In the spirit of fairness, I’d like to point out that Alex caught Albatross at EIFF and, a couple of reservations aside, gave it a largely positive review. I think he’s a much more forgiving soul than I.

In the Making of Featurette (the only extra included in the DVD release outside of the trailer) writer Tamzin Rafn states that growing up in Worthing she became obsessed with David Leland’s Wish You Were Here and Albatross was her version of the film; Emily Lloyd’s acerbic Lynda Mansell excised to make room for Beth, Rafn’s mother’s advice to her rebellious daughter made flesh, counterbalanced by the embodiment of Rafn’s Sherlock Holmes loving, desperate to escape the narrow confines of her hometown self. It’s a comparison which I’d suggest is best not brought to mind, as Albatross has none of Wish you Were Here’s wit and is most certainly lacking in any engaging drama which could stand up to Leland’s highly regarded classic.

MacCormick may have purposely avoided the feel of ‘Brit Grit’ to instead embrace universality, but what he actually managed to achieve wasn’t the emotionally profound piece he strived for but instead a hackneyed 88 minutes that isn’t weighty enough to be considered dramatic, yet lacks the humour which could have allowed it to be enjoyed as a farce. It would however make for a decent game of cliché bingo: marginalised, bookish daughter – check; put upon, blocked writer – check; unappreciated, unaware wife – check; an attractive rebellious teen ready to come shake things up, but who has her own problems despite a ‘don’t give a fuck’ exterior – check; let the affairs, betrayals and revelations commence – Bingo!

That said, Jessica Brown-Findlay does what she can as Emelia Conan Doyle (yes, that Conan Doyle), but her efforts were never going to pay off saddled to this project – OK, that was a cheap shot I admit, but if you call your film Albatross you’re asking for it.

Albatross is released on DVD today.

Rotting Hill from Media Design School on Vimeo.

One day I got an email, an sms, a phone call, a Facebook message and two tweets all within about 5 seconds of one another. This video is a re-manifestation of my brain’s interpretation of that event. #trustory

Digitals from Chris Crutchfield on Vimeo.

The Bark Side from FatBobRider on Vimeo.

A Short Film About Ice Fishing from Jason Shahinfar on Vimeo.

If you’re in the mood for some in film hide and seek the team have a little challenge for you; “We hid one movie character and one TV show character in the background people. One hint : they are both rednecks!”

ELECTROSHOCK – ESMA 2011 from Electroshock-movie on Vimeo.

Star Wars Uncut: Director’s Cut from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

The Laundromat | Short Film from Timothy Melville on Vimeo.

DISCO from Luke Snellin on Vimeo.

Waiting also means that we get to see the making of:

DISCO – MAKING OF from Luke Snellin on Vimeo.

And the outtakes:

DISCO – OUTTAKES from Luke Snellin on Vimeo.

In a sumptuous room an old clock doesn’t get tired of counting the passage of time. Sitting along the table there is a wholly stunned society that, instead of talking vivaciously, takes advantage of the lunch time almost as a rigorous march. Among the recruited commensals, there is also a young cadet, Alma, who, with her jaunty attitude, doesn’t seem too much predisposed to follow the dictated choreography but, on the contrary, she shows herself more intent on distorting it. Will Alma’s fiery instinct able to melt the cold and rigid clichè that, in and out, surround her?

Heartburn from heartburnfilm on Vimeo.

e-lectricity from Miklas Manneke on Vimeo.

Copia A (3D animated short film by Trexel Animation) from Trexel Animation on Vimeo.

Thanks to DN favourite Bobby Miller for bringing this to our Twitter attention.

This commercial isn’t real, neither are society’s standards of beauty.

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

And here’s the Behind The Scenes:

BTS Fotoshop from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Happy Holidays from DANIELS on Vimeo.

Michel Gondry – Sweded Taxi Driver from Partizan on Vimeo.

going to the store. from dlew on Vimeo.

2011 has already witnessed; Craig Roberts’ duffelcoated, love-struck Oliver in Submarine, Devin Brochu’s grief-stricken T.J. in Hesher, Alex Shaffer’s troubled wrestling star Kyle in Win Win, Kentucker Audley’s dysfunctional comedian in Bad Fever and Dustin Ingram’s porn star obsessed Tobe in Meet Monica Velour. But what it is about the ostracised and the excluded that filmmakers (and their audiences) find so appealing?

Whether it’s the power these characters have to elicit emotion from an audience or the heart-breaking agony/joy of watching them rise/fall (delete as appropriate), there is something magnetising about these types that keeps pulling the writers and directors back to their worlds.

The latest writer/director team to tackle the story of the high-school loner is Patrick Dewitt and Azazel Jacobs (Momma’s Man), with their film Terri; the tale of a downtrodden, overweight, pyjama-wearing teen. Terri (Jacob Wysocki) doesn’t excel in school, he constantly turns up late for class, doesn’t participate in physical education and generally looks disinterested. His home life isn’t much better, with his parents absent physically and his guardian, uncle James (Creed Bratton), absent mentally, Terri is left pretty much to fend for himself whilst also struggling to care for his unstable uncle and their untidy home. With the help of his overzealous principle Mr Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly) and some burgeoning relationships, Terri tries to find his place in life and starts to discover friendship and romance.

Jacobs’ film saunters along at a leisurely pace, providing a balanced snapshot into the life of its eponymous lead, never aiming for the big reveal or the grandstand finale. Instead, sexual advances are spurned, relationships left undefined and friendships undeveloped. Terri’s life simply carries on with an endless road of possibilities unfurling under his unwieldy gait, an uncertain future on his horizon.

In his first feature film role, Jacob Wysocki as the titular Terri puts in a performance that defies his tender years, as his introverted, cautious character skirts the pigeonholes he so easily could have fallen into. Persecuted by classmates and often misunderstood by his seniors, Wysocki’s portrayal could have all so quickly become one-dimensional and flat. Instead, our lead performer allows the odd, fleeting glimpse into the soul of Terri, adding mystery and depth to his character, ultimately leaving us with the desire to know more.

Terri is the story of an outsider, in a world of outsiders. He may be at the heart of Dewitt’s story, but with a host of other dysfunctionals populating this on-screen world, Terri doesn’t seem so odd or awkward. With a principle who sleeps in his car, a friend who gets fingered in class and a classmate who pulls his hair out and pisses on his trousers, our protagonist’s eccentricities suddenly seem muted and unremarkable when viewed in context. This isn’t a film of cheap laughs, or one overly concerned with sympathy. Our cumbersome hero could have so easily been turned into an object of pity, but instead Dewitt and Jacobs handle his story with great care and consideration, avoiding narrative clichés and shallow stereotypes along the way.

The Reformed Troglodyte (Dir Cut) from Ben Briand on Vimeo.

Ben seems to have an uncanny knack for successfully traversing the no man’s land of brand sponsorship and creativity. The hugely successful Apricot was created for coffee brand Nespresso, while The Reformed Troglodyte was made for The Art of Shaving. Here’s a more obviously linked, though no less creative film of Ben’s from the campaign, The Gentleman Shaver:

The Gentleman Shaver (Dir Cut) from Ben Briand on Vimeo.

Plugs from Father's Stash on Vimeo.

Skwerl from Brian Fairbairn on Vimeo.

For those of you who enjoy the ‘come again?’ aspect of Skwerl, check out Adriano Celentano’s universal love music promo Prisencolinensinainciusol – everyone else online has name checked it, or at least that’s what I think they said?

Potiche is a farce rather than a rom-com but without the utterly convincing relationship between Catherine Deneuve and everyone’s favourite aeroplane carpet botherer Gérard Depardieu, François Ozon’s Potiche would be a lesser film.

Set in 1977 and adapted from a hit play of that era, Potiche tells the story of Deneuve’s character, the eponymous ‘potiche’ (‘trophy wife’), Suzanne Bujol. Her husband, Robert (Fabrice Luchini) runs the local umbrella factory started by her father and is injured when taken hostage by the militant, downtrodden workforce. Suzanne then takes control of the factory in his absence and confounds everyone’s expectations by proving herself a canny but conscience-driven businesswoman. Depardieu plays Babin, the local ex-union leader mayor, who has a history with Suzanne and a desire for her that has never left him.

It’s easy to see why Depardieu’s character is so besotted with Suzanne. She is filled with a quiet determination. A lifetime of stoic obedience to lesser minds and greater egos hides a shrewd intellect in direct contrast to both her husband’s temper and Babin’s unconcealed passion. The men in her life are outwitted at every turn, blinded both by their chauvinism and by their devotion to Suzanne.

The film throws itself into its time period with precise attention to detail and the visual style of 1970s television film-making. The colours are resplendent and bright and the wardrobe contains a bewildering amount of authentic and outrageous fashion adding a considerable amount to the film’s sense of playfulness.

Potiche’s charm lies not just in the nostalgic aesthetic but in its sense of innocence. There is sexism but it is of a pleasingly old-fashioned type, not the insidious modern sort that’s dressed up in the double-speak of our time. Here, secretaries exist for more than dictation, and a slap on the bottom goes without comment. However in a world where social superiority is based on gender, the men are ineffectual and bafoonish whilst the women are highly capable.

These women aren’t man-haters though. When they take care to protect male egos it’s out of a genuine sensitivity towards the men they love as well as a deliberate manipulation to get their voices heard.

None of this is to suggest that the film is any kind of serious comment on feminist issues. Feminism, like the politics, the clothes and the sets are simply an environment to make Deneuve’s character attractive and plausible. Structurally the film rushes slightly too quickly through a final plot strand, but on the whole this is an enjoyable if inconsequential farce with broadly-drawn characters, a sense of fun and just enough smarts.

Page 23 (english subtitles) from Jeroen Houben on Vimeo.

ready steady bang – 30 ways from Ed Barrett on Vimeo.

Doctor Glamour (Trailer) from Andrew W. Jones on Vimeo.

Bevan Walsh’s Love Does Grow on Trees is a coming of age comedy about a teenage boy whose life is thrown into chaos when he discovers adult magazines, girls and the embarrassment that goes with both.

Love Does Grow on Trees [HD] from Bevan Walsh on Vimeo.

In The Fall from Steve Cutts on Vimeo.

Strangers from Sam Norton on Vimeo.

Paul jerked off in the shower. Paul just impregnated his bath tub.

That short turned out to be TUB, a brilliantly weird, at times comedic, at times horrific film from The Bobby Miller. I tracked Bobby down amidst the rowdiness of Austin’s 6th Street during SXSW for an interview, but never had the opportunity to share TUB with you the DN audience. That is until now…

TUB – A Short Film from Bobby Miller on Vimeo.

A disconnected young woman buys a used car in which she finds items that provide her with the chance to communicate with a world she once feared.

Hope is the same in any language.

I Can Speak Swedish from FAD on Vimeo.

I couldn’t stop at just one, so here are a couple more classic battles.

via fcp.co

An open letter to Canon from safetyhammer on Vimeo.

DSLR Camera Rigs from Luke Neumann on Vimeo.

Currently working it’s way around the film festival circuit to great acclaim, Owen Trevor’s whimsical comedy Two Laps combines vivid cinematography with playful storytelling to create a genial short you can’t help but like. A tale of friendship and competition, Two Laps is the story of Pete and Val and their annual swimming race, which in 17 years has developed into a cutthroat struggle for 1st place.

Have a read and watch.

After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills (IMDB)

Whether chosen by the hand of God or inspired by a psychotic episode, Rainn Wilson’s Crimson Bolt doesn’t adhere to the usual super hero conventions. His handmade costume is scruffy and ill-fitting, his weapon of choice is an everyday wrench and his catchphrase “Shut up crime!” reveals all we need to know about his powers of thought. This is one costumed crime fighter who often runs away from danger, will attack innocent bystanders without a second’s thought and often curl up into the fetal position and cry like a baby. It’s the Bolt’s penchant for violence and Gunn’s depiction of it that’s most interesting in SUPER, switching from whimpering wimp to callous crusader in the blink of an eye, Wilson’s masked avenger bludgeons all that stand in his way. Like the character he’s created, Gunn certainly doesn’t hold back; the Bolt’s violent attacks are punctuated with comic book flashes and on-screen ‘Ka-pow’s’ juxtaposing the graphic nature of the scenes, as Wilson splits skulls and collapses heads with his trusty wrench. There’s truly nothing admirable about Wilson’s Frank and his Crimson Bolt alter ego, Gunn’s portrayal of his protagonist is raw and uncompromising ensuring this is one super hero you won’t want to be.

Featuring the hand of God, visions in vomit, a horny sidekick (played by Ellen Page), a villainous Kevin Bacon and buckets of blood and gore, SUPER is a film you’re certainly not going to forget anytime soon. Yet, despite offering an unexpected take on a familiar story, Gunn’s film ends up feeling somewhat slight and insignificant. There’s no doubting SUPER should be commended for not glamourising its vigilante action, but with a lack of comedy, an absence of drama and no real tension to talk of, what remains is a film that’s difficult to engage with and impossible to love. A little more entertainment and SUPER could have made great Saturday night viewing, more development in plot and character and it could have become an underground hit, unfortunately Gunn’s film falls somewhere in-between, missing both audiences and probably explaining its limited release.

Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared from This Is It on Vimeo.

Person Pinball- 2011 Animation Block Party ‘Outro’ from aaron hughes on Vimeo.

Michael Davies’ Love at First Sight may have a plot that feels all too familiar (think Groundhog Day meets 50 First Dates), but a new twist on an old story makes his heartwarming short feel fresh and rewarding. A story of love at first sight set in a retirement home, you know you’re about to witness something pretty special in the world of short film when you spot John Hurt in the opening titles.

Director Davies made his name directing a range of TV series’ including Oz and James Drink to Britain and Tracy Beaker Returns, but he introduced himself to the short film community with his hugely popular 2008 short What’s Virgin Mean?, which has already clock up over 1 million hits on YouTube.

Peter Szewczyk’s imaginative ColourBleed stemmed ”from a memory that the director had of his uncle performing a bit of home surgery, after an accident at a factory“, and developed into an aesthetically pleasing film showcasing the flair of the director and his team. With 67 visuals effects shots throughout its short duration, this is definitely a film reliant on its post-production, but where the film shines in some areas it feels stunted in others. An annoying soundtrack and some average acting ultimately resigns what could have been a breathtaking short into somewhat of a disappointment, leaving you with the lingering feeling of what could have been.

ColourBleed | Trailer from Peter Szewczyk on Vimeo.

If effects driven pieces are your cup of tea, then Szewczyk’s Dark Clouds, a short he made in his “spare time while working on the films Avatar and 2012“, might be something you’ll enjoy.

Dark Clouds | Short Film from Peter Szewczyk on Vimeo.

 

Chris O’Dowd, writer of the final shortlisted film in the Short Film Award made his name in the hugely popular Channel 4 series The IT Crowd before venturing into Hollywood to star in the likes of Dinner For Schmucks, Gulliver’s Travels and Bridesmaids. Director Peter Cattaneo’s Capturing Santa takes us back the earlier days of O’Dowd’s life when he had a bladder problem and an irrational fear of Santa Claus. Full of period detail and a great performance from Robert Donnelly as the young Chris, Cattaneo’s short is a real crowd pleaser, a dark comedy which manages to leave its viewers with that feel good factor.

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