REVIEW - MovieCentral.TV, 14th November 2009

Dir: Ross Shepherd
Starring: Tom Rudd, Amber Coombs, Thomas J Grube, John Hoye, Steve Lorrigan, Grant Tulley
Release date: 16th Nov 2009
Review: Dave Burbidge

http://www.moviecentral.tv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=...

William (Rudd) lives a mundane life in Brighton. He gets up early and works in the train depot and then sleeps in his small bedsit. Still trying to deal with the disappearance of his brother David (Lorrigan) a year previous, he has no self esteem at all, and even rebuffs a friends invite. Things change when a French girl, Chloe (Coombs) moves into one of the flats and paints an abstract portrait of him. The two swiftly become lovers, but when a strange man (Grube) seems to stalk them, and a disturbing radio dedication shocks William into asking questions, the answers may be too much for him to handle.

A slow dramatic thriller that has been shot in B&W. Poor Rudd has to portray the most boring man in Brighton, though apart from a brief trip to the museum, it could really be anywhere. Apart from David's disappearance there are other unanswered questions such as the frostiness of a fellow worker, and why Chloe has a shovel in her car boot. What she actually does for a living is never shown. Chloe seems to fall for William a little too easily. Grube injects some suitable menace, but is actually a bit of a pushover in the physical stakes.

There are some annoying flashbacks, annoying because they are presaged by scratchy special effects, but we do get to see David as the opposite of William, dynamic, but ironically over his head in drugs and kinky sex.

Nevertheless it is a solid British offering, and bearing in mind that ths was shot on a shoestring, a great achievment by Shepherd, with only William's friend and also his co-worker unconvincing. Rudd is particularly strong epitomising the rut that he has withdrawn into, whilst Coombs is by contrast an instigator, pushing William into a job interview (never attended) and taking the lead in the relationship.

Shepherd will take some beating once he gets some proper funding.

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REVIEW - THE ZONE Cult & Sci-fi website, 5th November 2009
http://www.zone-sf.com/screenscene/heathen1.html

Heathen (2009)****
Director: Ross Shepherd

review by Jonathan McCalmont

There's low-budget filmmaking and then there's no-budget filmmaking. Heathen, the debut feature of director Ross Shepherd is undeniably of the latter. Filmed on weekends with minimal crew, actors working for free and a lot of goodwill, Heathen is a psychological thriller that belies its humble budgetary origins and manages to be (niggles aside) an interesting and worthwhile contribution to the growing renaissance in British genre filmmaking.

It is nearly a year since the disappearance of Will's (Tom Rudd) brother David. The pair parted on bad terms and Will has been slowly crushed by the weight of those angry words and the weight of the mystery surrounding his brother's disappearance. What happened to him? Is he dead? How did he die? As the film begins, we find Will a broken man prone to solitude and brooding. However, he is snapped out of his state of despair by the arrival of a glamorous French painter named Chloe (Amber Coombs).

Chloe claims to see something in Will and seduces him with an almost ruthless efficiency. For a while, things start to improve for Will but then he starts to see a strange man. Like a re-used extra in the film of his life, the man seems to be following Will and be forever about to say something to him. However, when Will tries to confront him or speak to him, the man disappears. When the anniversary of David's disappearance comes around, things start to get really strange as Will overhears a song on the radio that is ostensibly dedicated by him to his lost brother. He also receives a page from a calendar with the date of the disappearance circled and the ominous message that confession is good for the soul.

Interestingly, despite being shot in black and white, Heathen is not a particularly moody film. When one thinks of black-and-white psychological thrillers, one's mind is naturally drawn to the great works of film noir but Heathen is not set in a decaying house in the Hollywood hills or the fog-covered streets of San Francisco. Instead, it is set on the actually quite sunny streets of Brighton. Initially, this half-in, half-out usage of noir iconography is grating and feels artificial but as the film moves on, it becomes clear that the colour is not a reflection of the world the characters inhabit; rather it is a reflection of the psychological state of the main protagonist.

Will is trapped in the dark and is searching for the light. He can no longer see the colour and the nuances that surround him. Indeed, Will is an interesting character as Rudd plays him almost against the grain of the plot. As a man who lost his brother after parting on bad terms, one would expect Will to be filled with guilt and misery but, in truth; Rudd portrays him as a peppery and ill-tempered sod. A man who is not so much depressed as filled with a kind of rage that is rapidly turning sour for lack of an outlet. We see it in his dealings with his friends and colleagues as well as his tendency to lash out at his glamorous new girlfriend. Initially, this seems quite incongruous but as the film reaches its climax we learn that actually, Will's anger not only makes perfect sense but it is also what attracted Chloe to him in the first place.

Aside from the black and white, Heathen is filled with lovely little technical flourishes that show Shepherd to be a director intent upon placing his stylistic imprint on the film. For example, the opening shot is also the closing shot, the passage of time is marked by speeded up shots of traffic and flashbacks are signalled by a complicated graphical fade and muted sound. All of these little tricks and flourishes really add up and make for a film that is not only memorable but also quite idiosyncratic, which is an interesting strategy to take for a film with no budget, no stars and not much script.

Ah, the script... Where Heathen really struggles is at the level of its narrative. Narrative filmmaking works on the assumption that events that take place within a film are going to be linked by some relationship of cause and effect, action and counteraction, cue and response. Even in a film such as Heathen, where there is a mystery to be resolved, the assumption on the part of the audience is that events on screen will make some kind of sense. Even if the film does not necessarily spell things out, the assumption is that there is a hidden justification for what is going on and that this justification can be revealed by thought or the careful sifting of evidence.

Consider, for example, the UK ending of Neil Marshall's The Descent. We are shown the protagonist escaping from the cave only for her to wake up and find herself in a cave surrounded by monsters sitting opposite her dead daughter. These images make no obvious sense but, as an audience, we want the narrative to make sense and so we might assume that the protagonist has gone mad and that we are seeing her delusions. The same is true of the strange temporal loop that makes up the narrative of Roman Polanski's The Tenant (1976). We see Polanski's character visiting a wounded woman at the beginning of the film and then we are shown the same scene again from the injured woman's perspective suggesting that Polanski's character has somehow become the woman in the bandages. The original novel upon which the film is based was a work of surrealist fiction and it is not supposed to make sense but, when we sit down in the cinema, we assume that we are looking in on a world that makes sense and so we interpret the film, not as a temporal loop, but as the story of a man who becomes obsessed with the previous tenant of his flat to the point where he starts believing he is her. The final scene of The Tenant is thus not a depiction of the truth, but of the character's deluded mind.

Heathen's big climax explains the strange goings on in Will's life but it does so by invoking happenstance and accident in stead of cause and effect. That which we are lead to believe is meaningful is revealed to be random and that which we thought was random is revealed to be intentional (though even in intentional matters, there are still holes and a lack of credibility, the unfortunate result of having to cram all the film's exposition into one scene).

Now, it could well be that this bait-and-switch is part of the point that Shepherd is trying to get across. Perhaps he is trying to make a point about our refusal to accept the power of blind chance in our lives and our tendency to want unfortunate and distressing events to happen for some kind of reason (whether metaphysical or conspiratorial). But if this is the point that Shepherd is trying to get across then he has a strange way of doing it as the final denouement does reveal a kind of conspiracy, only not the one we were lead to believe might be in place. This makes for a conclusion that is frustrating where it should be satisfying and irritating where it should be revelatory.

The Heathen DVD comes with a load of extras including deleted scenes, blooper reels, audition tapes, commentary tracks, short films and making of documentaries. It also has an interview of Shepherd conducted by low-budget film making guru Chris Jones, as well as a booklet containing condensed extracts from Jones' books The Guerrilla Filmmakers Handbook, and the Guerrilla Filmmakers Pocketbook. Regrettably, none of these great-sounding extras were included on the review copy I received so I can't tell you if they're any good but combine good extras with a fundamentally decent and visually impressive film and you have a DVD well worth checking out.

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REVIEW - LEFTFIELD CINEMA.COM, 24th May 2009
"Heathen is the best no budget film I've seen this year"

As a low budget film maker myself I can appreciate the enormous amount of energy and passion that has gone into this production. The leading man (Tom Rudd) was great, very natural, very believable for the majority of the film. He could handle the moments of significant emotional turmoil as well as the every day banality. The leading lady (Amber Coombs) was also very good. I liked the twist, I liked how simple and realistic it was, they didn't go for some massive conspiracy and instead kept their feet on the ground. It's a great ending, in fact I'd argue that the end is the best bit of the film. Photography, now there were occasional moments where the lighting was a bit rough but for the most part the lighting was spot on and the photography and editing never felt clunky, it always felt professional. The film was surprisingly tense in places, the scene where he suspects someone is in his house and the final confrontation both had me gripped. The filmmakers clearly know how to build tension and where to build it. I liked the fact that they used exterior locations and public places, it gives the film extra value which it wouldn't have had if it had just been set in people's bedrooms all the time. Great sound design, low budget films usually suffer from horrendous sound, but they've gone the extra mile and clearly understand that sound is as important as picture. When I watch low budget films I often have to change the volume to correct the poor mixing, I was glad to say not in this case.

I get sent a lot of low budget films to review, Heathen is the best no budget film I've seen this year so far. Most of what I'm about to say are but minor problems: Some clunky performances from the supporting cast and poor pacing are made up for by the leads and clever plotting. There is a flashback effect that wasn't needed, nor was the muffled sound used when you went into the past, both of which became a bit grating. A common problem with low budget films is an over use of music, whilst it isn't too bad here, there were some scenes where the music could have been removed and the scenes would have been stronger.

This was done with no official funding yet appears professional in both vision and sound. Even if this film doesn't make it past the festival circuit, I predict a bright future for it's director Ross Shepherd in this low-budget digital age.

Review by Mike Dawson
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REVIEW - FILM MONTHLY, 21st April 2009
http://www.filmmonthly.com/indie/heathen.html

As filmmaking technology has become cheaper and more accessible, more and more people are able to realize their filmmaking dreams. Of course, it’s still not easy to make a film, and it’s especially not easy to make a film while most of your cast and crew are working day jobs. Heathen, the debut feature film from writer/director/producer/editor (whew!) Ross Shepherd, is exactly that sort of production, shot on weekends and free time over the course of 2008. And as far as no-budget debuts go, Heathen is a damned good one.

The film opens with several minutes of moody black and white footage with eerie sound design that establishes a intriguing, somber tone. William (co-writer Tom Rudd) drifts through his bleak, identical days since the disappearance of his brother David (Steve Lorrigan). Disconnected from his friends and family, William rarely leaves his home except for work. That all changes shortly after Chloe (Amber Coombs) moves into his apartment building and the two strike up a relationship, but before long the past comes back to haunt William as he begins receiving messages regarding his brother’s disappearance. And William starts to notice a man who appears to be following him…

Heathen is a dark drama with shades of psychological thriller that relies on a solid central performance from Tom Rudd as William. William is in nearly every shot of the film, so it’s a good thing that his performance is so convincing. There are barely five speaking parts in the entire film, lending it a focused, claustrophobic quality. This narrow works very well with the stylish black and white photography and evocative music and sound design. From a technical standpoint, Heathen is surprisingly accomplished for such a small production.

The only real complaint I have regarding Heathen is that it puts a lot of stock in a shocking twist near the end that may not be much of a surprise to keen viewers. Regardless, the film is undeniably hypnotic, and well worth seeking out. I’m anxious to see where Shepherd goes from here.

Jason Coffman is a film critic living in Chicago.

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ARTCILE - MID SUSSEX TIMES, Thursday March 5th 2009

Film-maker completes first feature by Charlotte Taylor

A young film-maker has just completed his first full length feature film shot in and around Hassocks, Burgess Hill and Brighton. Ross Shepherd, 26, who lives in Hassocks, wrote and directed Heathen on a shoestring with actors giving their time free of charge. With an almost non-existent budget, Ross did all the shooting for the film while co-producer Jamie Tighe operated the sound. The film was shot on evenings and weekends throughout 2008, with the 90-minute film representing about 40 hours of footage.

The film tells the story of William whose brother David went missing a year ago. The day Chloe moves into his bleak apartment block it seems there is a chance for some happiness in his life but when William suddenly starts receiving mysterious messages relating to his missing brother, his fragile world is turned upside down.

Ross said "The film was shot by myself with several friends acting as crew members. We shot the film across most of 2008, only able to film around our day jobs on weekends and evenings. The project was very much a labour of love and we were very lucky to work with some fantastic local actors who all provided their talents for free. We had no professional help or funding for the film, the script was written around the fact that we had no budget and we only aimed to use locations we knew we could get easy access to."

The three leads are played by Tom Rudd as the main character William, New Yorker Thomas Grube as Harry and Amber Coombs as Chloe. Plans are in the pipeline for Heathen to be screened at the Orion in Burgess Hill and Ross is also hoping for a slot at the Brighton Festival as well as submitting it to several international film festivals. Ross, a video editor, graduated from the Surrey Institute in 2005 with a BA in Film and Video. His graduation film was a short fantasy called The Kingdom of Shadows which won the Delta Film Award after being screened at a festival in Manchester.

A trailer for the film can be seen at www.heathenfilm.com
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REVIEW - BRIGHTON SOURCE MAGAZINE, Volume 2, issue 9, March 2009

Now, this is a bit special. A local filmmaker called Ross Shepherd spent most of last year working a full time job and making a movie in his spare time, using friends as crew and a brace of willing local actors, existing entirely without professional help or funding. The resulting piece, shot entirely in Brighton, is a stunning piece of moody film noire even without taking these limitations into account. Its basically a thriller involving cryptic clues to a man's missing brother, but take the time to check out the trailer on the website - local screenings are planned soon.

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REVIEW - MJ SIMPSON, CULT MOVIES & THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM

Here is the first feature from Ross Shepherd (The Kingdom of Shadows) and it’s a good’un. Shot in artistic-but-not-artsy black and white, Heathen is a dramatic thriller with interesting characters, excellent acting, assured direction, an original story, imaginative editing and excellent sound. Can’t ask for much more than that.

Although it’s not a convoluted plot, it does involve a certain amount of mystery, suspense and, in the final act, revelation and so I’m only going to give a vague, generic description of what goes on. Tom Rudd (See it Through, Missing Connection) is excellent as William, an ordinary bloke whose brother David (Steve Lorrigan) went missing nearly twelve months ago. William works for Network Rail and lives in a poky flat, he has few friends and no lovelife. Until the enigmatic Chloe moves in downstairs.

Played with an impressive French accent by Amber Coombs (Aborted Matrimony, The Deepest Sea), Chloe is an artist and takes a shine to William so that his outlook brightens up considerably. But as the anniversary of David’s disappearance approaches, odd things start happening. There is a dedication on the radio to David, purportedly from William. A calendar page arrives in the post with the anniversary marked on it. And a mysterious man (LAMDA-trained New Yorker Thomas J Grube) seems to be following William around.

Was David mixed up in something dodgy? Is he still alive? Who is this man and what does he know?

Shepherd knows just when to use conventional techniques and when to use something a but more unusual, such as speeded up footage or snappy editing. He tells a story, he tells it well and crucially he tells it cinematically.

Continues here:
http://www.mjsimpson.co.uk/reviews/heathen.html