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March 28, 2024, 06:40:48 PM

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Ray and Liz

Started by Sebastian Cobb, March 15, 2019, 11:21:02 AM

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Sebastian Cobb

I caught this last night, has anyone else seen it?

It's a film reimagining of the photobook the director made of their life growing up in squalid conditions in a poor family with an alcoholic dad. It's set in the Blackcountry and has a cameo from 'White Dee' from Benefits Street, which is done quite well.

There's elements of gallows humour, but it is unremittingly bleak. The way it uses flashbacks gives a dreamlike quality to it all and the sets have been well planned out, bits stick out as if it's constructed from a child's memory, which I suppose it was.

DukeDeMondo

The bits and pieces I've seen of it have struck me as obnoxious and horrible and exploitative and sneering, however striking the compositions, and I do wonder about what the motivation might be, what's to be gained from making a film like this in 2019 (alright, 2018)? It's His Story. Fair enough. But there are plenty of other stories. Why this one, now?

But, we'll see.

Sebastian Cobb

I can't comment for the clips but in totality it didn't feel like that. The whole thing felt quite immersive.

thugler

Thought this was amazing. Really immersive and interesting film that doesn't try and give simple explanations and excuses for characters failings. I don't think it's sneery really, there is sympathy there. Performances were really strong as well, even white dee's cameo was fine, I didn't realise she was some reality tv person as I wasn't aware of her before reading about the film. Some really amazing striking shots in it which will stay with me for some time. I'd be interested to see what he does next.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: thugler on March 17, 2019, 10:23:23 PM
Thought this was amazing. Really immersive and interesting film that doesn't try and give simple explanations and excuses for characters failings. I don't think it's sneery really, there is sympathy there. Performances were really strong as well, even white dee's cameo was fine, I didn't realise she was some reality tv person as I wasn't aware of her before reading about the film. Some really amazing striking shots in it which will stay with me for some time. I'd be interested to see what he does next.

Yeah, for the most part I thought the presentation of both Ray and Liz was matter of fact.

Spoiler alert

The bit I found most odd, and slightly damning was just how nonchalant Jason was with being taken into care, and how Richard seemed almost jealous.

[/spoiler
[close]

thugler

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on March 18, 2019, 12:00:09 PM
Yeah, for the most part I thought the presentation of both Ray and Liz was matter of fact.

Spoiler alert

The bit I found most odd, and slightly damning was just how nonchalant Jason was with being taken into care, and how Richard seemed almost jealous.

[/spoiler
[close]
I see what you mean, but i guess that level of neglect, and particularly a traumatic incident like that could make a child want to find a way out, even though it didn't feel that he had no real anger at his parents.

The screening i went to had both richard and his brother in attendance and this was allegedly as it happened. Which is crazy if true.

Chriddof

Quote from: DukeDeMondo on March 15, 2019, 03:24:34 PM
The bits and pieces I've seen of it have struck me as obnoxious and horrible and exploitative and sneering, however striking the compositions, and I do wonder about what the motivation might be, what's to be gained from making a film like this in 2019 (alright, 2018)? It's His Story. Fair enough. But there are plenty of other stories. Why this one, now?

But, we'll see.

I'm glad someone else has said this. The possible intent of this film has troubled me a little. I recently read an article on the making of the film and Billingham in general, where a couple of details about the production and other things did seem to hint at an odd mindset. The fact that someone from Benefits Street is in this is concerning too, no matter how well they may act in it.

thugler

Quote from: Chriddof on March 20, 2019, 09:55:02 AM
I'm glad someone else has said this. The possible intent of this film has troubled me a little. I recently read an article on the making of the film and Billingham in general, where a couple of details about the production and other things did seem to hint at an odd mindset. The fact that someone from Benefits Street is in this is concerning too, no matter how well they may act in it.

When i saw the film i feared that people would dismiss it in this way. I don't believe the director came at this from that perspective. I've seen him talk about how the thatcher government at the time made poor people's lives as horrendous as it is portrayed. He doesn't talk about the poor being idle or things like that and i don't believe that's how the film is either. It doesn't sugar coat or explain things away either, it's really of a child's perspective and based on his younger brothers memories.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: Chriddof on March 20, 2019, 09:55:02 AM
I'm glad someone else has said this. The possible intent of this film has troubled me a little. I recently read an article on the making of the film and Billingham in general, where a couple of details about the production and other things did seem to hint at an odd mindset. The fact that someone from Benefits Street is in this is concerning too, no matter how well they may act in it.

In the Guardian article about it, they say that he was looking for someone to play Liz and a colleague texted him saying he'd found her and to stick the telly on (White Dee was entering the celebrity Big Brother house).

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/mar/13/richard-billingham-tower-block-white-dee-rays-a-laugh-liz