DVD - Black Pond - directed by Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe

Star rating – 6/10

This low budget film just out on DVD is a bit of an oddity – in a very British indie sort of way. New directors Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe produced it on a relative shoestring, and more or less did everything in it themselves, even some of the acting.

It’s a mockumentary drama about a middle class family in something of a crisis. An eccentric but seemingly harmless stranger comes into their midst and the ripple effect is enough to make waves in a mill pond. There are two points of particular note – one being the rehabilitation, professionally speaking, of Chris Langham after his conviction and jail sentence for downloading child pornography. I am not sure how easily it sits with me to see him again, even though the part he plays here as the father of the family seems to be absolutely made for him. I loved him as the hapless minister in The Thick Of It, so maybe its time to forgive, but forgetting is harder.

The second point of interest is the performance of Simon Amstell, whose comedy genius is currently getting the recognition it deserves with his second series of the gloriously funny Grandma’s House just finished on TV. Here Amstell plays a cruel therapist of extremely dubious professional qualification. He is sensational, and the film is worth watching for his short gem of a part alone. 

It’s quirky and watchable – with a good dream sequence – and Kingsley and Sharpe are certainly ones to watch – hopefully with a slightly bigger budget next time.