A prime example of a 'small' (or 'wee' as we say in Scotland) film. It deals exclusively with one family and their particular quirks. This film could be French - they are the masters of this particular genre. Not a lot really happens and some of what does is extremely implausible. To say the family members are dysfunctional is an understatement. Much of their behavior bears no resemblance to the lives of people I know. The strengths of 'Hallam Foe' are the performances, the soundtrack and the cinematography. Action shifts between a large country estate and the beautiful city of Edinburgh (very strangely, though, there are no shots of the world-famous Castle - like panoramic views of the Paris skyline that omit the Eiffel Tower!). Jamie Bell is excellent as the eponymous Hallam - he even gets to do a couple of runs and jumps that hark back to 'Billy Elliot'! Sophia Myles is convincing as a hotel manager with an inability to sustain fulfilling relationships. The central theme revolves around sexual confusion/obsession and much of the plot concerns Hallam's turbulent attitude to sex. Overall, this is an unremarkable film but not without merit.
Review of Hallam Foe
