seeing nudity on television at a very young age (not sex; but just body parts) and it seemed normal. It always makes me chuckle when movie-goers are surprised when an unexpected body part flashes across the screen. I am glad that we are not giving ratings for this film because there were times that some of the scenes were uncomfortable to watch. The one thing that I will give the director is that he did manage to touch on a subject that is not well known and possibly misunderstood. Luckily, I watch enough of Crime Scene Investigation stories that I have seen this affliction before. I am not sure if this film will be in wide release in this country, but it may do very well in Wales.

I saw this at the Dublin Film Festival just because it was on before another film I wanted to see. The film blew me away and was my favorite of the festival. The film follows the troubled Kelly and Victor as they become deeper and deeper involved in an affair which was passionate but destructive. Throughout the film its never made clear whether this is love or lust and this is one of the films strengths. The film is challenging and at times shocking but also has moments of haunting beauty. Stylistically the film is definitely a mix between a grimy realism and a more lyrical poetical style plus the sex scenes which are quite intense. Plus a note about the acting. Don't look what the two leads have done before, their performances are totally stunning and brilliant.Also the film never feels the need to make anything explicit. There are hints about the characters past but much like in Shame, these are implicit hints which trust the audience to be smart enough to piece together. This is a film which will stay with you long after the credits roll