LFF 2020: Limbo
LFFIn a jampacked festival, full of extraordinary and captivating pieces of cinema, it is Ben Sharrock's intimate and compelling off-beat drama, Limbo, that will sweep viewers off their feet. It is a mixture between the aesthetic and tone of Wes Anderson and the thematic weight and poignancy of Shane Meadows; Sharrock's sophomore effort is a captivating blast with a stunning central performance, full of emotional intricacies and nuance, layered in a thought-provoking but comedic entity.
First and foremost, Sharrock's delicacies and nuances behind the camera, as well as in his screenplay, are spectacular. Granted, Limbo is a film that could very easily preach to the choir and succumb to familiar tropes and convention – both thematically and substantively. However, Sharrock's film broods in a tale of internal and external acceptance. It is a film that questions itself while also questioning a world that is not quite the dapper and lucrative deal it makes itself out to be.
The setting alone is quite interesting. Following a group of asylum seekers in a fictional remote Scottish island undoubtedly evokes the sense of the isolated "other". It further elevates both the comedic nature of bittersweet irony regarding non-conformism to norms and the relationship between the characters in general.
The cinematography from Nick Cooke, which looks astonishing throughout, encapsulates this message ten-fold. Cooke captures the landscape in its empty, albeit beautiful, loneliness and discontent in subtle, beautiful harmony. The normality and acceptance of nature meeting faux tradition and social discrepancies offers a brutal and personal look into the tragedy of both systemic and circumstantial ignorance. This consistent oxymoronic relationship broods with the cinematography and themes, that not only elevating the depth on offer, but heightening and intensifying the equally as stunning performances.
Lead actor Amir El-Masry, as Omar, weaves something spellbinding. The nuance the actor carries in his visual and physical embodiment evokes a tender and rich underbelly of trauma and torment; these are the factors that craft an unflinching and effective mood underneath the surface. Elements of guilt, distress and sheer tiredness to be accepted and come to terms with his asylum status fill an emotional weight – one which El-Masry encapsulates with a certain and unequivocal subtly, subjecting the audience to a silent fury that bubbles away in anguish.
In a packed festival circuit, Ben Sharrock's Limbo is an exquisite piece of cinema. Often soft on the surface, but with a loud and captivating interior that roars with political and social context – fabulously performed by lead actor Amir El-Masry. Ultimately, apart from crafting not only a tender and much-needed viewing experience, it is one that will echo for some time to come.
