TIMESTALKER (2024)

 

Written & Directed By: Alice Lowe

Cinematography: Ryan Eddleston

Editor: Chris Dickens and Matyas Fekete

Cast: Alice Lowe, Jacob Anderson, Nick Frost, Tanya Reynolds, Anuerin Barnard, Eleanor Barrett, Boyd Clark, Katie Dickie 

Agnes, a hapless heroine, falls for a mysterious man, promptly meets her bloody demise, and then is reincarnated a century later. When she meets her love again, the cycle begins anew. As Agnes traverses through time, she repeats all the messy thrills and spills that come with daring to follow one's heart. How can she ever hope to break the cycle when she's destined to be a fool for love?

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this film feels like a bunch of sketches that are all connected through different time periods and the same cast playing different roles in them. So that it feels almost like a sketch group throughout, but with one obvious star. Who also wrote and directed the film. 

The film does offer a sharp satire of what it might have been like for women in the past 1800s and beyond. Only instead of being eye candy or supporting characters you glimpse. You get more of an accou t if their day to day existence. Activities and dilemmas.

This films Is definitely not for everyone. So can see some really enjoying it, some not getting it and some hating it. Either way an intriguing idea.

The film is dedicated to itself and its ideas and presentation of comedy, but not quite as funny as it should be. It’s outrageous but also seems to hold itself back to a certain degree. To seem a bit more refined. For every joke you don’t laugh at, but can see how clever it might be. 

This is the type of comedy where what is funny has to be explained a bit. As at times it feels like something might be lost in translation. That is just not connecting. Which then allows the absurd to come in. Which gives the film a feel of a 1980’s British type sitcom comedy. With plenty of costumes at their disposal. Though sometimes it feels like an over-the-top melodramatic soap opera spoof. Filled with the most ridiculous plot twists. 

The film is strange enough and true to itself. No matter how odd the results. Though it works leaving it to be funny in an off center way and determined.

Jacob Anderson walks away with every scene he is in. 

It feels less risky then Alice Lowe’s previous film PREVENGE which was a horror comedy. Though this film feels less commercial.  

Grade: C

ETERNAL BEAUTY (2019)

 

Written & Directed By: Craig Roberts 

Cinematography: Kit Fraser 

Editor: Stephen Haren 

Cast: Sally Hawkins, David Thewlis, Billie Piper, Alice Lowe, Myfford Clark, Rita Bernard-Shaw, Robert Pugh, Paul Hilton, Penelope Wilton

This movie follows Jane who, after being left at the altar, had a breakdown spiraled into a chaotic episode of schizophrenia lasting 20 years, in which love (both real and imagined) and family relationships collide. Things change when she begins a darkly-comic romance with Mike, a failed musician and fellow lost soul.

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Though it got no major release. Sally Hawkins's performance in ETERNAL BEAUTY is amazing. Better & bigger than the movie, but the movie is what she needed to truly show her talents and as a showcase. Give the movie a chance. A deep look at mental illness.

The film isn’t bad but it feels like the runway for her character and performance to launch off. It works as a kind of case study file but where we get to see the outside influences that have helped to contribute to her mental illnesses. 

Not that Ms. Hawkins hasn't Had plenty of great roles and performances since seemingly being introduced with the film HAPPY GO LUCKY. Thougbbshe had been in plenty of movies, television and theatrical productions prior. That film seemed to be her breakout role 

The film takes a Look at her paranoid schizophrenic character with a horrible family who only seems to inspire her condition to make it worse with their indifference or Using her  Where only one Family Member truly seems concerned but that character is influenced more by the rest of the family. To look the other way. Which also causes problems within her marriage. 

The first half plays out like a tragedy and the second act is more of a romance where the colors get richer and the style of the film becomes a little more surrealistic. It also becomes a bit happier though still downtrodden but hopeful 

It helps if the material is strong enough for them to base a performance on mention as they get older more is expected of them or a certain legacy is on them, and it is hard to live up to especially when you were just trying to do the work and work and more and more you’re not getting the roles you used to and the writing isn’t as strong. 

As the film goes along we learn that each of her family members has their drama  And dysfunctions as the film doesn’t  Seek to villainize any characters but shows them as human beings fallible 

The film is Advertised more as a romantic comedy between two people with mental illnesses it is deeper than that as it was kind of bait to hook More mainstream tastes seem more conventional for audiences. 

Grade: B

PAUL DOOD’S DEADLY LUNCH HOUR (2021)

 

Directed By: Nick Gillespie

Written By: Nick Gillespie, Matthew White and Brook Driver

Cinematography: Billy J. Jackson 

Editor: Tom Longmore

Cast: Tom Meeten, Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop, Johnny Vegas, Mandeep Dhillon, Steve Oram, Alice Lowe, Pippa Haywood

A weedy charity shop worker is set on winning the big national talent show. But when the actions of 5 selfish people cause him to miss his audition, he sets out to seek deathly revenge. It's 1 lunch break and 5 spectacular murders.

PREVENGE (2017)

Written & Directed By: Alice Lowe 
Cinematography By: Ryan Eddelston 
Editor: Matteo Bini 


Cast: Alice Lowe, Katie Dicke, Gemma Whelan, Jo Hartley, Tom Davis, Kayvan Novak, Eileen Davies 


Alice Lowe who some might recognize from the tv series SHERLOCK and co-writing and starring in the dark comedy SIGHTSEERS. Makes a return to the screen with this film.

SIGHTSEERS (2013)

Directed By: Ben Wheatly 
Written By: Alice Lowe & Nick Oram (Additional Material – Amy Jump) 
Cinematography By: Laurie Rose 
Editor: Ben Wheatly, Amy Jump & Robin Hill 

Cast: Alice Lowe, Nick Oram, Eileen Davies, Monica Dolan, Jonathan Aris