Author Archives: Bob Foale

Audience reaction to “On Falling”

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14 response slips were returned. The breakdown, and comments were:

  • ‘Excellent’: 5 votes
    • Touching portrayal of the impossible position many people in the gig-economy find themselves in, one unexpected expense being the difference between just about surviving and abject poverty.
    • Real and very, very uncomfortable film [?] lives of people we had maybe never deeply thought about.  Poverty in isolation.
      this was a deeply moving film.
    • A mesmeric performance from Joana Santas.  More than a hint of Ken loach here, and I had always thought that teaching was bad…!
    • Pete Seeger sang about Little Boxes –  only 100 times worse.
  • ‘Very Good’: 5 votes
    • Down the Ken Loach/Paul Laverty road, but from the female perspective.
    • Great choice – heartbreaking ending.  Very natural performance by the lead.
    • Depressing but it made me feel grateful.  The fragility of her world was very carefully portrayed[?]. Understated – but hidden warmth.
    • Ken Loach like.  A savage assessment of the world of work we’ve created.  Not the utopia technology was promised to deliver.
    • Memories of shared living as a young adult.   The interview was uncomfortable as out of work she was merely trying to survive.
  • ‘Good’: 4 votes
    • Unrelenting, but sadly so true for “fulfilment” centre workers.
    • Watching people – fascinating.  But what was all the ‘junk’ (made in China?) that the poor girl was ‘processing’?  All she seemed to need was the comfort of strangers.
    • Film about surviving depression.  Great symbolism, subtle foreshadowing.  Love an open ending.  Despite being slow paced, still managed to keep interest the whole way.
    • Was definitely a slow burn but I did leave smiling in the end – just grateful it wasn’t a sad ending.  I like that all the workers had names in the credits, even if they never said them on screen.
  • ‘Satisfactory’: 0 votes
  • ‘Poor’: 0 votes

Download the comments by clicking on the following link:
Feedback for ‘On Falling’

We are always interested to receive any additional comments people may have on this film and welcome all contributions to this forum. If you did not leave comments after the screening, but still wish to do so, you can leave them here.

Our Next Presentation: On Falling (Thursday 12 March)

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Chelmsford Theatre Studio, Fairfield Road @ 8PM (Doors open 7:15)

On Falling tells the story of Aurora, a Portuguese warehouse picker working in a vast fulfilment centre in Scotland. Trapped between the confines of her workplace and the solitude of her flatshare, Aurora seeks to resist the loneliness, alienation and ensuing small talk which begin to threaten her sense of self. Set against a landscape dominated by an algorithm-driven gig economy, designed to keep us apart, the film explores the silent, vital struggle to find meaning and connection.

Drama • Cert: 15 • Year: 2024
Languages: English / Portuguese • 104 mins

Click here for additional information.

This film will be followed by a short discussion meeting, held in the Theatre Cafeteria area. Everyone is invited to give their thoughts on the current season, and the future of the club.

Our previous presentation:

Audience reaction to “I’m Still Here”

Audience reaction to “I’m Still Here”

22 response slips were returned. The breakdown, and comments were: Download the comments by clicking on the following link:Feedback for ‘I’m Still Here’ We are always interested to receive any additional comments people may have on this film and welcome … Continue reading →

Source:

May we encourage you to complete the Response Slips following the showing of each film – feedback (both positive and negative) helps us to decide what types of films to show in future seasons. In addition, you can leave comments for any of the films we have shown via the Discussion page.

Audience reaction to “I’m Still Here”

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22 response slips were returned. The breakdown, and comments were:

  • ‘Excellent’: 18 votes
    • Totally engaging.  The extended first act of domestic bliss served to accentuate the horror of the subsequent film, which descended on the family with very little warning.
    • Brilliant film.  Wonderful acting & a chilling reminder of what can happen when democracy is taken/or is given away
    • A powerful film, shows what happens when fascists take control.
    • A very assured and surprisingly gentle expose of the acts of dictatorship and the impact on the families of the victims.
    • A cracking(?) drama on an “arresting” issue. Clever change of mood from initial joy to terror, mostly focussed on female experience: sadly, the perpetrators were male.  Not quite so comfortable with the final sections but held together by the stunning central performance. “I’m Still Here” – sadly only too but now garbed in a fresh new ICE uniform!
    • Unbearably sad. Very moving.
    • Very moving, not sentimental. A huge sense of the fate of a family in a dictatorship.  Political? Everything is Political.
    • Outstanding.
    • A deeply affecting film; the fortitude and unwavering dignity of Eunice was extraordinary.
    • Powerful film.  Disturbing.  Excellent acting.
    • When will they ever learn?
    • Superb! Cinema first, then ‘politics’ Wim Wenders was right, it seems.
    • Very powerful performance by Fernanda Torres – great choice of movie
    • Thank you.  Rather close to the bone if you’ve lived under a dictatorship.
    • A warning from history, but those who should be listening, were not.
    • Outstanding. Thank you.
  • ‘Very Good’: 2 votes
    • An engrossing story, fantastic period details.
  • ‘Good’: 0 votes
  • ‘Satisfactory’: 2 votes
    • Took an age to say what it had to say.  The ending felt incredibly drawn out after the time jump.  Way too self-indulgent as it went on.
    • Bit long.
  • ‘Poor’: 0 votes

Download the comments by clicking on the following link:
Feedback for ‘I’m Still Here’

We are always interested to receive any additional comments people may have on this film and welcome all contributions to this forum. If you did not leave comments after the screening, but still wish to do so, you can leave them here.