From the moment they hop into a taxi, Chasing The Night immerses us in the vibrant London nightlife, with each location offering a new slice of the city’s charm. The cinematography is sleek, capturing neon-lit streets and intimate corners that reflect both the excitement and hesitation of its characters. Adeyemi’s direction deftly balances quiet tension and playful spontaneity, keeping the pacing tight while still allowing enough space for subtle emotional beats.

One of the film’s biggest strengths is the palpable chemistry between Dìrísù and Ayorinde. Their dialogue and interactions are charged with what is said—and, crucially, what remains unspoken. You sense there is a weight on their minds, a conversation they’re both avoiding and Adeyemi carefully unravels these layers as the film heads toward its final act. The result is a sense of authenticity that resonates long after the credits roll.

Chasing The Night premiered on the festival circuit throughout 2024, garnering awards at S.O.U.L. Fest at the BFI and qualifying for both BAFTA and BIFA. Its official online release is set for February 25th on both Omeleto’s YouTube channel and Vimeo via Short of the Week, following in the footsteps of Adeyemi’s award-winning debut short No More Wings.

With its sharp visuals, standout performances, and a well-crafted narrative, Chasing The Night provides a compelling snapshot of London’s after-dark energy—and the unspoken truths we carry into the night. Whether this is just the beginning for Leon and Fatimah remains to be seen, but fans will surely be hoping for a longer exploration of their story in a feature-length follow-up.

The post Deborah Ayorinde and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù Shine in the Romantic Drama ‘Chasing The Night’ appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The plot follows Dot, a very pleasant homemaker living in Minnesota but after a fracas at a school board meeting where she genuinely accidentally assaults a cop she is arrested. While she is soon out on bail Dot is very antsy about being arrested. Days later she is kidnapped, or at least attempted to be. It turns out, that Dot has not always been Dot but used to be Nadine, married to Roy Tillman, a sheriff in a nearby county and an absolute maniac. Roy is corrupt, violent and puffed up with religious zealotry. Nadine escaped this terrible man and became Dot, meeting a very gentle and kind man, marrying him and having a child, Scotty. Alongside these central characters, we have Dot’s husband Wayne Lyon, her mother-in-law Lorraine Lyon who is CEO of the largest debt collection agency in the country, Deputy Indira Olmstead and State Trooper Witt Farr, as well as Roy’s son Gator. Finally, there is the sinister, mysterious, murderous Ole Munch.

On The Screen

The show revolves around two central performances; Juno Temple as Nadine/Dot and Jon Hamm as Roy Tillman. Temple manages to capture both the gentle manner and basic decency of the Minnesota mom and the unstoppable force of someone who has survived a harrowing ordeal and won’t go back. Likewise Hamm has two existences as Roy Tillman – the public persona of no-nonsense tough but fair sheriff, with his aww shucks charm, and a brutal and corrupt man justifying his actions with self-serving Bible verses.

Another standout performance is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lorraine Lyon (I have been trying to perfect her contemptuous drawl for weeks), Nadine/Dot’s mother-in-law billionaire.

The Characters

Dot/Nadine

Dot very early on is described by someone as a tiger and this is an apt description. She fights fiercely at every opportunity – in the course of the show, she sets people on fire, hits them with hammers, chokes them with chains, electrocutes them and more. She is also an extremely caring and loving mother, wife and person. The amount of time we see Dot baking and cooking in this season almost makes it a cooking show.

Roy Tillman

Domestic abuse, up to and including murder, is very present this season, Tillman is violent to all three of his wives that we see (and others). Nadine ran from Tillman because of this violence. He feels entirely justified in this, quoting all manner of verses from the Bible to support the horror he puts women through. The casting of Jon Hamm is an interesting one, he is the sheriff, a public and political figure, he can put his face on a campaign billboard and look impressive. Roy Tillman is the latest in a long line of terrifying Fargo villains and Tillman might be the scariest since season one’s Lorne Malvo. He dishes out Old Testament punishment to those he feels have done wrong – rarely involving a trial – is as staggeringly corrupt as to be selling police weapons and equipment to far-right militias, and does whatever he wants. He has a large group of henchmen made up of deputies and thugs who will murder, threaten and kidnap for him. So sure of his own power when the FBI arrive to tell him they know of all of his crimes he barely registers it.

The Rest

As with every season of Fargo, it has its share of odd, puzzling characters. Danish Graves, Lorraine’s besuited lawyer whose eyepatch always matches his outfit, Roy’s son. Gator, who is utterly incompetently childish and so far out of his depth he will soon be surfacing on the other side of the world. And then there is Indira’s husband, now for someone who isn’t violent or a terrible criminal he has to be one of the most unlikeable characters of all time. While Indira is out working as a cop and desperately manages their crushing debt, he is intent on becoming a golf pro, spending thousands on equipment and not looking for work. Ole Munch, it’s hard to know what to say about him, like the UFOs in Fargo season 2 or the Heaven bowling alley in season 3 he might be something in a more supernatural bent. Ole Munch looks bizarre and talks in a ludicrous manner of quasi-philosophical rhetoric, answering every reasonable question with things like “when a man digs a grave, he must fill it, otherwise it is just a hole”. He is a creepy murdering criminal but is a very different way to Roy and his cronies.

The Show

The show spirals in and out of Dot’s safety, her past and present, and those around her given choices about what they will do. Will the police deputy and state trooper look the other way for an easy life? Will Lorraine Lyon back her daughter-in-law or destroy her? Perhaps the key concept in the show is debt – Roy feels Dot/Nadine has a debt to him, one that he cannot forget, Lorraine is literally a billionaire manager of debt, her lawyer Danish Graves has a ledger of debts to call in to get things done and she calls in all manner of political favours. Indira is drowning in debt while her useless husband complains about how she is not fulfilling her obligations to him as a wife. And then there is Ole Munch – a personification of debt, something he took on and will insist all debts are paid.

Season 5 is one of the best seasons of the show and just an all around fantastic tv show.

Rating: (4.5 / 5)

Also Read: True Crimes, Real Lives: Exploring the Ethics of the Sub-Genre

The post Review: Fargo Season 5 appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Liselotte Vanophem (Big Picture Film Club): Congrats on the film!

Charlotte Regan (writer/director Scrapper): Thank you so much.

LV: It was just announced that the film is going to Edinburgh, to the Edinburgh Film Festival. How does it feel?

CR: It’s very cool! It’s very exciting. I love Edinburgh, so it would be nice to be a part of it, for sure.

LV: How did it feel when the Sundance Film Festival London said, “we want your film as the opening film”. Opening a festival must feel even more special than ‘only’ being selected.

CR: Being part of the Sundance Film Festival London and the Sundance community feels super cool. I try not to think about it too much, though. But it’s very cool. I feel very lucky, for sure.

LV: The casting of this movie is amazing, especially the children who are making their film debut. How did you find them?

CR: Oh, our casting director, Shaheen Baig, is incredible. She was a massive part of the search. And it was just a really long search. It took like two years because we were meant to shoot the year before, but because of COVID19, we had to push it back. We went to a lot of schools, and we’re being sent hundreds of tapes of young people. But from the moment we got Lola her tape, we knew that she was like magic. And then Alin came to an audition, and he’s the most charismatic 12-year-old you’ll ever meet in your life. So straight away, we knew we had two great kids on our hands.

LV: When and how did Harris Dickinson join the cast? The relationship between his character Jason and Lola’s Georgie is incredible.

CR: I’ve worked with Harris before when we worked on a short film a few years ago. I know him from that. I also love all the work that he’s done. All his films are incredible. He’s an amazing guy. He was cast the traditional way. We cast the young people first, or we intended to. Maybe we didn’t properly lock them in, but we looked for the kids first before looking for a Jason, just because I felt like the kids needed to come first and then Jason. Harris read for it and was just amazing, you know. He was also very selfless and knew how to support the kids whilst always giving a great performance.

LV: Where did the story for this film come from? Was it something that happened to you personally, something you have seen, etc.?

CR: I think a mix of everything for sure. There are people that I recognize within the film. People from the joyful working-class community that I grew up in. But beyond that, it’s not something that happened to me personally. The story evolved over time.

 LV: This is the first movie you wrote and directed by yourself instead of having co-directors/co-writers. How was that process?

CR: It was a lot of sitting on your own, writing, which I’m not a big fan of. I like to be with people to talk about things. I worked with my producer Theo on this, who is one of my best friends in the world, and we’ve worked together for a long time. There was that ‘family’ vibe. My production designer Elena was one of my best friends in school, and we’ve known each other since we were 12. My DP Molly is one of my best friends. It felt very much like a family-orientated shoot. They came on board very early and were always willing to talk creatively, which helped. Theo in particular, has sat with me for days and days, writing the script with me and saying the dialogue out loud. He was my partner through the whole process, for sure.

LV: There are a lot of emotional moments in this film. What was the most emotional one for you?

CR: I don’t know, really. I don’t feel that emotional on set, weirdly. I don’t know why. I probably try not to. However, when I watch it back, I love the bit where they are dancing together, and they finally connect just because she’s been so reluctant to let him in. So I love that moment. However, on the day of filming, I didn’t feel very emotional about it. I was probably blurring it out on purpose. I was probably tired and drinking too much coffee.

LV: And what do you hope that the audience will take away from this film?

CR: I hope it makes people laugh and smile. I suppose that is what I love about watching cinema. Movies are experiences that make you leave feeling lighter than when you went in. Something that makes you laugh or brings you a bit of joy. And then I hope that it captures how much joy and humour there is in working-class environments because I feel like it’s not something we get to see loads on screen.

LV: Is that experience also why you went into filmmaking?

CR: I don’t know. I think I got lucky with the film so I think it’s more luck. I don’t know if I would be good at anything else.

LV: Do you already have other projects you’re working on

CR: Yes, I’m writing films at the minute and just filmed an Apple show called The Buccaneers. It’s a period drama. One of the films I’m writing is a psychological horror about a gangster. It’s a totally different genre than this one.

LV: Scraper has a release at the end of August in the UK (25^th of August, to be exact). Are there any plans for releasing it in other countries?

CR: I think it releases on the same day in the U.S. I think I’ll be working on another shoot then, so might not be able to make it to promote it there.

LV: Well, good luck with Scrapper and your other projects!

CR: Thanks a lot!

Scrapper is screened on the 7th of July during the Sundance Film Festival London and has a nationwide release on the 25th of August.

Also Read: Review: Scrapper

The post Inside the Heart of ‘Scrapper’: An Interview with Groundbreaking Director Charlotte Regan appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

No child should have to grow up alone

Georgie (Campbell) lives alone in a flat on the outskirts of London. Her mother just died from an undescribed disease, and it’s clear that Georgie is still grieving, which is completely understandable. Her estranged father Jason (Harris Dickinson) has been MIA for almost her entire life, so Georgie has no choice but to take care of herself. Instead of attending school, she and her friend Ali (Alin Uzun) spend their time stealing and selling bikes to get cash. Georgie is determined and resourceful as she’s been misleading the social services with the help of a local shop owner, a few audio recordings and an ‘uncle’ named Winston Churchill. Georgie knows this situation is unsustainable. To find some peace, quiet and hope, she goes into a room to lie in front of a scrap pile (hence the title).

One day her life is changed completely when Jason comes leaping through her garden one day. He has heard about what happened to her mother and wants to help Georgie. However, there’s a reason why he hasn’t been part of her life. Jason still hasn’t come to terms with growing up and becoming a father, so how do you expect someone like him to care for a young girl already on the wrong path? Will they be able to reconnect and save themselves?

Stunning performances by the newcomers!

While this plotline about the estranged father-daughter relationship feels very familiar due to Aftersun, released last year, Scrapper still has a lot of uniqueness to offer. The main reason why you should see this movie is the stunning standout performance by newcomer Campbell. During our interview with Regan, she mentioned that she was the perfect Georgie right from the start of Campbell’s audition, and we certainly agree with her. Campbell perfectly balances Georgie’s rough-tough side and her vulnerability, and her comedic timing is top-notch. While she shares the screen with Dickinson, she could have easily carried this film herself through the end.

Dickinson, who’s on a roll after releasing Triangle of Sadness, See How They Run, and Where The Crawdads Sing all last year, is perfect as Jason. He gives his character the mysterious vibe he needs (Georgie initially thought that her father was clearly out for something) but also shows us that no matter how long you’ve been out of each other’s lives, the father-daughter connection is never completely broken. The chemistry between Campbell and Dickinson spat off the screen, making the relationship between Georgie and her father feels very authentic. We also have to congratulate Uzun on his stunning debut performance as the loyal friend who’s certainly not immune to Georgie’s wit and mischief.

Smooth editing and soft cinematography with a few flaws

Visual-wise, Regan uses many different aspects and techniques. She mainly relies on the ‘traditional’ way of filming a drama. Long, emotional scenes that have no background score whatsoever. The main focus is the characters and their feelings. To make sure that the movie doesn’t become monotone, she also decides to include the comedic testimonials of people in Georgie’s life—think of her teacher, school enemies, and social workers – about her grieving process and way of living. Regan also speeds up some scenes for dramatic effects and sometimes swaps the smooth editing for jagged cuts. While those aspects sometimes feel a bit out of place, the overall visuals perfectly fit the storyline. The score mainly consists of hip-hop and rap music, giving this movie that ‘in the hood’ vibe.

A heartbreaking movie about grief, maturation and family

Despite some distracting visual choices, Scrapper stands extremely strong throughout its 84 minutes runtime. The heartbreaking story of grief, maturation, (dis)trust and family comes to life stunningly thanks to the great sense of humour, outstanding performances and excellent chemistry.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Scrapper is screened on the 7th of July during the Sundance Film Festival London and has a nationwide release on the 25th of August.

Also Read: Fry-Up (Directed by Charlotte Regan) | Short Snacks #13

The post Review: Scrapper appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The Seasons

Essentially none of the characters from the original film appears in the tv show although there are some connections. The seasons all take place in that broad area of America and all have a similar feel to them – crime, dark comedy and mistakes that lead to terrible consequences. One of it’s best ideas has been that each season is a different story with different characters set in different time periods. Season 1 is set in 2006 and follows sad sack insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman), insane but incredibly effective wandering hitman Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), extremely competent Sheriff’s Deputy Molly Salverson (Allison Tolman)and extremely incompetent police officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks). The season runs through murder, false identities, blackmail, shoot-outs and more.

Season 2 travels back in time to 1979 when a murder spree in a waffle shop, possible UFO sightings and a car accident sparks a turf war between rival crime syndicates.

Season 3 is set in 2010 and this time the main drama is around two brothers, Emmit and Ray Stussy (both played by Ewan McGregor), Ray’s girlfriend Nikki Swango, sort-of police chief Gloria Burgle and V.M Varga a deeply sinister individual who uses a dodgy loan to take over Emmit Stussy’s business.

Season 4 is set in 1950 and mainly concerns two organised crime outfits in Kansas City, and as is tradition to ensure peace between such organisations each leader has one of their children raised by the other organisation, acting as a hostage. The fact that this never works, as is demonstrated in a montage of failed agreements, does nothing to curtail the tradition. Also of importance are Oraetta Mayflower a sociopathic nurse who seems to take pleasure in killing her patients and a local funeral home in debt to one of the crime families.

Chance Encounters, Mistakes & Wrong Place, Wrong Time

As with the movie, Fargo the tv show focuses a lot on people getting caught up in things by accident. Season 3 revolves around what was supposed to be a simple robbery but because the criminal forgets the address and goes to the wrong house it gets far worse. Season 2 hinges on a beautician hitting a mobster with her car and the confusion when her butcher husband is thought to be a hitman who uses the name “The Butcher”. In season 1 people cross paths again and again, with these chance encounters proving hugely important.

Odd Stories & Impossible Characters

Again in keeping with the film the tv show does not focus relentlessly on the plot. There are numerous scenes and stories that do not serve to further the plot (but perhaps are connected in thematic ways) that are there to explore characters and bring the world to life. Season 3 spends a lot of time on the life of the “wrong” Stussy, who just got caught up in things because he shared the name of the target, it turns out he used to be a sci-fi writer and much time is spent examining this including a cartoon scene detailing one of his stories. Season 2 has repeated UFO sightings that occur at key moments.

A feature in the Coens work is people who perhaps are more than what they seem. Season 3 features a character very much hinted to be some manner of divine/supernatural being offering aid to the just and punishment to the wicked. Both Lorne Malvo and Vargo sometimes seem to be something more than just a bad guy, their effectiveness, odd manner and at times omniscience in what is going on and what will happen.

Villains

The show has undeniably created a raft of brilliant villains. Lorne Malvo from Season 1 is one of the greatest villains in all of film and television, a hitman who also seemingly delights in causing chaos and upset wherever he goes. He is ten steps ahead of everyone and even when arrested seems to wriggle free. At one point Malvo is seen as a practising dentist and it turns out he has spent months befriending a fellow dentist to find his witness protection brother. Then there are the pair of hitmen sent by the other side Mr Wrench and Mr Numbers, very effective with a somewhat dysfunctional friendship (one of these deadly hitmen laments the lack of a public library in the town).

Season 2 has a collection of criminals but perhaps the standout is Mike Milligan, a mob enforcer sent to spearhead the takeover of new territory, an extremely eloquent and articulate individual who can easily slip from charming friendliness to sinister threats.

Season 3 has V M Varga, a truly horrific villain in every way shape and form. An unpleasant and intimidating figure who bullies all those around him, claiming to be middle-management of whatever crime organisation he represents but actually much more than that. A man replete with useful stories and anecdotes to illustrate his points and happy to order brutal violence.

Season 4 is a little more complicated in that most of the characters are active criminals and it becomes a case of pointing out that some are worse than others, with Gaetano Fadda being the most brutal.

Of course, these are the obvious villains, those who orchestrate murder and crime, but every season shows those aren’t the only people you need to worry about. The show is full of the crimes of mundane people – people who murder their spouses, siblings who betray each other, ordinary people in a moment of madness do something they shouldn’t do and the unexpected duplicity of those people put their trust in.

Fargo is coming back for a fifth season and can only imagine it’s going to be another rambling odd tale of murder, revenge and coincidence.

Also Read: Making A Coen Brothers Film

The post Fargo: A Movie and TV Masterpiece appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

This powerful film has been praised for its strong feminist message as well as for its artistry. Let’s break it down;

The Story and Characters

The film tells the story of Subira, a young Muslim girl living on the small Kenyan island of Lamu. She spends her free time with her loving father, a fisherman, who promises to teach her how to swim. Her only dream is to dive in the ocean, even if the local customs see this as taboo. Over the years, she remains carefree until she is suddenly thrust into an arranged marriage with a stranger from the capital city, Nairobi.

Tradition and religion were strong themes which were portrayed with nuance. Subira felt trapped by marriage, yet her best friend had longed for it since she was a little girl. We were also shown that Kenyans are not a monolith; the characters had very different experiences of the same events depending on their gender, age and environment. Tradition can unite and divide at the same time. There were masterful portrayals of the different relationships in this film, especially between Subira and each of her parents.

The core message of women’s freedom is something many of us can relate to. In an interview with Ebru TV, the lead actress Brenda Wairimu said, “If you ask me, this story is based on a true story for everyone.” Even if you’ve never been to Kenya or even never seen the ocean, this story carries a truth that women everywhere have all lived through. Subira’s gentle stubbornness is something we could all learn from.

The Visuals and Sound

The sound design and music choice for this movie was simply stunning. Coastal music with Arabic influence is the very first thing that captures your attention when the movie begins. The music slowly shifts from more traditional Swahili sounds to urban music when the setting changes from Lamu to Nairobi. At the movie’s premiere, the poet and playwright Sitawa Namwalie commented on the creative use of silence in this film. There was little dialogue which left much of the story to be told with visuals, scenic sound and subtle expression.

The scenes of the crystal blue ocean at Lamu were gorgeous. Although the shots themselves were not technically complex, they had the intended effect. This movie was the definition of making a lot out of a little. I also noticed that special care was taken with wardrobing. In the first scene, Subira is a child dressed head to toe in bright green. She continues to wear green in the subsequent scenes but less and less as she ages, until the day of her wedding, when she is shrouded in pale green lace. The moment she leaves Lamu, she doesn’t wear the colour again. I interpret this as the loss of her youth.

In the End

Some may criticise this film by saying that it is simple. In my opinion, not everything needs to be complex. It is beautiful in the way swimming in the ocean in; vast yet uncomplicated. However, I will admit that other than Subira’s father, the portrayals of the male roles could have been more convincing and compelling. Overall, this was an artistic and refreshing watch that you should definitely check out.

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: Love Today

The post Netflix Hidden Gems: Subira appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

The gritty crime epic that garnered four Academy Awards nominations, is based on real life figures from the outskirts of once paradisiacal Rio de Janeiro and catapulted a cast composed of mostly community residents and Afro-Brazilian descendants into international acclaim. Some names like Alice Braga and Seu Jorge have international careers but the most impressive actors in the film are Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino (Li’l Zé) and Douglas Silva (Li’l Dice).

Now the 39 years-old Rodrigues is a respected actor having done it all, movies, telenovelas, series and stage plays, still as happens with many actors, in particular those of his background, in a country that doesn’t value culture his work is more lauded outside than inside the nation, City of God is considered one of the best 100 movies of this century while here he still faces the hardships of his craft.

In an interview with Big Picture Film Club, Rodrigues reminisces of his times as Rocket, realizing how much acclaimed the picture is, the hardships of being an actor in Brazil, the demands for diversity in the industry, the want of having his own international career and the directors he admires.

Gabriel Leão: What does City of God mean to the cinema world, To Brazilian cinema history and to your own career?

Alexandre Rodrigues: I believe that City of God was a window for the world to know that Brazil also makes prestige cinema, while for our country it was a watershed moment because we also understood that we can show quality, and I have to say that for my career it was also a great and important opportunity – a milestone.

GL: It is regarded as one of the most influential pictures of this century. How do you see this influence playing out in the current film landscape?

AR: The film had several techniques employed that were innovative for its era and, in a way, its context is timeless as it speaks to all types of audiences and in every known language ​​on the planet. I think it’s due to the storytelling and how it develops throughout the film, which is really incredible, but what I really believe to be its “magic touch” is the homogeneous and natural performance of the actors.

And quite contrary to what many people say, we are real actors. For example: “City of God was made by non-actors and so on”… In fact, all the cast was composed of committed professionals with up to ten years of theater experience like me! This speech comes with the following line: “Fernando Meirelles did not want familiar faces in his film, so he went looking for people who had little or no experience in the screens,” this is the case of Leandro Firmino (Zé Pequeno, Li’l Zé), still this was a rare example because all the others already had a long theatrical career, most of the cast hails from the group “Nois do Morro” (Us from the Hills, in free translation), A large NGO in Brazil that was acknowledged after City of God.

GL: When did you notice that your life had changed due to the movie?

AR: I’m not sure when I realized it, but it took me a while, like many others, to understand the relevance that the film took on. Even today, after more than twenty years, the film gains some new importance, the last one was that it is one of the most watched films (outside Hollywood) on the planet only behind a few others (Preply lists it as the second most popular foreign film after France’s ‘Untouchables’). I think there will still be good things out there (to be found about the movie), you never know!

GL: What are the hardships faced by actors coming from similar backgrounds of yours in Brazil?

AR: I can say that as a professional it’s not easy for anyone, because I’ve seen so many actors with so much talent being jobless to the point that I can’t even say that it’s just a question of my profile or skin colour, it is it and then some. I have an example right here at home, my wife has the profile that the film industry has used the most since its dawn because she has fair skin And European traits, and while she has been in the profession for more than twenty years, sadly she has landed few jobs.

GL: Abroad there are many movements questioning diversity in movies, and we see more diverse faces on the screen. Do you see something similar in our country?

AR: In the last 10 years I have seen diversity grow on screens, I feel more represented today, here in Brazil as the environment has been undergoing a revolution that follows the rest of the world, I think that City of God was very important in that sense too, because it was the first time that community residents saw themselves represented and in a beautiful display on the silver screen since then I’ve seen many acting groups and NGOs flourishing through the communities.  

GL: In our last interview, you told me that you were studying English and also about your dream of making it outside Brazil. How would you like that to play out?

AR: I’m doing my part by surrounding myself with experience and contact with the English language which I love so much. By the way, I’ve been making contacts with people who live in London, but I still long for my shot. I’m glad to be Brazilian and work in my own country but I do want to experience new challenges in my career.

GL: Who are the foreign actors and directors that you follow?

AR: I have some… (breaths). Michel Gondry (L’écume Des Jours) and Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), both of who I wish to work with someday! And off course Fernando Meirelles!

Also Read: True Crimes, Real Lives: Exploring the Ethics of the Sub-Genre

The post Interview: City of God’s Alexandre Rodrigues Discusses The Film’s Impact 20 Years Later appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

What’s Going On?

The White Lotus is a luxury hotel in Hawaii. It has just about everything a person could want for a fantastic holiday, where your every whim will be catered for by the staff. In one of the first scenes the manager, Armond, explains staff should be blandly anonymous yet always there. The show focuses on three sets of guests: the Mossbacher Family; newlyweds, Shane and Rachel; Tanya, a woman in deep grief for the passing of her mother; as well as Armond and the resort’s spa manager, Belinda. It’s hard to get into too much more of a plot as there is a big event revealed at the beginning of the show and, well, it’s all about the relationships between these people.

The Mossbacher Family

The Mossbacher Family consist of mother Nicole (Connie Britton), father Mark (Steve Zahn), son Quinn, daughter Olivia and her friend Paula. Nicole is a very successful executive and this accounts for the family wealth, she makes far more than Mark and this is an issue. Olivia and Paula are college students and are extremely engaged in political causes but actually quite unpleasant to people they meet. Quinn is seemingly addicted to his devices and lets himself be pushed around by his older sister, in so much that he ends up sleeping on the beach. For Mark, a recent health scare leads to learning a family secret that completely rocks him leading to him making some very poor choices.

The Pattons

Newly wed couple Rachel and Shane Patton are also very wealthy and on the first leg of their honeymoon. Shane is the son of very rich parents and an exceedingly entitled person, Rachel is a more laid-back person from a far less wealthy family. They got married very early in their relationship and clearly, there are some issues that need to be addressed. Shane is constantly demanding from everyone and everything, seemingly unable to engage at all with Rachel’s feelings or inner life in a meaningful way. Whereas Shane feels insulted by anything that isn’t perfect Rachel implores him to simply enjoy the wonderful things they have, even if not exactly what they ordered.

Tanya McQuoid & Belinda Lindsey

Tanya is liable to steal every scene she is in, a person with big emotions that are very close to the surface. Holidaying alone and still in grief from a family death Tanya bounces from person to person, sharing too much and unsettling them. A session with the spa resort manager Belinda who seemingly offers not just a massage but is someone who listens to Tanya (which she desperately needs), leads to an instant and curious obsession. It becomes quickly clear that Tanya latches onto people, she confesses that she forms very quick, intense and ill-advised relationships with men but seems to do this with everyone. Belinda is an exceedingly kind person which when coupled with the over-the-top deference and service leads to many people leaning on her for support.

Armond

Resort manager Armond at first seems a perfect host combining flawless politeness with eagerness to solve any and all problems. However, an incident in the first episode leads to him questioning his priorities and the rivalry that grows between Armond and Shane Patton around a potential mistake pushes at Armond’s tolerances.

Paula

While part of the Mossbacher party Paula is most definitely separate. She is a close friend to Olivia but it is a friendship with a lot of baggage. Paula’s stay is being paid for by the Mossbacher family, whatever her family situation is, it does not compare to the Mossbacher’s. Paula is also a person of colour and the issues of white privilege, cultural appropriation and colonization are near constants in the show – with the hotel on a Hawaiian island there are displays of traditional Hawaiian culture that many find uncomfortable.

The show is very tense, very funny and very poignant. It’s hard to watch and not think of your own relationships and your own behaviour. For example, Shane, the entitled rich man, clearly is very demanding and expects everything to be perfect, he wants the best, not because it is more comfortable or higher quality but because having the best is a status requirement. When he can’t get exactly what he wants immediately this causes massive problems for him. Annoyingly though, at times he has a genuine grievance. All of the guests (apart from Paula) are very wealthy and their lack of understanding of what things can be like for people without that wealth is infuriating. They throw around life-changing offers of money, unaware of the significance of what they’re doing, and what will happen if they change their minds.

There are only seven episodes and each episode is around an hour long and this makes White Lotus a great show you can finish in a weekend. The relatively short time scale of the programme, it covers the holiday people are having and so is only a matter of days, makes watching it quickly all the more tempting.

Also Read: New Research Shows 70% of International Audiences View British film and TV As High-Quality

The post Why You Should Be Watching The White Lotus appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Writer / Director: Dan Horrigan

Starring: Jamie Pigott & Emily Tucker.

Big Picture Film Club’s Short Snacks series is a collection of interesting, thought-provoking and creative short films from emerging UK-based filmmakers.

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