Review: Boiling Point

I have always had mixed feelings about films that have a journey doing the festival circuit, have good buzz and yet still has little or no theatrical or even a streaming release. It just makes me wonder what are distributors looking at. Seeing films like this one makes me sad that very few get to experience it.

What attracted me to checking this out was the concept, the word of mouth it was getting from various festivals and that Stephen Graham was the lead. Despite being in the industry for over 30 years, it's only been until the last few when Graham's career has moved up a notch. Working with high-profiled directors, involved in multiple major studio releases as well as still going strong in his TV work shows that he still has plenty to give.

Was it worth trusting the word of mouth? Absolutely.

From the moment you enter this hectic world, the stress and anxiety levels are rapidly building up. It was reminding me of films made by the Safdie brothers, or Steven Knight's thriller 'Locke'. While those was more of a gradual thing, I was already fearing the worst for everyone involved straight away and it never gives you time or calm down.

This film has a lot of energy to it which naturally heightens your senses. But with the one shot concept and intimate camera tracking that makes you feel like part of what is happening, it really puts you off working in this sector or at least makes you understand how hard this line of work is that they are portraying.

The cast all do a great job and helped the experience all the more unsettling for the viewer. Despite recognising a whole bunch of the actors involved, I always saw them as their characters, never the person behind it which always confirms for me that the film works. Graham is as great as you expect. He gives us a very troubled character that is on the brink of giving up and his reactions to various situations made it incredibly authentic.

Vinette Robinson was a particularly strong support and gave us exactly what was required for the character. I also have to give props to Ray Panthaki, Hannah Walters and Jason Flemyng who I always enjoy seeing as I feel he doesn't get enough recognition.

Given that it is small film, director Philip Barantini and their team really make the most their obviously small budget. As mentioned, the cinematography by Matthew Lewis is very effective and really puts you into the story and makes you your own character. 

This is a pretty strong film. It's tense, chaotic and yet flows beautifully all at the same time. The cast are great, the set-up is simple and fully utilises its surroundings to give you a complete viewing experience. It also offers a great insight into a particular type of work that could give certain people flashes of bad memories for some people, or great appreciation for others. Whatever you get from it, it will certainly stay with you. This is one that deserves your attention.

Rating: 8/10