Better Things (2008)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Duane Hopkins

Writer:

Duane Hopkins (writer)

Release Date:

21 January 2009 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A group of young people grow up together in a small, rural community in the Cotswolds. |

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Tara Ballard	...	Sarah
Betty Bench	...	Mrs. Gladwin
Frank Bench	...	Mr. Gladwin
Emma Cooper	...	Tess Baker
Che Corr	...	David
Freddie Cunliffe	...	Jon
Hillary Davies	...	Therapist
Jane Foxhall	...	Tess' Mum
Byndley Hutt	...	Mr. Wilson
Lillian Hutt	...	Mrs. Wilson
Patricia Loveland	...	Nan Wilson
Liam McIlfatrick	...	Rob
Rachel McIntyre	...	Gail Wilson
Megan Palmer	...	Rachel
Edward Pinner	...	Shouting Teacher
Mike Randle	...	Joel
Kerry Rowe	...	Dealer
Katie Samuels	...	Julie
Michael Socha	...	Mike
Kurt Taylor	...	Larry

Directed by
Duane Hopkins

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Duane Hopkins		writer

Produced by
Helge Albers	....	co-producer
Peter Carlton	....	executive producer
Alastair Clark	....	co-producer (as Al Clark)
Chris Collins	....	executive producer
Lizzie Francke	....	executive producer
Samm Haillay	....	producer
Alexander O'Neal	....	co-producer
Rachel Robey	....	producer
David Smith	....	associate producer
Paul Trijbits	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dan Berridge

Cinematography by
Lol Crawley

Film Editing by
Christopher Barwell

Production Design by
Jamie Leonard

Art Direction by
Jane Levick

Costume Design by
Mel O'Connor

Makeup Department
Angie Mudge	....	hair designer
Angie Mudge	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Imogen Bell	....	production manager
Katie Shahrokh	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Mindel	....	third assistant director
Christian Rigg	....	second assistant director
Nickie Sault	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Lizzie Dixon	....	art director: additonal photography

Sound Department
Tom Barrow	....	sound mixer: second unit
Anthony Ferretti	....	boom operator
Daniel Goganian	....	foley recordist
Douglas MacDougall	....	sound designer
Micheal MacKinnon	....	foley artist
Micheal MacKinnon	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Owen	....	sound recordist
Chris Sinclair	....	dialogue editor
Chris Sinclair	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Dan Frye	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Lewis Saunders	....	compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Allen	....	rigging gaffer: additional photography
Pete Carrier	....	best boy (as Peter Carrier)
Ben Gibb	....	clapper loader
Andy McBrearty	....	gaffer: additional photography
Paul McKay	....	focus puller: additional photography
Mark Morley	....	key grip
Ang Richards	....	second assistant camera: additional photography
Christopher Ross	....	director of photography: additional photography
Barry Squires	....	assistant camera
John Watters	....	focus puller
Lee Wooster	....	lighting gaffer

Editorial Department
Christian Blood	....	assistant editor
Andrew Dearnley	....	digital film supervisor
Dave Hall	....	digital intermediate technician
Matt James	....	digital intermediate technician
Steve Knight	....	digital intermediate technician
Colin Monie	....	supervising editor
Danielle Palmer	....	assistant editor
Andy Richards	....	senior digital intermediate technician
Gareth Spensley	....	colorist
Gemma Townsend	....	digital intermediate technician

Other crew
Livia Burton	....	production coordinator
Leonard Crooks	....	head of New Cinema Fund: UK Film Council
Julie Daly-Wallman	....	script supervisor
San Davey	....	script supervisor
Yvonne Eastmond	....	production accountant
Dan Hodgett	....	location services
Andy Hodgson	....	floor runner
Rachel James	....	post-production accountant
Himesh Kar	....	senior executive
Jonathan Wicks	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Third Films
• Wellington Films
• Flying Moon Filmproduktion
• EM Media (executive production)
• Film4 (funding)
• UK Film Council (executive production)

Distributors

• Memento Films International (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Soda Pictures (2008) (UK) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Film4  funding
• Molinare Studio  post-production facilities
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Savalas Audio Post-Production  sound post-production

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company:

Third Films

Good debut feature.

'Better Things' is Duane Hopkins bleak but brilliant directorial debut set in rural Britain. It tells a series of stories against a backdrop of a countryside that, far from idyllic, has become a wash with drugs, death, intrigue and teenage angst. Shot beautifully any single frame from the first ten minute sequence could be a photograph in an exhibition, as too could certain shots right the way through this movie. Cold and almost bleached out you can really feel the grey and the pain as we get snapshots of peoples lives, people affected by death, drug abuse, isolation, frustration, its not the easiest watch but like last years 'Hunger' it deals with dark subject matter and turns it into a thing of random beauty. Hopkins draws from his cast of first timers a sense of the real like we are privy to their lives and watching a documentary of sorts. But it's in the spaces in-between where the films real strength lie giving the viewer only part of the story and leaving the feverish mind to fill in the gaps. Take for example the old couple, she asks her husband at one point if he will forgive her but you never find out what for, it is probably not as bad as you think it is or maybe its worse. These spaces are like the gaps between verses and choruses in songs, places to let the piece breathe and ultimately they are essential to the overall film. Like peeking through the curtains at the seedy underbelly of Britain 'Better Things' wont be to everybody's taste but anyone who likes a well paced and superbly shot meditation should check it out, a great first film that should see Hopkins move onto bigger and better things.