Kelly + Victor
Starring: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Julian Morris, William Ruane, Stephen Walters
Director: Kieran Evans
Rating: 3/5
Kieran Evans is at the BFI London Film Festival with his new movie Kelly+ Victor which is as an adaptation of the novel by Niall Griffiths.
It is one of the most interesting and touching dramas that feature at the festival this year.
Kelly + Victor is a raw compelling passionate love story set against the backdrop of a highly cinematic Liverpool.
The movie marks the feature length directorial debut for Evans but you wouldn't know it as he has delivered a very hard-hitting and visceral drama.
There is something incredibly real about this drama from the characters that the film centres on to the setting of Liverpool where we see this two characters really struggling with everyday life.
Kelly is an incredibly lost character who has been severely damaged by life and the people who have been in her life.
While the movie doesn't go into deep into her backstory she has a difficult relationship with her mother and has escaped an abusive relationship with a former partner.
Victor on the other hand is just stuck in life and a dead end job that he doesn't want. And while he does have dreams and aspirations he has not clue or hope of every turning them into a reality.
Antonia Campbell-Hughes and Julian Morris deliver two great relationships as the carry the weight of the entire movie - not to mention touch on some very difficult issues.
They both draw the audience in as you want to root for them to succeed and yet there is a slight reservation about both of them - especially Kelly.
But as well as great performances the movie just looks fantastic as Evans' framing is just beautiful as he captures the city of Liverpool.
But there is a rawness to these movies and the characters and that is evident from the hard hitting sex scenes that are scattered throughout the film.
There is nothing glamorous about these scenes and they really do give us an insight into the minds of the characters - especially Kelly.
These sex scenes get gradually more intense and violent and Evans cuts back and forth between them and images of nature as a bit of relief for the audience.
Kelly + Victor is a very powerful movie about love and infatuation as the two leads characters find themselves spiraling out of control.
However this is not an easy watch and this may struggle to find a broad audience.
The BFI London Film Festival runs 10 - 21 October
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in BFI