Review: Pandorica

To say I have been looking forward to Pandorica is an understatement. Ever since I saw a preview of it at Comic Con Liverpool earlier this year, I have been itching to see the full version.

Directed and written by Tom Paton and starring Marc Zammit, Jade Fenix-Hobday, Luke D’Silva, Bentley Kalu and Adam Bond, this futuristic film is based around the leadership trials of The Varosha Tribe; an isolated group of people . Three of the next generation of the tribe; Aris, Eirin and Thade are taken to a secluded part of their land to participate in the trials in order to survive to become the next leader. A distressed woman appears part way through their trials carrying a box with a mysterious object inside and she is pursued by a group from another tribe who are protectors of the box and the three must work together in order to survive.

For a low budget independent film, it is definitely worth a watch. The script is very well written and the film jumps straight into the action, which is good as sometimes too much background explaining can make you switch off before it starts.

I love how the three central characters are portrayed. Their differences bring out their individual strengths and they play off each other well. I hated at times the character of Ares that Marc Zammit played, which is a testament to his good acting skills. Jade Hobday (Eiren) brilliantly portrays her characters leadership skills and ability to unite the group and she has a good screen presence that makes you care about her character. Adam Bond (Thade) portrays his character in quite a bumbling, clumsy manner which wonderfully brings out the strong traits of the other two characters.

Picturesque, stunning scenery shots bring an array of colours to the predominantly dark film and they are at times breathtaking. There is a good music score throughout the film and it is subtle and not too overpowering. The fight scenes are choreographed well and are accompanied by excellent sound effects when someone is slashed or stabbed. Add to this the futuristic, post apocalyptic wardrobe the characters wear and you have a visual treat.

This is Tom Paton’s directorial debut and he has spoken with such passion when describing his two year journey in making this film and you can feel the love he has for directing when you watch it. Paton has put his heart and soul into this film. I like the fact that he encourages everyone to support local directors and homemade independent films, and for this reason (and the ones mentioned above) I would recommend this film as one to watch this summer. It is beautifully shot, has a good music score and the heroine kicks arse!

Review by Kerry from an advance online screening kindly supplied by The Film Label.