• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Film

Film Review: Brakes

By Michael McNulty You would find more enjoyment standing in a queue at the post office, ritualistically checking your watch and shuffling a quarter of an inch forward every 15 minutes than watching Mercedes Grower’s film, Brakes.  At 80 minutes, it instils a frustrating impatience that has you begging for the credits to roll.   Late […]

Guest Contributor by Guest Contributor
2017-11-20 15:36
in Film, Film Reviews
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

By Michael McNulty

You would find more enjoyment standing in a queue at the post office, ritualistically checking your watch and shuffling a quarter of an inch forward every 15 minutes than watching Mercedes Grower’s film, Brakes.  At 80 minutes, it instils a frustrating impatience that has you begging for the credits to roll.   Late in the film, one of the characters says, “I’ve just been pinned by the most boring person I know,” and you want to reach through the screen, grab him by the scruff, stare straight into his eyes and reply, “I know the feeling, mate.”  This viewing experience is the equivalent of plain, white rice.

Brakes, is a facile examination of relationships.  The film’s plot, or rather trajectory, plays out over the course of a collection of scrappily put together episodes that document the final moments, conversations, arguments between a number of London based couples about to bust up.  The film’s conceit is that you begin at the end only, once you’ve cycled through 50 odd minutes of “so this is it then,” to end at the beginning where you have to sit through another equally mind numbingly dull series of “meet cutes.”

The idea is tired, Grower’s imagining adds nothing new and lacks any heart or soul.  The characters are one dimensional and devoid of empathy which is a shame because the film sports an impressive cast of comedy heavyweights in Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Julia Davis and others.  But, most disappointing is, that for a film set in London with all its vibrancy and diversity, it is completely lacking.  Its central characters are, for the most part, white, straight and middle class.  It creates a limited and narrow world that only highlights its “pet project, mates getting together to make a film” feel.

This is low budget, improv filmmaking and it shows, glaringly so.  Images are stretched (mid scene) and the audio is tinny.  The shaky, handheld photography used to attach a sense of realism slips into poor camera work and locations have clearly been picked for ease of shooting rather than to add anything to the narrative.  Under different circumstances you would be able to overlook this, but Brakes offers so little that these flaws become distractions to fixate upon.

Brakes would benefit from starting at its end and saving us all the trouble of having to watch it.

Brakes is in cinemas from Friday 24th November

RELATED 

RelatedPosts

Review: EO

Review: Enys Men

Review: Tori and Lokita

Review: Armageddon Time

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/film/film-review-beach-rats/20/11/

Content Protection by DMCA.com
Please login to join discussion

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

This ‘Crystal ball tool’ could herald dementia breakthrough

The Birth Of A Nation: Film Review

Seven things to do in Cascais, Portugal

‘Utterly chaotic’ – Head teachers slam Government over ‘frustrating’ school reopening plans

Millionaire owes his huge fortune to ‘stealing’ £30k from his mum

Beer of the Week: Beavertown The Chariot Bretted Pilsner

Watch – Neighbour speaks of house raided in connection with Monday’s terror attack

Teen daughter of the Marquess of Queensberry died from drug overdose at Notting Hill party

Spirit of the Week: 1800 Silver Tequila

I want to live in… Camberwell

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.