A detective investigates a serial killer in the
Soho district of London. His drinking and social life are a major
part of the film as well as flashbacks to times with his wife. The
detective (played well by Anthony Biggs) is never named and it’s
only in the director's comments we learn his is "J." His supervisor
(played by Tim Fitzhigham) is never named and there are no
introductions anywhere in the move.
Instead of learning more about the serial killings, the film forces
the viewer to watch scenes of the detective having long showers,
walking along the street, having flashbacks about his wife, sleeping
and chatting with the neighbor's little girl. To show the passage
of time in the movie, viewers are subject to at least three views of
London in time-lapse photography with tunes that sound as if they
are played backwards.
Jamie Rafn is the writer/director/editor/producer. In the comments,
he mentions several times that the entire film was done for 5,000
British pounds; as if we needed to be reminded. The video is
acceptable considering the range of lighting and locations and the
actors put forth their best. They are all good. The detective's
wife (played by Lucy Davenport) and the barmaid (played by Amanda
Haberland) look alike, which is intentional and may seem confusing
early in the movie. The music is hit and miss with some of it
working and some of it making me wish for more of the silence that
is so much a part of the movie.
This is the writer/director's first movie and it is lacking in
dialogue. This makes the movie difficult to enjoy, plus there isn’t
much action either.
Sundance has released “Soho Square” in a Full Frame ratio.
Considering that this is an ultra low-budget outing, it probably
wasn’t filmed in Widescreen. The movie is not closed captioned or
subtitled. The only DVD extra is the director's comments, which is
the saving grace of the film. Without the director's comments, the
plot goes too slowly.
This is really for fans of true low budget
cinema in the Art House kind.
