TIDES received it’s World Premiere at the London Film Festival 2017 and is written and directed by first-timer Tupaq Felber. It was shot over a matter of days in real time and loosely improvised and scripted with a cast of four.
Jon (Jon Foster) and Zoobey (Jamie Zubairi) are a pair of acting friends who decide to acquire a canal boat for the weekend, even though they know as much about canals as you or I might know about Advanced Astrophysics. After picking up supplies from a supermarket along the way, Red (Robyn Issac) is on the riverbank waiting for them and is emotional and energetic enough to kick the party off within the limited space within the craft. A fourth friend, Simon (Simon Meacock), another jobbing actor who has just secured a job on a TV show, adds to the dynamic.
As they go along the river, their lives, emotions and ambitions are starting to be tested amidst the seemingly tranquil surroundings, something they definitely are hoping will provide some release from the conflicts and tensions in their lives….
By all intents and purposes, TIDES is definitely a film that has good intentions and objectives at the heart of its’ story and thanks to some excellent black and white cinematography by Paul O’Callaghan is visually involving.
Unfortunately, the dynamic of the relationships and the needs of the characters tend to be diluted. A canal ride is a slow-running affair given the precision of the craft and ensuring that you keep to the manual which is provided for them by the knowledgeable trainer who signs off the boat to them and this does impact on the overall movie.
Issac’s character, for example, is seriously underused in this film and should technically be a character that plays a greater part in the conflicts and emotional journey these characters go through, only spending one night with the characters (although her own revelations to Jon are clear during the period of time she is on the boat).
Unlike CITY SLICKERS (1991) and DELIVERANCE (1972), there are times where you are half-expecting some random character conflicts to impact on the three males which are similar in tone to those films, which were both demonstrations of man-vs-environment and it merely becomes a trio of men talking and reflecting on their lives. There are some moments of emotional revelation, but less than enough to hold the audience’s attention for the ninety-eight minute duration.
We should credit Felber with at least trying to try a new tack with a male-driven drama which has more emotional characters at its’ heart. It’s uneven at times, but a well-intentioned work
You can learn more about TIDES here:
http://www.ax1entertainment.com/films/coming-soon/tides.html
https://www.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi2615196185
