Greg loftin has written and directed and produced (Phew!!) his first feature Saxon and it got its first showing at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh at the International Film Festival...and what a successful & impressive (micro budget also) debut it is! (Aug 24th) The movie centres around Eddie (a brilliant Sean Harris) who is in search of a missing mate after leaving prison - he is hired by the mate's wife to find him and also he must pay off a bunch of nasty fishmongers before he loses his eye as payment. (the other has already been removed by the fishmongers) There are also nods to British cult classics like Clockwork Orange and the kitchen sink dramas of the 60s when the scenes are intimate between Harris and his female co-stars (This Sporting Life comes to mind)...I think this film has a certain cult potential but will not be to everyone's taste - some scenes are very strong and the story demands attention and respect.
The film starts at a fast pace but then changes pace - and at every turn there is a new twist - so we have a violent opening (but thank God this does not turn into another Gangster flick) followed by a nice scene between Linda (Sarah Matarves) and Eddie and then we are introduced with Tongue Firmly in cheek to "The Bailiffs". The pace changes work and the main performances are solid.
The colours of the film are beautifully shot and stand out - esp the grim housing estate (Saxon it's called - hence the name) and the music is a nice original accompaniment to the scenes.
Many of the characters are introduced at random at first - from the Lighterlady, Russell (an excellent Drew Edwards) and a mad fishmonger chasing Eddie (a scary Stephen Manwaring), an insane tramp and we are left slightly bemused as to what these various characters are up to (we find out) but as i engaged with the story, it all came together right at the end with a twisted yet funny sense of logic. The characters are brilliantly quirky and this film does not take itself too seriously and has a very British feeling about it...It's almost insane...
Saxon was a refreshing change to watch at the cinema and a breath of fresh air! Hope it makes it nationwide.
the Film Nut (Edinburgh 2007)
