Author: Garry Arnot

DVD & Digital

Film review: I Swear

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

 Tourette’s syndrome activist John Davidson is no stranger to our screens, having been the subject of groundbreaking Q.E.D. television episode titled ‘John’s Not Mad’ among many other documentaries over the years.  His campaign to raise awareness of the disorder led to an MBE award in 2019 and his incredible story has been dramatised in the latest feature from writer and director Kirk Jones. Based in the Scottish Borders town of Galashiels, biographical comedy drama I Swear follows John through a challenging adolescence (Scott Ellis Watson) and into adulthood (Robert Aramayo) as he comes to terms with his diagnosis. After mental health nurse Dottie (Maxine Peake) takes him under her wing, he meets Tommy (Peter Mullan) who presents him with a rare opportunity and encourages him to speak out about the condition.

Continue reading “Film review: I Swear” →
DVD & Digital

Film review: The Long Walk

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

 Known for his work on the Hunger Games young-adult franchise, director Francis Lawrence treads a similar thematic path in his latest feature. Based upon the novel of the same name by iconic horror writer Stephen King, survival thriller The Long Walk takes place in an America dystopia ravaged and in financial ruin after a second Civil War.

Under a totalitarian regime, the plot follows a group of fifty young men, namely Ray Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries (David Jonsson) who each represent their state in an annual event whereby they walk for miles until only one remains. If participants fails to follow a set rules outlined by military leader ‘the Major’ (Mark Hamill), after three warnings they are mercilessly executed by an army of soldiers. The winner will be awarded a significant cash prize and granted one wish.

Continue reading “Film review: The Long Walk” →
Berlin25 · EIFF25 · Interviews

Islands Interview: Jan-Ole Gerster – ‘I seem to be terrified by the idea of living the wrong life’.

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

 Following on from the success of indies in his home country of Germany, writer and director Jan-Ole Gerster’s latest work Islands marks his English-language feature debut. After having its world premiere in Berlin back in February, the film screened at Edinburgh International Film Festival before going out on UK general release this month.

 Sam Riley stars as a has-been pro turned tennis coach Tom who works out of a holiday resort in Spain, usually whilst hungover from partying at the local club the night before. His hedonistic lifestyle is upended when Anne (Stacy Martin) and Dave (Jack Farthing) arrive on the scene and ask him to give their young son private lessons. What follows is a suspenseful noir mystery with more twists and turns than a Grand Slam winning rally. I took the opportunity to sit down with Gerster to discuss the piece…

Continue reading “Islands Interview: Jan-Ole Gerster – ‘I seem to be terrified by the idea of living the wrong life’.” →
DVD & Digital · EIFF25 · Interviews

All the Devils Are Here Interview: Eddie Marsan, Burn Gorman, Barnaby Roper & Tienne Simon

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

 Taking its title from an ominous line in William Shakespeare’s tragicomic play The Tempest, crime thriller All the Devils Are Here is written and directed by Barnaby Roper – a stylish feature debut from the filmmaker who uses his breadth of experience in making shorts and music videos to craft a slick experience. The plot centres around thieves Ronnie (Eddie Marsan), Grady (Sam Claflin), Royce (Tienne Simon), and Numbers (Burn Gorman) who hide out in a secluded house in the countryside after a heist spirals out of control. I took the opportunity to chat with the director and his cast ahead of its world premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Continue reading “All the Devils Are Here Interview: Eddie Marsan, Burn Gorman, Barnaby Roper & Tienne Simon” →
DVD & Digital · EIFF25 · Interviews

Reality Is Not Enough Interview: Irvine Welsh & Paul Sng – ‘It’s quite an achievement to make a writer look interesting’.

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

Known for his drug-fuelled novels such as Trainspotting, Filth, and Crime that depict working-class life in Scotland, novelist Irvine Welsh continues to explore fresh artistic mediums some thirty-plus years into his creative career. He has recently released concept album The Sci-fi Soul Orchestra as a musical companion piece to his latest book, Men in Love, and is always working on exciting new ideas across stage, screen, and of course literature. Giving a unique insight into his life and psyche, experimental documentary Reality Is Not Enough is written and directed by Paul Sng and uses a range of filmmaking styles to present a vivid and deeply personal portrait of the iconic writer.

Ahead of its world premiere at the 78th edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival, I was lucky enough to sit down with Sng and Welsh to discuss the film…

Continue reading “Reality Is Not Enough Interview: Irvine Welsh & Paul Sng – ‘It’s quite an achievement to make a writer look interesting’.” →
cinema · EIFF25

Film review: On the Sea

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

A decade has passed since award-winning novelist Helen Walsh turned her attention to filmmaking, and after a foray into television last year, she has returned to writing and directing for the big screen. Her latest piece is erotic drama On the Sea which unravels within a fishing village of the north coast of Wales. Mussel farmer Jack (Barry Ward) is content in his stable yet unfulfilling marriage to Maggie (Liz White) and hopes that their teenage son Tom (Henry Lawfull) will join him and younger brother Dyfan (Celyn Jones) in the family hand raking business. However, as troublesome Scottish deckhand Daniel (Lorne MacFadyen) arrives in the tight-knit community, Jack confronts long suppressed emotions and risks everything he has worked for as an unexpected romance develops.

Continue reading “Film review: On the Sea” →
cinema · EIFF25

Film review: Crushed

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

No stranger to plying his trade within the circuit of genre festivals that showcase his low-budget efforts, indie writer and director Simon Rumley has taken his alternative sensibilities to Thailand for his next feature. Set in the leafy suburbs of Bangkok, religious thriller Crushed follows pastor Daniel (Steve Oram) who lives a quiet, comfortable life with his devoted wife May (May Nattaporn Rawddon) and Olivia (Margaux Dietrich), their 10-year-old daughter. However, following the mysterious disappearance of their cat Miss Kitty, Olivia is kidnapped and the family’s faith is tested when their distressing search exposes them to the depths of humanity.

Continue reading “Film review: Crushed” →
EIFF25

Top 5 Must-See Movies of EIFF 2025

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

After rejuvenating EIFF last year, the festival’s director Paul Ridd and producer Emma Boa are back with their sophomore effort. Critically acclaimed comedy drama Sorry, Baby is will open proceedings, kicking off an exciting and eclectic programme that boasts a variety of new releases, retrospective screenings, as well as the return of Midnight Madness; a strand that showcases six genre films to satisfy the night-owl cinephiles among us. I will be covering the events in my 11th year, and have handpicked five selections to keep an eye on…

Continue reading “Top 5 Must-See Movies of EIFF 2025” →
Berlin25 · DVD & Digital · Interviews

Late Shift Interview: Petra Volpe – ‘COVID came, everybody was clapping for nurses, and then we forgot’.

Garry ArnotLeave a comment

Earlier this year I attended Berlin Film Festival and the final screening of my trip was the gripping Swiss-German drama Late Shift which follows an eventful day in the life of surgical nurse, Floria who is brilliantly portrayed by Leonie Benesch. It was one of my festival highlights and ahead of its UK release next month, I was fortunate to sit down with its writer and director Petra Volpe to discuss the film…

It feels like very important, especially post-pandemic, to focus a film on the experiences of a nurse. What drew you to tell this story initially?

Well, I had lived with a nurse for many years before COVID even, and I kind of observed how the conditions she worked under got worse and worse, and how it affected her deeply. I just always felt like the work I’m doing, at home writing screenplays, was so banal compared to what she encountered every day. It’s such an emotionally complex but also technically complex job.

Continue reading “Late Shift Interview: Petra Volpe – ‘COVID came, everybody was clapping for nurses, and then we forgot’.” →