British director David Bryant has been a finalist in the CUT short film festival and released the indie horror DEADWOOD along with his co-directors Sebastian Smith and Richard Stiles. Now Bryant strikes out on his own armed with a camcorder and a concept that brings a new take on the recent spate of found footage films.
On what should be the most memorable day of his life, his wedding day, a groom is thrown into the back of a van by masked kidnappers and subjected to a barrage of questioning from his captors seeking answers to a truly memorable day, memorable for all the wrong reasons. The entire event is recorded by the kidnappers as one continual take with the film presented as "found footage".
Any aspiring film-maker will have read the advice from Robert Rodriguez to make a film with what you've got. Where as most interpret this as a camcorder, friends and a bottle of ketchup Bryant has utilised his access to talent, creativity as well as the camcorder and friends resulting in a challenging piece of film making both on technical and narrative levels. Flourishing out with the constructions of Hollywood and instead embracing the even more constricting DIY indie world VICTIMS steps beyond the coral of recent found footage films that have found themselves herded in by ghost stories and possession tales and utilises the best tool available to any film maker; originality. The constant "one take" is executed perfectly with Leighton Wise' camera work balancing perfectly between swaying disorientation and amateur style zoom and pans without ever becoming sickening and the naturally occurring sound design really sells the real life angle on events and yet seems intentional. The cast are largely undiscovered but could put professional and paid working actors to shame particularly the lead John Bocelli who carries the weight of the whole film with total believability and conviction.
A kidnap drama that escalates itself with a topical subject matter solidly founded in outstanding performances and modern film making techniques VICTIMS is the solo indie debut of the British director to watch. Nolan and Edwards have led the way Bryant could be the next big name you're paying at the multiplex for.
