The Comedian

Don’t let the title fool you. This character study by newcomer Tom Shkolnik is no laughing matter. For his feature debut, the Israeli-born director explores the world of a Londoner caught in a mid-life slump. Ed (Edward Hogg) is a telesales zombie by day and struggling stand-up by night who, after a particularly terrible gig, strikes up an impromptu relationship with audience member Nathan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett). What starts as a passionate love affair quickly spirals into confusion and chaos as Ed’s newfound fling threatens his work and personal life.

Improv-heavy and shot chronologically, The Comedian has a naturalistic, vérité feel. Sadly, this fly-on-the-wall technique starts to weigh it down; the film loses narrative momentum by focusing too much on the minutiae of each spur-of-the-moment scene. It may do a decent job of capturing the dreary hopelessness of modern urban life, but it'll also leave you feeling like its troubled protagonist: a little lost and in need of a few answers. [Simon Bland]