The only great thing about this is the post-punk soundtrack

Website: imdb.com
Director: Kanchi Wichmann
Lead: Kat Redstone
Co-Star: Sophie Anderson
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 107mins
Rating: NR
Stars: ★★

Why is it that filmmakers these days want to focus so much on how bad relationships can be. For a love story to work on screen – we must also fall in love – be part of the relationship. This is clearly not the case in Break My Fall where we spend the first half of the film watching Liza (Kat Redstone) and Sally (Sophie Anderson) sulking around their flat, through rehearsals and being generally miserable in their relationship.

There are moments of fun. I particularly enjoyed Liza’s meeting up with a older lesbian who has just been jilted by her girlfriend who has actually been married to a man for their entire relationship. The best line in the film is an encounter with a waitress who wants to charge them for an extra fork – ‘you’ve got a cutlery disorder’.

This is an interesting look at the twilight world of London’s East End. There is loads of cocaine, one of the friends is a rent boy and angsty emoish conversations on rooftops at 4am. There are plenty of issues to be emoish about too – casual sex, barebacking, drug abuse, alcoholism and eating disorders.

Reportedly the film was made for about £40,000 – so it achieves a lot for the money. But unfortunately I didn’t really find myself liking any of these characters – and this really detracted for me. The film had the chance to appeal to that kind of modern drama fan – but it just doesn’t push the boundaries far enough to work.

The melodrama just distracts from what could have been a really interesting film

Website: takepart.com
Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Lead: Sarah Kazemy
Co-Star: Nikohl Boosheri
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 107mins
Rating: NR
Stars: ★★★

Set in Tehran, but filmed in Beirut by an Iranian-American director – Circumstance looks at a range of issues including but not limited to the treatment of women in Iranian society. Maryam Keshavarz should know about the subject spent her summers as a kid in Iran.

The film itself won rave reviews at Sundance – but I struggled a little with it. Not only because of the overly erotic material – but because the story really pushes the boundaries of what I can handle with melodrama. There is a point at which a director can make a film which thrives on the drama contained – but here it just seemed to detract from the film generally.

There is no doubt that being young and in love would be tough in Tehran. This is for sure – and when there are other complicating factors this makes things even more difficult.

Atafeh (Nikohi Boosheri) comes from a wealthy and fairly liberal (in context) kind of family. Atafeh’s best friend and first love is Shireen (Sarah Kazemy) is an orphan who has been taken under the wing by Atafeh’s family after her left-leaning parents were killed by the regime. Atafeh’s brother is creepy. Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai) has just returned from a stint in drug rehab – but it is clear that something weird flows through this guys veins.

A side of Tehran most will not know exists is portrayed. Hidden dance parties, bars with go-go dancers and drug taking (and lesbianism of course). But then there is the side of Tehran we know well. A beachside scene where burqa-wearing woman are contrasted by their speedo-clad partners. This inequality is hard to escape- but you have to look through all the melodrama to see the political message.

What I did love were the sweet little singing scenes where Atafeh’s family, led by her mother, since folk songs. Gorgeous.

IMDb