- LONG - Review of the film Borrowed Time When I first saw the trailer for ‘Borrowed Time’ I knew it was going to be good. I didn’t however appreciate just how good it was going to be. Seeing it has totally changed my perception of independently made, low budget films. To pick out any particular strength would be an injustice. Although the script and storyline written by Jules Bishop are outstanding, the casting is also perfect. As a viewer, you are very quickly drawn into the characters, and really care about them as people. In so many big budget films, this personal element can be lost. The action may be great, the special effects may be spectacular and the locations exotic – But unless you feel real empathy for the characters, and care what happens to them, the story line can fall apart. That does not happen in Borrowed Time. I think one of the key factors in that, is due to the way the film was kept in the hands of the writer, instead of being reshaped and re written by the corporate machine, who all want to make their own artistic mark on the production in exchange for an investment. The key characters in the film are Kevin, played by Theo Barklem-Biggs in his first leading role and Phillip, played by Phil Davis, an elderly reclusive gentleman, whom Kevin intends to burgle. Kevin is the sort of kid we see around us all the time, and dismiss as a ‘wrong –un’. Written off at first sight as a no hoper, no prospects, no ambition. This is often the way they are portrayed as well. We are drawn into his life, as a bad situation of his own making, spirals out of control. Each attempt he makes to resolve it, just sets him back a little more, until he is forced into something inescapable. It may seem extreme, but in actual fact when you take away the hoody top, it’s a situation many of us can identify with. We create situations for ourselves, and sometimes in trying to make them better, actually create a bigger problem. Early on, Kevin shows himself to be a much better person than he is given credit for, and for this reason, there is an intense feeling created that you want to help him make the right choices, or want to stand up for him when he is doing the right thing but his actions are misinterpreted. I can’t go into details there without spoiling a part of the story, so you will just have to watch it. There is a wonderful, slightly complex relationship portrayed between Kevin, his sister played by Juliet Oldfield and her four year old son. It’s a very touching relationship, which I’m sure a lot of parents and siblings will identify with. Phil Davis, probably best known for his recent role in ‘Whitechapel’ or as one of the key characters in the cult classic ‘Quadrophenia’ has been a well known face on TV for many years. Although he says, somewhat tongue in cheek, that he felt he was a little too young to play the part of Phillip, he played the part fantastically. Phillip is an elderly, gentleman who has over the years become quite a recluse. Phils portrayal of his quirky mannerisms, his eccentricity and his mental and physical health are perfect. Once again, you soon see past the grumpy loner, to a much more likeable character underneath. Perhaps something more of us should put into practice in real life. Everything about ‘Borrowed Time’ is totally believable. It’s never overplayed, and this is another reason for us as the audience to be able to identify with it. As a comedy it works really well. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments, but a lot of the comedy comes in the form of heart-felt, smile inducing scenes, which are far more satisfactory than a momentary belly laugh. There are scenes which create a heightened sense of anxiety, and some which are quite sad. In fact I found myself becoming quite emotional a few times, even to the point, that watching the trailer again now brings a renewed lump to my throat as I’m reminded of scenes which either precede or follow the chosen clips . Warren Brown, who plays the part of ‘Ninja’ Nigel, had this to say of ‘Borrowed Time’ - “This was my first experience in a low budget project, and I loved it. It’s a fantastic script” Phil added that he felt it broke the mold of ‘youf’ films. Talking about the way the film was funded and brought to the big screen, producer Olivier Kaempfer had this to say: “Kickstarter funding and Tugg screenings create a democratisation of the whole process. Everybody in this room has been a part of it, either by being a part of the actual creative team, or by helping to fund it. Everybody who shared posts on Facebook, retweeted on Twitter and other social media activity were part of the marketing team. Film making will become much more of a collaboration, not just between cast, crew and producers – but with the audience too. It’s incredibly exhilarating to have that degree of contact with the audience.” Phil added to this saying “You can make a film really cheaply and get it out there. You retain control, and there is something very important about this type of film.” Due to circumstances beyond my control on the way to this screening, I ended up taking my eldest son instead of my wife to this as originally intended, and although it was a little old for him, he still enjoyed it and found it very funny. I will add however, that there is some rude language used during the film, which makes it less suitable for younger viewers. He had this to say of Nigel. “He’s proper Ninja isn’t he? – But a bit of a fail at the same time”. You’d have to see the film to understand that, and I won’t spoil anything by explaining. But I will say, once you have seen it, that will make perfect sense. Like the other characters, you soon come to the realisation that he isn’t exactly as he first appears. So where does ‘Borrowed Time’ go from here? It’s been seen at the Edinburgh Film Festival, and now been the first Tugg funded screening in the UK, which in itself secures ‘Borrowed Times’ place in cinematic history. But it would be a travesty if it lost momentum now. It deserves to be seen by a much wider audience. It is on DVD, but will that release be given sufficient promotion, and indeed shelf space to make an impact? It’d be lovely to see it aired on TV, that is, if the public are ready to see such innovative drama in it’s living rooms instead of a continuing roster of reality shows and long running soaps. I would certainly urge everybody to buy a copy of this film. It’s one that I will certainly want to watch more than just a couple of times. It’s a feel good movie with a difference, and redefines our preconceptions of youth.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:51:16 +0000
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