Due to my association with BAFTA Cymru, I was able to attend the preview screening of the new film ‘Pink wall’ in the chapter arts centre. When walking into this screening I had no idea what the film would be about, the only thing the title sort of tells you about this film was that it was an artist and independent film. So I was very excited as I walked into the screening with a blank slate.
This film is a modern-day romance, following the six-year relationship of Jenna (Tatiana Maslany) and Leon (Jay Duplass) and their progression into a more mature/adult life. The creative team who worked on the project aim to make this show as realistic as possible. The action and dialogue were tailored to reflect the experiences of the audience which was done excellently. In fact, it may have been done too well. As their character in this show was so relatable and normal at times it was difficult to watch and at certain points the narrative dragged. These characters were too much like regular people that the show gave off more documentary vibes rather than the drama series it was supposed to. A nice touch on the series is that it was filmed across wales which can only benefit Welsh exposure and the welsh economy.
At times where the were multiple of character sat around a table etc, the camera would not focus on the character talking which is obviously very discombobulating for the audience. On top of this, the Narrative is spread across six years but it’s not set in a linear fashion. Tom Cullen discusses how this was supposed to demonstrate how the human brain works but again I found this very confusing at times, also the graphics they used to show time passing happened a lot and became somewhat of an eyesore after a while and made the story hard to follow.
After the screening, there was a Q and A with the Tom Cullen who was one of the production staff who helped make the idea of this film into a reality. This Q and A is one of the most informal chats I have ever seen at a BAFTA event but this helped this section actually feel like a discussion with the audience rather than just talking at the audience. Tom talked honestly about the film making process and it was very interesting to learn about his experience specifically with this film.
Overall this is an incredibly realistic and heartfelt movie that provides an honest perspective into one specific production which was very interesting to watch. The Q and A allowed the audience members to gain a unique perspective on the film and to understand some of the more complex themes in the film. I would rate this movie 3 and a half stars.
Rhysreviews 