'Gates' Review
'Gates’ is the story of two estranged sisters, and the multifaceted, often messy nature of sibling relationships. Lily Walbeoffe and Iona Champain play sisters Ella and Grace, in a beautifully shot and excellently acted short film.
I am particularly interested in the representation of
female relationships in film, and raw portrayals of sisterhood. Walbeoffe and
Champain lived together for four days prior to shooting, and their onscreen chemistry
is totally believable. “We lived and breathed as sisters”, Lily explained. Sibling
relationships are difficult to recreate on-screen, for risk of seeming
contrived or melodramatic, but the dialogue is almost entirely improvised, which
enhances the film’s naturalistic tone. In its 40 minute run-time, 'Gates' explores sibling relationships more effectively than many feature length films I have seen.
Lily Walbeoffe described the frequent “cookie cutter” one dimensional
depiction of women on-screen, and how both she and Iona wanted to explore more accurate
representations. It is always refreshing to see flawed female characters, and neither
Grace nor Ella is entirely likeable throughout the film. Grace can be
impatient, and Ella immature, but they also display moments of loving
tenderness towards each other. We witness their shared moments of sisterly companionship,
as they pick blackberries, merrily swig from a vodka bottle, and lie on the
grass playing “would you rather” (a frequently enjoyed pastime with my own
sister).
The film’s beautiful cinematography captures the stunningly
vibrant colours of the Kent countryside, across which our protagonists journey.
A serene soundtrack featuring songs by Nick Mulvey and Nicole Reynolds beautifully
accompanies shots of nature’s quiet tranquillity.
Lily told me that the film was heavily inspired by the
work of the Duplass brothers and Andrea Arnold, both of whom
value an “un-Hollywood” style of improvised dialogue and naturalistic
environments. I liked that the film does not present us with a detailed backstory,
but instead priorities character study over narrative. As the film progresses, the viewer gains a
little context into Grace and Ella’s situation, while leaving the rest to our
imagination.
Minimal dialogue is powerful, and some of the film’s most
impactful moments are created through merely a shared glance. There is a
particularly moving moment where Grace tells Ella her future career plans, and
the silent admiration for her big sister is so perfectly encapsulated by Ella’s
understated yet powerful expression.
Writer and director Josh Pickup’s previous film ‘This is ME’ (in which Walbeoffe also stars), received critical acclaim for its depiction of invisible disabilities. As a disabled filmmaker himself, he is an advocate for the community. ‘Gates’ reflects a hopeful prospect for greater representation in the film industry, and I look forward to seeing his future work.
Would like to see this movie, enjoyed the review of what sounds like a tender and realistic portrayal of sisterly companionship. Looking forward to seeing it.
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