Film Review Development Part 5

The purple text has been improved upon. 

EMMA

"Emma" is a female led thriller film that will have you thinking about it for days afterwards.

The story follows the lead character Emma as she wakes up disorientated after having been kidnapped. 

She tries to remember and figure out what has happened to her, while dealing with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Her character arc is engaging and intriguing as you try with Emma to work out what happened to her and who kidnapped her. The end of the film is deliberately ambiguous and open to interpretation, as is the film itself, and despite the strong narrative I would place the film firmly in the stylised Art Film bracket.

The lack of diagloue reinforces this, as the director specifically designed the film as to not give Emma a voice. This creative idea is deliberately symbolic and says that Emma is voiceless as a victim of assault and feels she can't speak up even if she wanted to. She breaks the fourth wall powerfully halfway through the film, almost reaching out to the audience, asking the viewers for help, for protection. This provokes a powerful emotive response as we as an audience feel compelled to try to help and to keep watching. This is partly a product of the excellent casting of Lydia Batchelor, whose flawless acting prevents the film from becoming lifeless and emotionless. She engages the audience and asks them not to be passive, but to help her, and girls like her, to speak up and to give them their voices back by believing in them.

Emma, I noticed, is also the only character with a name. Whilst critics could argue that this is purely due to the fact the film is so short, I believe it to be another clever social commentary by the director. Emma feels so alone because of what has happened to her that she feels she can't connect to anyone else, highlighted by the fact that none of the other character have names.

Whilst the film was clearly made on a limited budget, you can tell the cast and crew have worked hard to stretch the resources that they did have to be as effective as possible. The film does suffer because of this, as with some more time and money spent on it it could have been even better.  The director, Mariella Devoil, is still relatively a newbie in the film industry but has definitely made a splash with this, her latest short film.

The setting of the film was a bit basic and stereotypical at times, however the locations were believable and the set design was certainly up to scratch. The audio is dramatic at times and the film uses the technique of silence very effectively to make the audience feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The rest of the sound design is suitable as the sound effects and ambient music fit the scenes and mood and ensure the film to be believable. 

The cinematography however is really excellent and looks elegant and professionally effortless. The CCTV scene especially comes to mind, as this has been expertly edited to be very realistic and fits seamlessly into the film. It adds a level of gritty realism as both a beginning and ending scene, tying the film together nicely. The mise en scène has been carefully constructed frame by frame. The kitchen scene (image above) intensifies the feeling of entrapment for Emma on her return to work. Although the pacing is fast and keeps the audience engaged throughout, the separate scenes feel a little disjointed. The order of the scenes can be confusing but the film succeeds on the strength of its stylisation, meaning that the plot is not the only thing holding the film together.

"Emma" far exceeded my expectations, given it was from newbie director Mariella Devoil, filmed on a limited budget and with its strange concept. I was pleasantly surprised that the film works in its own right and engages the audience effectively throughout. Overall, an excellent short film with an original storyline that really excels in its cinematography and stylisation of its aesthetic. With "Emma" I have no doubt that Mariella Devoil has earned her place firmly on the map of the country's most promising up and coming directors.