WINNER: (Charlotte Regan) World Cinema: Dramatic; Sundance Film Festival.
SCRAPPER created a real buzz at Sundance this year. Sundance is all about films that bring a freshness to big screen tales. Running at 84 minutes, and telling the story of a 12 year old girl living without care or love, might seem like serious business. It's the intelligent manner with which first time feature writer/director Charlotte Reagan handles that business that impresses.
Our scrapper is Georgie (Lola Campbell). She lives in a yellow semi- detached unit somewhere on the outskirts of East London. We meet her not long after her loving mother has passed away. There is no father on the scene, and get this, Georgie cares for herself. It's all pretty fanciful I know, but this is where Regan convinces us that a resourceful girl like Georgie could exist. But there is something missing: love. Love is definitely the resource Georgie will not be able to survive without. Enter Jason (Harris Dickinson), her father.
Director, Reagan, could be a Ken Loach devotee with an optimistic vision of the naturalistic style. Loach often does leave us with hope, but Reagan strikes a chord using humour, laced with short interludes of fantasy. We know the hope and love for Georgie turns up in the form of Jason. He's too likeable to let us and Georgie down with something like an addiction but: Why did he run away as a teenage dad? Why is he back? Is he ready for this responsibility?
It's these loose ends that are tied up wonderfully by Reagan. A 29 year old director who, herself, was brought up by her Nan in a working class borough similar to that of Georgie's. SCRAPPER reeks of a personal story. Georgie and Jason never outstay their welcome. Reagan leaves us in the sort of place she herself has been left, as she follows her dreams. 10GUMS.
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