Pixie

Pixie

Ten Second Review: With cinemas struggling for new films to show, Pixie is an absolute gem! A fun story with some great acting and even better direction.

So it’s a rainy October eve and a run of bad luck sees me caught out and a bit damp. After a few less that incredible cinema trips recently, I’m trying a new place and it’s clearly not going  that well. Unfortunately it has the best screening time for Pixie that’s relatively close to me. The hope is that this small budget Irish film will make it all worth it.

Frank (Ben Hardy) and Harland (Daryl McCormack) have managed to get mixed up in someone else’s grand plan. When they find themselves with around a million euros in drugs and the Catholic Church hunting for them they are glad for the help of Pixie (Olivia Cooke), the town tear away. Whether they’ll make it out the other end of the story is yet to be seen, but the reward at the other end will certainly keep the three of them trying.

I’m glad to say that Pixie was exactly what my evening needed. From the trailer I was hoping for a rough round the edges, modern gangster film that took us on a romp through the beautiful Irish countryside. What I got was exactly that and more. 

I had hoped it would live up to the light hearted black comedy that it billed itself as and it hit the mark perfectly while adding enough depth to actually invest you in the story. All threads get tied up and all scenes actually seem to have a reason for being there.

None of this really explains why the film was actually enjoyable, rather it just explains that it hit a brief. The things that make this film so much fun are clear; the great acting, fun writing and on the button direction. All three of the young actors at the film’s centre are excellent. They all play their own roles well but the ensemble’s chemistry is where it thrives. Supported by a cast featuring some well experienced talent (including Alec Baldwin and Colm Meaney) the cast deliver the goods on an already well written script. 

This coupled with some well paced direction, nice framing and engaging scene construction makes for a story that moves along in good time while never feeling rushed and remaining fun throughout. 

There are some slightly rough cuts and transitions and their are a few extra shots the film may well have benefitted from to add more continuity between scenes but I really would recommend seeing this film. It doesn’t benefit in any great fashion from the big screen treatment so for those not venturing out to the cinema at the moment, this might be one to catch at home at a later date but do make sure to mark it as something to look out for. A tight 90 minute film filled with plenty of talent and enough laughs to make it a great mid week watch; perfect!

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I saw this film before UK lockdown began.

Nomadland

Nomadland

Electronic @ The Design Museum

Electronic @ The Design Museum