All My Friends Hate Me - DVD review

 

Released on DVD via BFI on 29th August

This original movie from writing partnership Tom Palmer and Tom Stourton, is set about a weekend from hell for the lead character Pete (Stourton).

Pete is ready to celebrate his birthday with his old university friends, who invite him to a country house for the weekend. Upon arrival, Pete is alone though other cars are around. He sits alone awaiting their arrival, when they have invited a feral stranger from the local pub. As the weekend unfurls, old truths rise to the surface and Pete fears he is being persecuted and picked on.

Directed by Andrew Gaynord, who along with the writing tandem, has cut his teeth on the Channel 4 sitcom Stath Lets Flats, the film shares the DNA of cringe comedy and social anxiety with that BAFTA winning series.

Pete and his friends are all aspirational and would be fair to categorise them as middle-to-upper class, working in the public sector and yet able to have fun in each other's circles. Yet the introduction of Harry (Dustin Demri-Burns who is brilliant) opens up old wounds about Pete's personal demeanour and makes him very much the posh twat he tries not to be. Pete has recently done some work in a refugee camp in Africa, and now turning 30 he is ready to settle down with his long-term girlfriend Sophie who is working class and very much the chalk to his privileged cheese.

Throughout the film, Pete is an embodiment of a man who finds any situation awkward and ultimately makes that engagement more awkward than it needs to be, overthinking matters too much and questions everything asked of him by his friends. Sometimes you can be yourself the most in front of those who have seen you at your best and worst; in this weekend Pete is struggling to find a sure footing when his hang ups and esteemed nature comes to the fore too often.

A mixture of part social comedy, country house horror the film delicately walks the fine line of making the viewer as uneasy as Pete is, you come away not enjoying yourself but that is the point the film is trying to be made. So often we as a society are trying to be perfect and enjoy life that sometimes any action's consequence is forgotten about for the zest of exciement.

Credit should go to Stourton who takes on the role of Pete with aplomb and showcases an emotional thrust by the film's conclusion when he finally breaks down and ably supported by the ensemble especially Burns who relishes the role of provocative Harry. 

All My Friends Hate Me is a socially awkward comedy that is very much of this social media driven, image first culture we are living in nowadays; it is the sort of cringe inducing comedy the British are especially adept at

All My Friends Hate Me is out on Blu-Ray/DVD from the BFI now

Extras on the disc include and audio commentary by Gaynord, Palmer and Stourton. A Q&A with journalist Leigh Singer, 7mins of deleted scenes, a short film by the trio The Soho Diaries from 2013 and a gallery.

My thanks to BFI for the review opportunity.

The Saphead - Buster Keaton

 

Eureka Entertainment release another classic silent cinema film featuring the legendary Buster Keaton.

The Saphead was made in 1920 and was Keaton's first leading role following his apprenticeship with Fatty Arbuckle.

The story revolves around Keaton as Bertie Van Alstyne, a pampered son of a Wall Street tycoon, who having never known any other way of life bar privilege he has to navigate new social situations, unknowing of the obstacles ahead of him.

While Keaton was not the creative force behind this adaptation of a stage play, nevertheless, the film is important in creating the now universally known screen persona of Keaton as the Stoneface and the stoic nature of his performance. His undaunted aspiration in a changing world who may well laugh at him, yet usually the quiet man who has the last laugh.

Keaton does not have to do much to garner laughs, and you can see in contrast the theatricality of other actors comes to the fore and has aged in nearly a hundred years of passing, whilst Keaton's calm is front and centre.

In contrast to the other major silent comedian of the time, Charlie Chaplin, there is a naturalness that remains to Keaton's work. While Chaplin specifically was playing a character in The Tramp, a parody or caricature that ultimately garnered world acclaim who was thrust into moments that became comical. Keaton on the other side of the coin was a person who made situations funny, whereas Chaplin could have you laughing before he did anything with the twirl of his cane and funny walk. 

Again while Chaplin would do small movements like a dancing potato to illicit maximum potential of laughter, Keaton would use big sets and stunts with his still centre in the middle of frame an ocean of calm as chaos surrounds him with Chaplin a feverish ball of energy in an altogether calmer milieu.

With it being his first lead role, you do see Keaton being more a ensemble member in this instance and his character's behaviour is more akin to that of say Adam Sandler or Rowan Atkinson, a person of lesser intellect but into an elitist world and whose humble mindset shocks the upper classes and puts them in there place. 

The new release from Eureka Video is a Blu-ray release for the first time features essays, a featurette on different adaptations, The Scribe (1966, Dir. John Sebert) - Keaton's last film role; a two hour audio interview between Keaton and Kevin Brownlow from 1964 as well as the collector's booklet.

The Saphead is out on August 22nd from Eureka Video.

My thanks to them for the review opportunity.

The Way It Is Now - Garry Disher

 

New novel by Australian author THE WAY IT IS NOW 

out from Viper Books 4th August  

WHO SHALL INHERIT THE SINS OF THE FATHER?

This thrilling novel is set in Australia and tells the tale of a mother gone missing and how suspended policeman Charlie Deravin tries to solve the case following the discovery of two bodies in a local building site.

Disher weaves a clever tale throughout here, making sure you understand the motivations of his characters whilst taking the time and not rushing unnecessarily. He follows Deravin from counselling following his suspension to the difficult family relationships - his mother and father were going through a divorce at the books beginning in the year 2000 where the book begins. His mother is reported missing and we jump forward to Christmas 2019 and the beginning of the global pandemic which would engulf us all.

The book is prominently set in a small seaside town of Swanage, which for this reader is a lovely notion of kismet as I spent significant formative summer holidays with my family in the English seaside town of Swanage, Dorset. So anytime I read that name, I myself am transported to those wonderful halycon days of beaches, ice cream, cricket and Punch and Judy.

Disher writes effectively and with great nous throughout, short chapters keeps the reader engaged and while it might not be to everyone's taste it kept my attention nonetheless. And you would expect nothing less from a writer of over 50 titles, this is the first time I have encountered Disher and I am sure it will not be the last.

My thanks to Viper Books for the opportunity to review a new title at short notice and the copy sent in the post.

Happy reading one and all