Anonymous

Although the pace of the film felt slow, this was replaced and recognised as a necessity.

The intenseness and variety of addictions required the watcher to take time to absorb the content and power of the different addictions and the energy to overcome the addictions.

The lead actor at first seemed 'what the' his portrayal of his addiction which is never stated but could well be a greater movie trailer for an Agatha Christie thriller kept you in your toes.

The interaction between the characters was intense and almost violating as you were challenged by the dark side of life. There are people who are not as perfect as us and if we are honest many of us are just as addicted and just as powerless to break out of that which we allow to control us.

I find the script, camera angles and all the behind the scene stuff to add to the violation in my perfectness to challenge me.

This film is not just another 'mental health' doco but a tool and resource to show what is happening behind the facade that is projected to the world by all of us. Let's be as real as this film is.

Thank you Alasdair for challenging my sensibilities to the point of being scared and needing to deal with my own addictions.

90mins in real time with the most amazing of characters. I was transfixed the whole time and felt such empathy with each one of them by the end! I won't forget this film quickly and it has caused me to reflect on addiction in a new way.

At a time when lots of people are struggling with their drinking, Anonymous paints a fairly accurate depiction of a 12 step meeting where the characters are able reveal their inner struggles and traumas that have led them to addiction. With some powerful and skilful performances and acutely observed script writing, the film shows that with acceptance and group strength there is hope in recovery by sharing.

From the opening sequence Anonymous shows thats it is not a film that allows you to sit back and be entertained at break-neck speed, but rather a work that requires your attention and engagement.

Anonymous deals with tough issues in a way that is neither judgemental nor sentimental. Instead, it shows us as we all are at times; frail.

To say it was made on a shoestring is an understatement. And how it was made in a couple of weeks in the lockdown shows a steely determination from all involved. An intriuging atmosphere is slowly built up and its the portayal of flawed but real characters, within a minimal setting that allows the story to unfold slowly and purposefully. With the Man, was there a nod to Albert Camus' La Peste (The Plague)?

Winner of the 2021 The East Europe International Film Festival.

Had the privilege of watching this as part of the East European Film Festival (Congrats to the team on winning Best Film!) and it was an incredible film technically all round. To hear from the director's interview in one of the sessions that it was made for under £18K and to achieve this, I was blown away! The performances by the actors are intense, the cinematography is stunning and the music is haunting.

A blockbuster, this is not, but a thinker it is for sure. Come for the paradigm shift, stay for the lesson in great film making!