The ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann makes for a timely reminder in the brand-new family drama SIX YEARS GONE.
Divorced mother Carrie Dawson (Veronica Jean Trickett) lives with her ever-emotional daughter Lolly (Anna Griffiths) and what starts out as a normal school day seems quite passable. Carrie works at the local social club for a pittance and when and where possible, she has a lunchtime dalliance with an estate agent to make herself feel better, but things aren’t exactly looking right when she calls her mother to discover that Lolly hasn’t been picked up from school.
Friends rally round Carrie and the police do everything in their power to find Lolly. Soon, Lolly’s phone is located in a beach area, but this is little comfort for Carrie, who just wants her to be OK.
Six years later, the mystery has deepened, as have the wounds for Carrie, who is suddenly faced with bailiffs at the door over an unpaid debt for a web design. Coupled with caring for her mother and a non-available brother, the net of hurt is starting to tighten and Carrie has to make clear decisions on how her life will be in the future.
Unquestionably one of the most gut-wrenching and emotionally driven family indie dramas of recent years, SIX YEARS GONE hits the same level of tragic empathy that defined Clint Eastwood’s CHANGELING, thanks in no small part to a blistering lead performance from Veronica Jean Trickett which is already one of the stand-out performances of 2022.
Writer/director Warren Dudley wisely avoids the sentimental route and keeps up the tone thanks to a great supporting ensemble cast and focuses repeatedly on Carrie, whose own actions in the second half are expressed with clarity, even if the consequences turn out to be incredibly revealing and shocking (this is not for the faint-of heart and parents will certainly identify with the feelings on show here.
The bottom line, amidst the harrowing experiences of the lead character, is that this is a competent and intelligently rendered tale of love and the bonds that bind us together as families, no matter how conflicted and painful they get.
The London Independent Film Festival runs from 1st – 10th April 2022.
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