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The Runaways (2019)
A heartbreaking yet thoroughly endearing film.
The Runaways is a heart-breaking yet extremely endearing story about three siblings Angie, Ben and Polly who, following a family tragedy, must travel across the North Yorkshire Moors with their two donkeys in search of a new home.
The cast and the characters they portray are a huge part of why this film is so good, they are all so authentic and believable which really helped my enjoyment of the film. Molly Windsor is so endearing as Angie, she effortlessly portrays the struggle between someone who must fulfil a mother role while at the same time wanting to be a regular teenager. Rhys Connah as Ben shows fantastic versatility switching between a character who understands his sisters' plight and sympathizes with her to someone who is extremely frustrated with their situation and does not know how to fully express it. Macy Shackleton's upbeat persona as Polly brings a shining light to the otherwise sad situation the siblings find themselves in. Lee Boardman plays Uncle Blythe with characteristic menace while at the same time showing flashes of humanity making his character much more that a regular film antagonist. Mark Addy and Tara Fitzgerald round off the cast as the siblings' Father Reith and Mother Maggie both giving deep and thought-provoking performances with the small amount of screen time they have.
The chemistry between the cast is great, you would be forgiven for thinking the three leads were related in real life. They deliver their lines with such authenticity and purpose, one scene that stood out to me was Angie admonishing Polly, "She's just a kid" Ben scolds her "So am I!" she angrily reminds him. The deliver was so great, and you really felt for the characters. My favourite scene is where Ben is tasked with distracting a guard at Grosmont railway station so they can smuggle the donkeys aboard and Rhys Connah is fantastically charming and witty in his attempt, going as far as to ask the guard for an autograph so that he has to wander off to find some paper, it is a truly great scene.
The film uses many beautiful locations throughout North Yorkshire from the sprawling bays of Whitby and Runswick to the gorgeous market town of Pickering and all the wonderful moorland in-between. I do not think I have ever seen Yorkshire look so beautiful on film before. Some of the aerial shots are absolutely fantastic and really help to set the scene and give the viewer a great picture of the places the siblings are traveling through and all of the beauty they contain. As someone who was born in Yorkshire and has travelled the region extensively it was great to see many places that I have visited myself and I really appreciate how well they were used in the film.
The film was directed and written by Richard Heap and although it is his first feature film it never feels like it due to its professional and competent nature of the whole project. Heap has stated that he wanted to create an old school Children's adventure story that people could watch and imagine themselves in the adventure, I would argue that he was successful and then some.
As a fan of independent films, I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a down to earth story, set in beautiful scenery with and extremely talented cast and crew.
The Runaways is available to purchase on DVD or digitally from TheRunaways. film.
Solstice (1993)
A Wonderfully Charming Christmas Tale.
Solstice tells the story of Nick Allman, a disillusioned man trying to find meaning in his life and his lost Christmas spirit. Nick spends Christmas eve meeting and interacting with several different people from friends to complete strangers all of who help him to rediscover his faith in the holidays and in people
The cast and the characters they play are a huge part of why I love this film, they are all so authentic and likable and this really makes the film so much more enjoyable. Michael Kelly stars as Nick and he is both believable and extremely endearing. Mary McCloud plays Nicks former girlfriend Kristine who goes through her own journey of discovery throughout the film. Jay Lehrfeld and Bill Fogarty provide superb performances as Nicks friends, Jerry Morfesis gives an energetic performance as the Music Box emcee and Ramona Curtis rounds off the cast as a woman who gives Nick some much needed, wise advice when he needs it the most. It was filmed in Chicago and the locations used almost feel like characters themselves. From the beautiful St Alphonsus church to the magnificent Music Box theatre each location adds so much to the story and makes it feel very authentic. (The director recently released a restored definitive version of the film which had its premiere at the Music Box!)
Solstice was directed by Jerry Vasilatos and is his first feature (as well as several of the cast members first too) but it never feels like it due the extremely competent nature of the directing and the fantastic final product. Vasilatos also produced and wrote the screenplay and while it is wholly original the film does manage to channel inspiration from classics such as It's a Wonderful Life and Planes Trains and Automobiles which only serve to make it a better viewing experience.
The film was recently restored in 2K from its original camera negative elements for its 25th anniversary, vastly improving the picture and sound quality as well as including a brand-new orchestral score. The new score is masterful and really helps to convey the mood of the characters and their feelings, it really adds a new level of enjoyment to the film.
As a fan of low budget, independent films I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an emotional, realistic character study with lots of heart and Christmas spirit. I first saw this film in 2007 and I have watched it every Christmas without fail since then. The film has recently been made available on DVD, Blu-Ray (with loads of behind the scenes and other bonus material) and as of today it is also available on A mazo n Prime.