EIFF: 22/06/2010
Skeletons
Skeletons is a British feature expanded from a short by director Nick Whitfield which follows the journey of two men who work for a company whose business is to literally find the skeletons in people’s closets. They enter into the domestic homes of families, armed with their seemingly pre-war gear, full of dials and theremin-wails, to find out people’s deepest, darkest secrets, bringing them to the client with the bored professionalism of a bank clerk. However, there is a danger inherent in the profession – the ability to visit your own past, over and over again – a practice called glowchasing. When the pair get given a crucial objective that could see them given a promotion, they find they have bitten off more than they can chew and one of them becomes so enamoured with glowchasing, that it becomes a problem.
The premise is admittedly mad, and the story that unfolds around it is no less so. But the style and panache imbued in this film is quite incredible given its meagre budget. Pre-festival murmurs of the “British Eternal Sunshine” are almost merited, although this is a more lighthearted affair with more laughs and throwaway visual gags. However, this does not detract from the film’s themes or ideas, of memory, loss and desire, which are delivered with heartfelt sincerity, and without ever feeling sentimental or schlocky.
The leads in the film are fantastic, Andrew Buckley and Ed Gaughan playing out a buddy comedy which the cast and crew of the film admit is a “bit Lethal Weapon”. One is an outsider type, who lives alone in an amputated ship’s hull in a field (told you it was mad) and the other is a more family-minded straight guy. The two play off each other to perfection, and you can tell that the script was a collaborative affair, which was wokshopped to death. Supporting roles are filled to a similar quality, Jason Isaacs playing the company boss, the Colonel, who never removes his hat, has an unexplained scar across his neck and speaks with an almost sub-audible Yorkshire growl.
The sense of another reality is conjured with deft skill in this film, the locations and clothes giving a placeless, timeless feel, yet somehow familiar, as if this is a universe only slightly altered from our own. The music also has hints of an Eastern European flavour, further throwing off your sense of direction within the film. Equally, some of the cinematographic shifts as the protagonists come in and out of the secrets of their clients are stunning.
The end result is a uniquely British, English film which is mad, comic, heartfelt, thought-provoking and visually entertaining all at the same time. Miss it at your peril, otherwise the psychic detritus might turn you Bulgarian (you’ll see what I mean if you watch it, please do!).
