Fuck. I’m going to be late. What is it? 9:55? Fuck. I knew I should have taken the bus. Or just left earlier. If only I didn’t faff about so much. I’m always faffing. Maybe if I walk briskly, not a full on sprint but… I’m so tired. No one should be seeing a film this early. It’s ridiculous. Ok I’m here. I’ve got like three minutes before the film. Is it even open? Oh look this woman’s letting me in she doesn’t seem too annoyed. “Hey I’m here for the press screening… yep… yeah I know… I know… Thanks”. That was easy do I not need to even show any credentials? Anyone could just walk into this thing. Look at all these people they look important, well some of them do. Look at that guy. I bet he writes for the guardian or something. Whats he writing down the film hasn’t even started yet. I hope it’s not about me: ‘a mere boy, clearly out of his element, enters the screening room seeming somewhat out of breath after a brisk walk’. Well two can play at that game.
Right the lights are going down. Nice. Good timing all in all. Let’s just try not to fall asleep.
The film I’m seeing, ‘Girl’, is the opening night gala of Glasgow Film Festival. I was somehow able to belatedly weasel my way into the press screening. The film is a Glasgow based drama about an immigrant mother and daughter as they move through social housing whilst attempting to come to terms with a world adamant on entrapping and harassing them at every turn. 12 year old Ama rarely attends school whilst her mother, Grace, works as a cleaner at St. Enoch centre. On the way to and from work Grace counts her steps, every moment away from Ama. Their souls are entwined, it’s them against the world as Grace repeats to Ama: “we can’t trust anyone, we keep to ourselves”.
The film boasts beautiful photography by cinematographer Tasha Black with deep brooding colours that really pops in the night time. There is a particular shot in which Ama stands looking out of their tower block in the evening, her hair perfectly silhouetted by the cloud formations. This is writer/director Adura Onoashille’s first film and is a stellar, if slightly safe, debut. There is some lovely framing and the performances that Onashille is able to fashion from her mother and daughter, played by Déborah Likimuena and Le’Shantey Bonsu, are truly beautiful. Likimuena in particular, who plays the mother, does so with such physicality and emotive eyes. Her presence is consistently captivating.
“The film boasts beautiful photography by cinematographer Tasha Black with deep brooding colours that really pops in the night time”
Where the film falls down is in its pacing as some moments play much better than others and the central dynamic between the mother and daughter is really what makes the film tick along whilst the rest of the narrative falls to the way side. There is a subplot with a girl that Ama befriends and it really doesn’t work with the child acting feeling rather flat and not aided by some bizarre music choices. The editing throughout also feels off, refusing to allow for individual moments to breath.
Overall, ‘Girl’ is an enjoyable if mildly flawed film that discusses important social issues with an ease to it that is rather briskly reassuring. It is worth a watch for the remarkable central performances and the pleasure of seeing Glasgow look beautiful on screen.
The lights are coming back on. That was quite nice actually. Good way to start the day. Feel like I’ve got some good notes and I managed to stay awake, makes me feel like an actual film journalist. Is weird this is peoples jobs just to come to the cinema in the morning. Oh and look, that Guardian guy has fallen asleep.
