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Reviews
Bridgend (2015)
Visually Breathtaking
I'm not sure if the director was inspired buy Dogme 95 but Bridgend makes use of natural light to tell a tragic tale. The camera-work is very intimate and the colors unforgettable. The acting started pretty slow but I was pleased to see that the main female lead could handle drama effortlessly. The film doesn't bog down with plot and has almost no expository dialogue. It reminded me a bit of Wild Tigers I Have Known in terms of nihilistic teens and wild animals and most people might find it "weird" but I left the theatre smiling.
As for the suicide theme, the dialogue was a bit hard to hear it all, honestly, and the motives for suicide were not completely as explored as the characters' motivations for living. Fire provides a dramatic motif with every flame crackle shown and reflected on the wild, boozy, teens' faces.
If you enjoy Gus Van Sant films and can sit through a fairly slow-paced atmospheric film then I think you will love this!