EIFF 2009: Big Things

Standing in a wheelie bin, hiring a fat guy to play an athlete and wiping faeces off your front door are apparently just some of the lengths that aspiring filmmakers are willing to go to in order to make their films. Or so it would appear in Big Things the debut feature from Mark Devenport. While its intensions are noble and, no doubt, its message is one that should be heeded by all attempting to enter into the world of filmmaking, Big Things never quite hits the right note. Typical British deadpan humour is laid on a little thick, Richard’s passion for movies isn’t evident other than that he has picked up a camera and his frustration and impatience with his cast and crew becomes tiresome. Two bright spots are Dean Palo who plays the monosyllabic Ray and Jonathan Phillips as Graham the archetypal method actor both of whom provide the laughs.