Melanie Manchot’s experimental docudrama blurs the line between fact and fiction. As a study of addiction and its impact through generations, the installation is being showcased in Cornwall while also screening in cinemas. Manchot hired actors with lived experiences from a Liverpool recovery group. The installation, at its worst, feels a tad bit like a workshop experience with stilted performances and expressionist dancing. However, it is a poignant account of addiction to alcohol, and Stephen Giddings’ performance is both powerful and heart-wrenching.
Stephen Giddings plays either himself or a version of himself. He is a recovering alcoholic and aspiring actor with a lead film role in sight. As Tom, a bank cashier with past gambling issues, he has embarked on a new lease of life with girlfriend Sarah, who is pregnant, and they are in the process of buying a flat. The character, however, relapses and starts dipping into the funds at the bank, causing further challenges.
The film’s central plotline involves the auditions, rehearsals, and life experiences of Stephen. There is also a film-within-a-film in the mix. One of the best scenes is the brilliantly created tense card game where Tom loses a substantial amount of money. However, the film asks tremendous questions on the impact of addiction on families, yet it falls short of completely joining the dots. It is perhaps more suitable for a gallery space than a cinema screen.
The installation involves the additional layer of a 20th-century case of Thomas Goudie, who was a Liverpool banker who embezzled nearly £170,000 from his bank, while his case became the subject of the first police reconstruction film in 1901. The film is set to premiere in UK cinemas from 26 April, while the installation will appear at the Exchange, Newlyn, Cornwall from 5 May
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