Peter Mullan is an excellent actor and his directorial efforts, Orphans and The Magdalene Sisters displayed plenty of talent and a grim, biting view of life in our cloudy Isle but Neds, his latest feature, doesn't quite match his earlier successes. Despite being a swotty youngster our protagonist follows his older brother's example and becomes involved in the violence and mayhem of Glasgow gangs 80's style and his life spirals down a tragic path. It's well acted and it clips along at a decent pace with plenty of realistic brutality but it felt limited by some paper thin stereotypes and an over worked patricide sub plot.
Day of the Wacko is a dark Reggie Perrin-esque Polish film about a man struggling to free himself from the repetitive mundanity of modern life. Suffering from OCD and an overbearing mother our misanthropic protagonist starts to break free from the shackles of his routine and look for a better life. It's a good watch with some nice pitch black laughs along the way and Kondrat's central performance is brilliant but there was a tonne of allusions, jokes and political references that went well over my head.
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