Film Reviews by PW

The characters in this bleak tale are more or less all unattractive in their casually corrupt ways. Even the fecklessly weak dogman lives a morally dubious life of care and crime. They all, however, exemplify the damage that social neglect inflicts, even the horrendously thuggish sociopath who terrorises the neighborhood. The redeeming feature of the film is the dogman's daughter's love for her father, even though that is set in the context of unrealisable dreams, and his obvious devotion to her. The grim location and sets underline the overall hopelessness. The acting is first rate across the characters with Marcello Fonte's range of pathetic facial expressions a highlight.

Samuel Beckett's play 'Waiting for Godot' is one in which, in the words of Beckett himself, 'nothing happens twice'. It turns out to be a masterpiece. 'Unrelated' is a film in which nothing happens over and over again. It turns out to be a trite, pretentious and unforgivably boring attempt to be an arthouse film. And I do like a decent arthouse film!

There were two almost unbelievably kind, tolerant and understanding characters in this film, Deyn's aged employer and the lesbian woman who took her in and befriended her. Her long lost brother was on the other hand crudely unsympathetic. These

characterisations undermined a well intentioned narrative about the devastations of epilepsy and childhood traumatic experiences.

Deyn played her part well, but it wasn't a part worthy of her potential star quality.

This elliptically told story was never boring and had moments of intense power. Perhaps the overall strategy of leaving the viewer to imagine some of what had happened before and what would happen after the given events was taken to an oblique extreme, but the playing of the main protagonists was admirable. The subtitles were sparely worded and convincing against the context of action. Some stunning scenic photography enhanced the narrative.