Late September - DaaVeeDee

Late September (DVD) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $14.97

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
87 min

Aspect Ratio:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2012 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Jon Sanders

Written By:
Jon Sanders

Actors:
Anna Mottram ..... Gillian
Bob Goody ..... Jim
Charlotte Palmer ..... Annie
Richard Vanstone ..... Ken
Jan Chappell ..... Flic
Emma Williams ..... Rosie
Sam Woodward ..... Max
Douglas Finch ..... Donald
Seonaid Goody ..... Maria

Synopsis:

Late September takes place over a 24 hour period and follows the course and aftermath of a birthday celebration arranged by a middle-aged woman for her husband to whom she has been married for nearly 40 years. As the day and night progress, old rifts, new relationships and secrets emerge amongst friends, and the underlying tensions in the marriage can no longer be contained. This age group, the post war generation now approaching old age, has not received much attention in film and here their lives, their hopes and fears for the future are portrayed with a total lack of sentimentality but also with great warmth, humour and empathy. The problems these friends face are specific but universal and recognisable to us all. The question of whether it is better to live alone or to live with someone you feel lonely with is never answered but is reflected in different ways within the reality of the individual characters, as it is played out with intensity and honesty in a beautiful Kent house and garden in the shadows of late September.

Unlike teenagers, the growing numbers of older people in today's society are woefully under-served by cinema, an omission which Jon Sanders' ultra-low budget feature Late September attempts to redress. Sanders has directed before, with 1999's prostitution drama Prairie Doves and 2008's little-seen Low Tide, yet Late September offers the long, static takes and raw, improvised performances of a naïve debut feature. The central relationship featured is between Ken (Richard Vanstone) and Gillian (Anna Mottram), whose three-decade plus marriage is at breaking point, with painful fractures put under additional pressure by the demands of a birthday party. As the guests arrive at the couple's house in Kent, the presence of Ken's crusty old friend Jim (Bob Goody) provides the catalyst for the collapse of their relationship. The quiet, minimalist drama of Late September is so determinedly low-key it makes Mike Leigh look like Michael Bay, with regular shots of characters staring into space, sitting in silence or discussing matters such as whether to purchase dish-washing tablets. The attempt to capture the minutiae of everyday life is brave, but the activity Sanders actually portrays turns out to be disappointingly mundane.

This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 31 October, 2012.