British film-maker Oscar Hudson's debut feature film is a darkly surreal black comedy about the futility of war and the pointlessness of divisive populist politics. It's visually audacious and features stunning central performances from real-life twins Elliott and Luke Tittensor. Each plays a soldier stationed in a lone building guarding the border between their two countries. There's barren desert on either side and seemingly nothing of any value to guard. But guard it they do!, releasing ceremonial pigeons each day to symbolise peace but each day loathing each other. Tensions ratchet up when one day, one of the guards lets off a pigeon without the other! So follows a journey of discovering that maybe they aren't that physically or emotionally different. Maybe they both just miss having a loving mum. So what will happen when a General shows up telling them they actually are at war now, and to defend their territory?
The story is spare and violent and surreal. I absolutely loved it! It reminded me of the best of Beckett and Ustinov. I loved the use of vertical split screen to show each nation and brother mirroring the other, but was also relieved in those scenes that let the audience relax and just watch the characters mentally unravel. I found the middle sections maybe a tad overlong but the final act is a bravura piece of storytelling that I absolutely adored. I cannot wait to see what Hudson does next.
STRAIGHT CIRCLE has a running time of 108 minutes. It played Venice where it won the Critics Week award.
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