Angelica Petherick

‘Dream Agency’, directed by Andy Field and Deborah Pearson follows an agency of actors who recreate people’s dreams. Whether they are chasing deep trauma or just trying to figure out what a reoccurring dream means; the dream agency goes through elaborate rehearsals to recreate these dreams. We are first introduced to Janet who is trying to understand what her reoccurring dream means through the dream agency. Janet is intrigued by the work they do and quickly joins the crew as one of the actors. Janet becomes interested in the woman who features in her ‘dream.’ Janet soon discovers that the cool agency is not all it seems, the leader of the organization is hardly ever seen, and her peers seem to distrust her.

The concept of dreams is explored through ‘Dream Agency’ whether they mean anything, is there any purpose in revisiting them or is it just a scam to make people feel as if they have accomplished something by confronting their dreams. The film has been created by Forest Fringe, an Edinburgh based organization that draws on its own connections and experience in the creative industry to explore the ‘Dream Agency’ through the eyes of those who know all the ins and outs of the industry. Seeing the film through this perspective adds another dimension as the filmmaker’s perspective came across as very natural and the film flowed well overall. I would have liked to have seen a more conclusive ending and more character development for Janet, but for a first feature film this was very successful.

Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain star in John Michael McDonagh’s ‘The Forgiven’ which unfolds like a murder mystery expect we know who the murderer is. On their way to an extravagant weekend party in Morocco, the unhappy couple run over a young boy. Too wrapped up in their own first world problems, the pair as well as the party’s hosts and guests gossip and conspire behind each other’s backs. While the frivolous weekend activities continue with little regard to the death, there is a clear class divide between the Moroccans and the rich bourgeoisie who occupy the party. Although a little too forced, the arrogance of the rich Europeans and Americans in comparison to the poorly treated Moroccan “servants” as David (Ralph Fiennes) calls themselves serves as a reminder of colonial power that still lingers within the world even in the present. Each character is somewhat alluring yet equally unlikeable, which is not necessarily bad. Some of the most interesting characters on screen can be almost villainous yet they capture the audience’s attention. However, in ‘The Forgiven’, many of the villainous character fall flat and fail to serve more purpose than ‘arrogant rich people get what they deserve’. On the other hand, the film has some beautiful cinematography and great acting from all the cast. It would be great if the story had a little bit more depth and character development but overall, it was an enjoyable watch.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival 2022 kicked off with ‘Aftersun’ directed by Scottish filmmaker, Charlotte Wells. Aftersun depicts a father/daughter relationship that shows moments of affection and love amongst the slightly fraught relationship. Wells beautifully captures the quiet moments of unspoken love between the father and daughter whilst reflecting on the less idealistic moments of the relationship. Paul Mescal portrays the young father (Calum) of Sophie (Frankie Corio) as they enjoy an all-inclusive holiday amidst flashforwards of Sophie’s future. The audience sees a mostly happy and close relationship between the father and child. Their father/daughter dynamic is almost friendly at times, as if Sophie does not see herself as a child and prefers her father’s company. At one point Sophie cringes at the prospect of ‘introducing herself’ to the other children at the hotel because they’re “like kids”, connoting the close relationship between the father and daughter. The closeness of the pair seems to fade as we see Calum’s suggested past/future that causes a strain between the two. This reflection on Sophie’s childhood exemplifies both the good and bad memories of her father. Despite their conflict, the paternal love is shown beautifully on screen.

Daisy Edgar Jones stars as the leading role in this blend of a courtroom/family drama. Daisy’s character ‘Kya’ becomes the centre of attention in her closed-minded little town after a man she was involved with dies under mysterious circumstances. The film unfolds in flashbacks as Kya’s life plays out alongside the murder she is accused of. Her family abandoned her early on, so Kya quickly learns to fend for herself within the marshland, she finds temporary comfort with very few characters as she is still viewed as an outsider within the community. This idea of the ‘outsider’ becomes of the main plot points in the courtroom drama.

Despite depicting a fairly well written and beautifully filmed story about the burdens of coming from a broken home and being constantly seen as an outsider, the plot is cliched and dull. The two parental roles for Kya: ‘Jumpin’ and ‘Mabel’ support and care for Kya as if they raised her which is a heart-warming relationship to see but it is easy to compare this role to the ‘Mammy’ role in which the black character is forced to raise a white child as their own without much of the film focussing on the lives of the black people performing this emotional labour. Kya faces constant struggle in her life and there are brief moments within the film that exemplify the hardships of domestic abuse and overcoming those in your life who should love you but physically and emotionally hurt you instead. That being said, the plot is still lacking, and the ending is painfully easy to see from a mile away. The message of the film is weak and does not linger in the mind for long after leaving the cinema. It would be lovely to see Daisy Edgar Jones in a role that does not involve emotionally unstable men making her life hard. Hopefully Hollywood will recognise her talent as more than a manic pixie dream girl.

From Director Sam Raimi comes this exciting yet lacklustre film, following Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch through multiverses to eventually save the day. The introduction of the multiverse naturally brings this second generation of marvel films, but surely there is only so much you can do with this repetitive plotline. Sure, it opens multiple possibilities for different characters, stories, and threats in the MCU, but ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ seems to drag out these possibilities to their full extent. Despite this, the film introduces more horror elements to the comic book-based films, perhaps drawing in more horror/gothic fans such as myself. Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff has begun to abuse the powers of the multiverse to be with her children in an alternative universe. Although her incredible powers are shown in the film, it is hard to see past her traditionally feminine and maternal motivations. Wanda’s powers are wasted on a narrative so determined to place even one of the strongest avengers into a mother role, a plotline eerily like Black Widow’s “I don’t have a uterus so therefore I’m not a complete person” plotline. Gross. Once again, the MCU has shown a strong woman and then based her worth on motherhood. We are also introduced to a new character: ‘America Chavez” who can travel between different universes, no doubt we will see this character in future Marvel films. Despite the disappointedly written women, it is great to see some gothic and horror elements being brought into the MCU.