I may only be two weeks in but the idea to review films chosen by Mark Kermode is already looking like it will be a great choice. Not only am I watching films that I would probably not think to watch otherwise, but I am also getting a variety of films. Last weeks film was a bizarre, disturbing, and often surreal film from Japan, this week’s film is a gritty, down to earth, thriller set in Yorkshire. And it is also one of the better films I have seen recently. ‘Catch Me Daddy’ (2014) follows Laila (Sameena Jabeen Ahmed) who is on the run with her boyfriend, Aaron (Conor McCarron), after he relationship with him upset her father. Her father sends her brother and a group of thugs to find her and when they do herself and Aaron are forced to flee for their lives.
This film manages to make the grim side of northern England particularly beautiful, especially in how it shows the Yorkshire moors. There are several shots towards the beginning of the film which are these beautiful, extreme wides of the moors with the sun rising and the early morning of fog settling which are truly beautiful on a visual level. But these extreme wides are also taken into the town and the ‘grittier’ side of Yorkshire and there some equally beautiful shots here as well. These not only work as establishing the location and environment in which the film takes place, but it also creates an almost dreamlike feel that cloaks all the action, which is something I will elaborate on a bit later. In terms of the actors everyone puts in a brilliant performance and totally sells their parts completely. This was an aspect of the film I was particularly interested about going in as a lot of the actors were first timers and those who had acted before I had seen very little to nothing of. I was not disappointed with the actors managing to completely drag me into this world and story and allowing me to make connections with these characters. Sameena Jabeen Ahmed is one of the first-time actors in the film and she does a brilliant job. She is especially good in the moments of true emotional turmoil and she sells it brilliant. The final scenes in particular show her talent and had me completely bought into the scene and believing every moment.
So, I mentioned the film feeling dreamlike and the first half an hour truly does. The scenes in which Laila and Aaron are wandering the dales or spending time with each other in the caravan are shot in a way that has this ethereal feel to it. The use of fog and smoke seems otherworldly, and the lighting choices also add to this feeling. This almost leads you into a false sense of security although you are always aware of a tension bubbling under the surface, and when this tension spills over the dreamlike feel completely dissipates and the film takes on a much more gritty and realistic film. And I’ll tell you what, the tension in this film is often unbearable. The film is effectively a chase film and once the chase starts it does not let up, only becoming more intense as the film goes on. There are genuine moments of shock where I had my heart in my mouth and the last twenty minutes were almost unwatchable because of not only how tense the film became but also because it becomes quite upsetting and intense in these last scenes. It is not a happy film, nor does it pretend to be. As a thriller and a chase film it is superb, completely building up tension to a level where you feel like you are ready to explode. Its social commentary isn’t as effective, but I think it is executed well enough that it doesn’t affect the quality of the film. I know some people disagree, but for me it wasn’t a problem. To say the film was enjoyable might not be the right word, but it was damn well engaging and is the first time in a while that as soon as the film ended I light out a huge sigh of relief that I could finally relax.
‘Catch Me Daddy’ is one of the more intense films I have seen this year and is defiantly not a film for everyone. On a technical level it is very solid with some brilliant visuals and a dreamlike feel that is ripped away from you when the grit and realism kicks in. The performances are all great and I believed in every character from start to finish. It is a great film but, very much like last week, it is hard to recommend. If you like films that are full of tension which never let up then definitely give it a go, but if that’s not what your into then maybe stay away because this is more than intense.