Plot

A seemingly happy middle class family man leaves the Midlands and takes to living on the streets of London, after a bruising encounter with a tree he meets Aidan, a fast talking man child who has problems of his own...

Cast

Starring Tom Fisher, Aidan Gillen more famously known as Littlefinger in Game of thrones, Riann Steele and of course Treacle junior...the kitten

Review

This is one of those films you watch almost by accident, I have had it on the planner since the beginning of last year and only recently got round to watch it. I wasnt quite sure what to make of it in the first ten minutes as we watch Tom's character board a train to London and leave behind a life, that on the surface looks happy and idyllic. As with a lot of men with good jobs and young families they seem okay outwardly, but internally its a different story.

After an encounter with a gang in a park Tom runs and gets knocked out running into a tree. It's at a hospital he meets Aidan, a man who by his admission was a "blue baby" delivered with the umbilical cord round his neck leading to oxygen deficiency and learning difficulties. At first glance Aidan is loud and by his own admission very annoying, but as he admits to Tom that's okay, he knows this.

Whilst Tom doesnt realise this, this is a pivotal meeting and a turning point in his life. Aidan is one of societies downtrodden and forgotten, he lives with a physically and verbally abusive girlfriend, he is verbally abused by neighbours, he gets beaten up and loses the cat he tries to use as a mouse killing service for a local greasy spoon cafe. It's slightly heart breaking what Aidan has to deal with in life, but he is a force of nature determined to see the best in life and more importantly, people.

No matter what Aidan goes through his child like optimism and trust makes him see the world as a beautiful place filled with people he hopes will be happy.

I grew to like the two main characters, London is used to nice effect as a back drop to Tom's realisation that maybe his life isn't as bad as he thought and ultimately it's Aidan's ability to love and see the world through the eyes of a child that convinces him what direction his life should take.

It seems for a while that Aidan will have his love of life and child like wonder at the world tested and maybe even broken...

Verdict

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this film, its starts off grim, gets grimmer and then makes you wonder at the unfairness of life. The closing sequence had me feeling like Aidan was turning into the Universe's punchbag, but then it uplifts you and you realise this is quite a redemptive and lovely film, some say the ending is a bit too neat, but I loved it. It ended the way it should and the way you would want it to, I wont say as i don't want to spoil it.

The burgeoning friendship between Tom and Aidan is well written and executed.

This is a small quiet film that stays with you for a while and after a steady stream of super hero blammo fests that's a major feat for a film shot on a shoe string budget. Watch it, you wont regret it.