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Movie Review


The Devil's Bargain

 

Starring: Jonnie Hurn, Dan Burman, Chloe Farnworth, and Aj Williams
Director: Drew Cullingham
Monk3ys Ink Films
Certificate: 18
Running time: 77 mins
Opens 17 January 2014


When their son, Billy, is killed in a tragic shooting accident, the end of the world draws Adi and Ange back to the place which holds both happy and painful memories. 1974 and the world is about to be hit by a rock, the size of the British isles and what should be a time to come to terms with their imminent deaths, a celebration of their love is interrupted by the arrival of a photographer who brings Adi revelations which will tear his life apart...

The Devil's Bargain (2013 - 1 hr. 16 min 49 sec) is an independently made, British apocalyptic film directed by Drew Cullingham, who co-wrote the script with Ian Manson. The film stars Jonnie Hurn, Dan Burman, Chloe Farnworth, and Aj Williams.

The film is a small intimate piece, or at least that’s how its starts, a couple of hippies sitting in a field discussing the end of the world. When Luca (Dan Burman) turns up things start to take a downward spiral, Adi (Jonnie Hurn) is justifiably suspicious of the new arrival, although Ange (Chloe Farnworth) seems to be unusually welcoming to the newcomer. It turns out that Ange’s desire to find love at the end and face her demons isn’t going to go as well as she hoped, especially as she turns out to be the serpent in this latter-day garden of Eden.

The acting can be a little variable, some of this comes from the script which dips at times and some from the actors. At points the narrative drags, but at others the scenes can be gripping and there are enough of these to keep the story going forward.

The film has a particular look with a colourised version of the pre-apocalypse. The colourised lens lends a dreamlike quality to the picture, but logically makes no sense. The story has already established that the world will be ended by a large rock smashing into the Earth. We are never shown the offending article so there is no reason the sky should change colour.

I am of two minds whether this ends up as a deficit to the overall project. It does distract from those times when we are watching a couple copulate. This is not the first to use this and looks just as strange as the last Quatermass story.

The film has its interest, although it could have been cut to lessen the occasion lapse in pace, there is a good use of the film's music track to create a sense of foreboding. It does contain a deal of nudity as the three strip away the pretences of their lives along with their clothes.

6

Charles Packer

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