Albatross
Starring: Felicity Jones, Jessica Brown Findlay, Sebastian Koch, Julia Ormond
Director: Niall MacCormick
Rating: 2.5/5
Niall MacCormick marks his feature film directorial debut with Albatross and boasts the talent of Felicity Jones and Jessica Brown Findlay, two newcomers that we should all keep an eye on.
The movie follows Beth Fischer (Jones), who is cramming for her A-Levels in a desperate bid to escape to university. She befriends the troubled Emelia (Brown), a force of nature who bursts into the lives of the dysfunctional Fischer family when she is hired to work in their guest house in a sleepy south coast town.
But when aspiring writer Emelia begins an affair with Beth’s father it threatens to tear friendships and family apart.
Albatross is somewhat low key coming of age story that follows two teenage girls as they try to understand who they are and what their place in the world will be.
Beth & Emelia compliment each other beautifully; Beth is quiet and reserved while Emelia is spirited and outspoken. There is a real chemistry between the two central actresses as Beth & Emelia forge a somewhat unlikely friendship.
With Emelia, Beth feels that she can let her hair down and be who she wants to be without being a disappointment while with Beth; Emelia has a place to belong.
While the movie does start out with some promise it sadly does end up going down a very familiar path of teenage angst and it becomes all too predictable.
This movie just lacks that little bit of something, that spark that would elevate to something more than we have seen before.
But there are some central themes that we can all relate to through the two central characters; Emelia just wants to know who she is and connect with the people in her family. While Beth feels trapped by her and is desperate to escape and make something of herself.
And it is these central performances that really make a lightweight story better than it really is. Having said that there is some witty dialogue of Emelia as well as Joa, played brilliantly by Julia Ormond.
Sure this is a movie that is compelling in parts as well as having characters that you come to have real affection for.
But this story is just a little tired and it’s doesn’t quite hold your attention for the full ninety minutes.
Albatross is out on DVD & Blu-Ray now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Felicity Jones Jessica Brown Findlay