Borrowed Time – review
A scene from Borrowed Time
A micro-budget indie film set against the backdrop of an East London draped in grey, Borrowed Time elicits a confused response.
Jules Bishop’s directorial debut is a mixed bag of clichéd dialogue, stale humour and contrived relationships, spattered with the occasional and surprising moment of promise.
Kevin, played by Theo Barklem-Biggs, is a gaunt and hapless teenager desperate to prove his worth. When he meets and falls foul of the psychotic, and utterly ridiculous, ‘Ninja’ Nigel, he finds himself in need of some fast cash.
Cue Phil: an eccentric recluse with a penchant for taxidermy (excellently played by veteran character actor Philip Davis) and the unwitting victim of Kevin’s half-arsed attempt at burglary.
Following a clumsy first meeting – brought to life by an 18th century blunderbuss and a nod to Dirty Harry – where the predictable ‘unlikely friendship’ narrative is laid before us, the pair embark on a relationship that is tough to swallow.
Phil’s menagerie stroke morgue of a front room plays host to a series of conversations in which too much is said far too soon, desiring of a little more tact and subtlety.
Despite the ill-judged hurry to bare the sufferings of his protagonists, Bishop touches them both with a little magic before the credits fall.
A brilliant scene with a gin tight Phil trembling in the arms of a stuffed grizzly is particularly memorable, while a classily subdued and neat finale furthers the film’s merit.
Bishop’s visual approach is also striking: one minute evoking the dreary landscapes of Mike Leigh’s early years, the next the distinct tones and static frames of Wes Anderson.
A soundtrack reminiscent of Badlands and True Romance kicks through some of the film’s best scenes and offers welcome contrast to the often-unpalatable humour.
Despite obvious comparisons with Leigh, Loach and Meadows, the core of the film resonates more with Dexter Fletcher’s excellent Wild Bill, but is lacking the quiet grace of Charlie Creed- Miles’s lead performance.
In all, it’s a muddled and unbalanced feature, but not without its finery. There’s no doubting Bishop is a talent to look out for in the future.
Much of the film was shot locally, and one of the scenes was filmed in Dalston’s Fishbar.
Borrowed Time is available on demand via selected websites and is out on DVD priced £10.99