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augustwilder
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The Survivalist (2015)
Uncompromising Sci Fi for grown ups.
This is one of those films that you're probably going to either love or hate. It's certainly not one for the faint hearted and there's an unrelenting sense of darkness and tension that underpins the whole film. It's certainly not escapism in the vein of the recent brilliant but bonkers Mad Max. But that's kind of the point, what it does, and does so brilliantly is add a sense of 'kitchen sink' realism to a post apocalyptic world. You get the feeling that his is how the world really would be after the apocalypse, a quieter, sadder more desperate place. At it's heart it's a film about humanism and morality and the way both of these are shaped by the environment around us. All the characters are cast in shades of grey, driven to ruthless acts in order to survive and yet it's still all to easy to empathise with them. A bold uncompromising feature with perhaps my favourite opening titles sequence of all time.
Burn the Place you Hide (2016)
A strange and beautiful documentary.
I saw this film at a recent screening and loved it. Not being familiar with Thomas Hansen's music I didn't quite know what to expect but I'd thoroughly recommend it, perhaps even more so if you know nothing at all about him. It's a strange documentary, in some ways the construction and pace feels more like a fictional narrative (in a good way) and the way it drifts through his life has a languorous dreamlike quality to it. The filmmakers obviously had access to a huge amount of home recordings and personal archive video which helps create a real sense of intimacy and some of the interviews are immensely moving, especially his guitarist/ best friend who carries the emotional centre of the film. There's also some genuinely funny moments that helps to balance out the darker aspects of the story. A really unusual, and in many ways, life affirming documentary that's well worth catching, even if you're not a fan of his music.
Mistaken for Strangers (2013)
A really cool film let down by a few flaws
This is a pretty great film and as a fan of the national I'd been waiting to watch it for ages and it nearly pulls it off. It's funny affecting and obviously the tunes are great, the one thing that let it down slightly for me was the slightly 'scripted documentary' feeling I got in a few places, where you'd questions the veracity of what's happening and why there's a bunch of other camera people shooting a seemingly intimate set up. However, maybe this is being slightly pedantic. At the heart of the film it's a story about two brothers and their relationship and a very universal tale that I certainly related to, I found myself cringing and laughing in equal amounts. Overall well worth checking out.