Released in 2019

Lie Low

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When Esme’s estranged mother Maggie and little brother turn up unexpectedly to the large French country house she shares with her boyfriend and his Dad, Bill, it’s clear that it’s a visit that’s unwanted and unwelcome. There is the stink of trouble around them both, and tempers soon erupt.

 

Meanwhile back in London, told in concurrent flashes, several dark, violent events signal a horrific murder has taken place, but all is not what it seems, apart from the fact that something far deeper and rotten is wrong with this family than simple dysfunctional behaviour.

 

Slowly, as the story unfolds, it spirals down where Angels indeed fear to tred….  

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Opening with an atmospheric feel, ‘Lie Low’ is told in brave, visual camera strokes and minimal dialog to start with, which tantalise the audience. The use of natural light and camera, by Jamie Noel is good considering that this is a tiny budget, and the visual part of the film is seamless and works well. Good edit also. The sound, although straight forward location sound, is of a good standard, probably due to the fairly even back drop of the French countryside where it’s shot.

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So a great start to what is billed as a drama/thriller and what it evolves into, is a cross between a family crime melodrama and a Greek tragedy. Spirited, original and full of dark  imaginings, the twisted story unfolds and the film as a whole, is a talented first attempt at a feature. However, like a lot of zero budget 21st century films, it falls down in the direction, and script, probably due to its maker simply wearing too may hats at once.

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Very few good directors operate all the time, they direct, but here it’s the camera work that’s the star. All the actors are giving their roles a lot of effort and care, but the delivery is sometimes uneven, and the characters feel a little ‘samey’ on an emotional level, which is a script issue. The film lacks pace in places especially the first half, and the actors are not pulling together as much as they should, which is important considering that this is an ensemble piece. These are issues that normally resolve if the Director just directs, and the script gets more development, outside input and a few more drafts. 

 

As a first effort, the talent shines through, and it would be very interesting to see, after a rethink, what Jamie Noel does next.

 

Definitely worth a mid-week look.

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