

LGBT
Boys On Film: Cruel Britannia
Released: 2012
Shorts Directed By: Sybil Mair, Dominic Leclerc, David Leon, Faryal, David Ward, Hong Khaou, Jason Bradbury, Marcus McSweeney, Aleem Kahn, Harry Wootliff, Ben Peters
Certificate: 18
Reviewed By: Timothy Breach
We’ve had 7 collections from around the world but this 8th Boys on Film collection from Peccadillo Pictures focuses on good ol’ Blight. As always the shorts features are of different lengths, styles and genres.
Cruel Britannia is an obvious (and clever) play on the song title “Rule, Britannia”. It’s a patriotic song about ruling the waves (we once had the best Navy in the world) and how we shall never be defeated and “never shall be slaves”. This line is interesting in relation to the themes which Cruel Britannia presents. In many ways the notion of slavery (to a person or way of life) or breaking free from shackles is explored, going against the lyrics of the song. This is the “cruel” element. A harsh word linked to causing pain or suffering and not caring. So are you ready to delve into the darker side of British relationships?
What’s more British than football? Okay, so a lot of things, but we are a nation of football lovers and this brings us to All Over Brazil, which takes us to the 1970’s when Scotland are in the World Cup and a boy is struggling to hide his preference for glam-rock. The era is a nice touch but ultimately this story could be told in a thousand different ways by contrasting a norm with a flamboyant alternative. The 70’s is fantastically recreated through an awesome soundtrack, excellent set design and a grainy filter. For it’s inclusion in the collection, there has to be the assumption that the boy is on the LGBT spectrum but that didn’t come through for me; glam rock is what it is, regardless of sexuality. To me it felt more like an insight into an unconventional paternal led single-parent family. Yes, the father didn’t like his son’s preference but he did nothing cruel. Yes there were bullies but this wasn’t focused on. It’s focused, simple and well executed but it didn’t provide anything original for me and only has a loose collection to the collection.
As an island surrounded by water, you could say we like being at one with the sea; we rule(d) the waves! However the sea around us isn’t pristine and tropical so many prefer a pool. Where am I going with this? Onto the next short of course, Nightswimming. A tale of runaways and a voyeuristic watchman. Got you hooked? There is nudity but beneath the surface (like what I did there?) the story is more about loneliness. All three characters feel isolated in one way or another; whether it’s Luke being pushed away by Ellen or Martin spending his nights guarding a swimming facility. They’re all stuck, slaves to their lives and the lies they tell; cruelty to ones self. It fits the theme perfectly with its use of light and sound to create an eerie atmosphere and shroud the tension in darkness. The runaways walk out in the light of day still chained together but the watchman appears changed for good.
From the water of the pool we move to the sea and the town of Porthpunnet; a coastal retirement community where Lukas cares for his disabled mother. He is trapped in a life of servitude – not because he has to be but because he feels that he has to. I Don’t Care is a tale of wonder and what ifs. Luka is an artist and escapes into his work, but it’s not until he meets Dan that he has the push to change his life. Unfortunately his prince charming soon turns out to also be a villain. The performances are great all-round (with a surprise appearance from Paloma Faith!) and the cinematography builds upon the raw emotion and subtleties of the action. What I liked most was the poetic monologues which opened and closed it. With wondrous melodies over the top, it created a sense of a modern fairy-tale in which Luke almost finds and loses himself at the same time. By the end it seems that he realises that his self-imposed shackles no longer need to hold him back.
BDSM is at the fore-front of our minds thanks to a certain film called 50 Shades of Grey. I have no idea what happens in it or what level of BDSM it’s taken to but from the promotional material I doubt that it is anything like Spring. Before I say anymore I must let you know that this is the second of a quartet from director Hong Khaou (his first being the first film in Boys on Film: Hard Love) so I had high expectations and he didn’t disappoint. He has a lightness to his approach to difficult subjects and when mixed with BDSM it creates an uncomfortable tension. The interplay between silence and a great score mimic the development of Joe’s heightened sense and emotions. It’s very much to do with control and dominance, from role-play to a noose and then a blindfold. It’s understandable that Joe freaks out and finds a new appreciation for his life; something he appeared to want to escape from.
From the excitement of BDSM to the heat of a kitchen – or not. The Chef’s Letter as a premise has so much potential; a head-chef, a busy kitchen, the dynamics and hierarchy of it all. It is clear that he feels bound to his life and wants to break free but not much happens. It was all too quiet (lets not talk about the confusing score). In its defence it did play on the viewer not knowing who the sous-chef (i.e. who the letter is for) was but the head-chef’s reactions barely escalated and when they did his motivation and desire wasn’t clear. There was too much confusion and ambiguity and not a hint of cruelness.
From no cruelness to underlying cruelness in a way, and back to the sea, with We Once Were Tide (more wordplay!). On the surface it is a couple’s last day/night together but it is so much more. The key relationships are between mother and son and the couple and as one appears to deteriorate, the other seems to flourish – the cinematography fills in the blanks left from the dialogue – it’s superb. The turning point is the inter-play between the relationships, when Anthony believes he has it all. Unfortunately his boyfriend feels trapped on the island and breaks free. The performances are near tear-jerking and you are near immediately drawn into the psyche of the characters. Anthony never wanted to make a choice and it good made for him, all he was left to do was accept that, but it’s no less powerful for him doing so.
Fancy a break from the bleakness and depression? Surely Cruel Britannia can be light-hearted? Well What You Looking At? is the perfect example of the antithesis to all this drama. What works wonderfully is how it takes an awkward scenario (trapped in a lift), throws in two people who feel awkward in each others presence (a Muslim and a Drag Queen) and reduce them down to their similarities – they’re both persecuted and misunderstood. Society imposes stereotypes upon them but these assumptions are often wrong. The Muslim woman doesn’t feel suppressed under her Burka and the Drag Queen is hiding his alter-ego from his family. Though the dialogue does fall flat at times and the jokes aren’t hilarious (much of the humour comes from the characters actions and visual cues), there are some thought provoking lines and it almost becomes uplifting to see a glimmer of the people underneath the burka/wig… though I fear what happens when the credits roll.
Unfortunately we slip back into drama with Man and Boy. Fortunately it’s good; though the premise lies – Carson does not offer to take photos. If he did, the escalation and motives would be clear, but as it is, it’s all the more ambiguous which makes his character almost disturbing and the events more shocking. He didn’t actually do anything though. Yes, he says some creepy things but, at no point is he actively predatory. He’s pushed by all the characters into situations. The most pushy of all is the father; he is the driving force of the story, the cause of the action and the tool for tension. He rushes into something without knowing the facts; he acts cruelly. It must note that it is based on a true story so how true this telling is considering what happens, we may never know. The inter-cut between the past and present is cleverly used to heighten the tension, Coupled with a heightened score and excellent performances all round, it makes for thrilling viewing.
As we move onto our penultimate short, prepare to delve into the mind of Diana; an Indian pre-op transsexual – it’s deep and emotional. Diana cleverly intertwines the death of Princess Diana, the life Diana is leading and news of storms in India to reflect upon the inner-turmoil and conflict Diana lives with. She’s alone in the UK but ultimately cannot impose chains on herself to be someone she isn’t for her family. It’s either the shackles of conforming to traditional ideals or cruelness of a life of prostitution – it’s powerful. News reports and Indian music are beautifully layered, mixed and cut between to give a sense of Diana’s emotional state; she only ever says one word. She is pushed to the edge but ultimately decides that a hard life is better than a restricted life.
Can we end there? No… but Downing ends the collection on a downer. It’s like a bad Skins episode. There was potential but it just failed with tension, conflict and plotting. I can’t leave it on a negative so I will tell you the best thing about it: the straight guys dazzling blue eyes.
Cruel Britannia is no more. There we have it; 10 shorts from Britain’s finest. Am I proud of what we’ve got to offer? As a whole, yes. The collection tackles hard subjects in interesting and varied ways and, as a whole, lives up to it’s title. It’s one of the most cohesive of the series and also the most promising. Unfortunately it is let down by two shorts and a general air of premises being unfulfilled. Once again I wish I could take some of the shorts away and present a more refined collection. Fortunately unlike Bad Romance, this would leave the collection with 8 rather than 4 shorts and for that reason it is near the top of the pile and is close to being in the top 2.
-
Features2 weeks ago
The Death of Fantastic Beasts: Why Was It Cancelled?
-
Movie Reviews3 weeks ago
William Tell ★★★
-
Featured Review4 weeks ago
Memoir Of A Snail ★★★★★
-
Features2 weeks ago
MM Shorts – Sister Wives
-
News2 weeks ago
Iris Prize Reveals 2025 ‘On The Move’ UK Tour
-
News2 weeks ago
23rd Kinoteka Polish Film Festival Announces Full 2025 UK Programme
-
Movie Reviews4 weeks ago
Presence ★★★★
-
Interviews3 weeks ago
Behind Closed Doors with Actor Špiro Lasic