Late September Review
The story is set in a 24 hour period on the day of a 65th birthday party somewhere peaceful in Kent. A few friends and relatives attend to converse in fairly mundane ways about their current lives. A few secrets come out in protracted conversations and the strain of a 40 year marriage starts to show as the night progresses.
Whilst the acting ranges from hammy to competent; there are barely any characters here that you get to know enough about to care about. So the fact that anyone is behaving selfishly, or is merely stuck in their indifferent ways does not bode well in the name of entertainment. The takes are long and usually static; but when the camera does move it is apparent. Most of the takes can also often end in the camera lingering on an empty space. This seems intended to keep the pace slow and to let the audience dwell on the serenity of the landscape juxtaposing it against the drama; but the drama is so weak to begin with it only adds annoyance.
Late September barely classifies as a film – as it is shot with the lighting and equipment used for British television movies (from the early 90’s). In other words; this is essentially a 90 minute soap opera for late night television.
The film then is an ugly looking trip into the mundane and the misery of what life can hold for some of the over-priviliged and emotional unfortunate. Quite simply though, the characters are not worth your time.
Steven Hurst
Late September Review
The story is set in a 24 hour period on the day of a 65th birthday party somewhere peaceful in Kent. A few friends and relatives attend to converse in fairly mundane ways about their current lives. A few secrets come out in protracted conversations and the strain of a 40 year marriage starts to show as the night progresses.
Whilst the acting ranges from hammy to competent; there are barely any characters here that you get to know enough about to care about. So the fact that anyone is behaving selfishly, or is merely stuck in their indifferent ways does not bode well in the name of entertainment. The takes are long and usually static; but when the camera does move it is apparent. Most of the takes can also often end in the camera lingering on an empty space. This seems intended to keep the pace slow and to let the audience dwell on the serenity of the landscape juxtaposing it against the drama; but the drama is so weak to begin with it only adds annoyance.
Late September barely classifies as a film – as it is shot with the lighting and equipment used for British television movies (from the early 90’s). In other words; this is essentially a 90 minute soap opera for late night television.
The film then is an ugly looking trip into the mundane and the misery of what life can hold for some of the over-priviliged and emotional unfortunate. Quite simply though, the characters are not worth your time.
Steven Hurst