Darker Than Midnight

Well...this is grim...and, perhaps, a little too familiar and fanciful, stylistically speaking...as in borrowing heavily from directors of yesteryear. Reminiscent of Fassbinder et al.

We'll call it homage...rather than plagiarism!

Still, this debut feature from Sebastiano Riso...shows - quite clearly - an auteur with obvious potential.

There are weaknesses...underdeveloped characters and rambling storylines mar what can only be described as a definitive central performance...by Davide Capone.

The father/son relationship is fairly clear...but, the mother/son is a little bizarre...is it incestuous? Is it neglect? It could be anything...but, one thing is for sure...if you bump into your runaway kid...you're gonna drag him back home by the scruff of his neck...surely?!?

The old familiars are present...the drugs, the drags, the drunks and the punks. These stereotypical lives, characters and stories need a freshness to make them interesting...something to kick the audience where it hurts...otherwise, the communal groan of oh-no-not-that-again will end a promising career.

Rather than being superficially showy...dissect, get under the skin, rip at the sinews of these characters...find out what makes them tick. Tell us what makes them tick. Feel rather than show!

This film is crying out to be felt.

Trailer...