Beast (15) ***
Dir: Michael Pearce
With: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James
Runtime: 104 minutes
JESSIE Buckley, currently dominating Sunday night television in the 19th century drama The Woman in White, is at the heart of this very modern tale of outsiders colliding. Buckley plays Moll, a troubled young woman kept under close watch by her mother (Geraldine James). When Moll meets the daring Pascal (Johnny Flynn) she begins to question the family ties that bind, and a lot more besides, over the course of a long, hot summer. An impressive feature debut from Michael Pearce, and this is another star-making turn from the in-demand Buckley, but the film’s bleakness and intensity make for a disturbing watch.
The Deminer (15) ***
Dir: Shinwar Kamal, Hogir Hirori
With: Fakhir Berwari
Runtime: 83 minutes
A SENSE of foreboding comes with the territory in this Iraq-set documentary. Its subject, Fakhir Berwari, spends long days defusing mines left by rebels. Terrifying work, but Berwari ploughs on, often brushing aside appeals to caution from colleagues, and his determination leads to shocking footage which puts viewers as close to some grim incidents as it is possible to get and survive. Is he brave or foolhardy? What motivates him to take such risks? These are just some of the questions left unanswered by Shinwar Kamal and Hogir Hirori’s otherwise commendable film.
On demand from April 27; Cameo, Edinburgh, May 15
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