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The first scene of Ben Sharrocks melancholy comedyLimbotakes place at a refugee holding center in the Scottish islands.
To teach a group of male refugees how to interact once (or if?)
Theyre wearing the 80s-ish clothing of the hopelessly awkward, and their boogie goes on far too long.
The man starts to get his arms into it.
The camera cuts to the room full of asylum seekers, who watch expressionlessly.
In fact, the main action of the entire first half ofLimbois watching expressionlessly.
What else is there to do in purgatory?
Will they be granted asylum or sent back?
They are stateless, they are nowhere.
They have nothing to do but wait.
Its not always entirely clear in these chilly, salt-bleached places what is sea and what is sky.
The more the Scots pull weird faces, the more the refugees let their own go blank.
The control is soevident.And whileLimbotreats the island as a character, it can treat the characters like props.
For instance, he has the housemates watchFriendsDVDs and argue about whether Ross and Rachel were on a break.
Were meant to be tickled by the incongruity, but man, its a lazy joke.
Theres a moment, though, that turns the movie decisively from one mode to another.
But when one of the four men is taken away to be deported, the whole film changes.
And yet the comedy has dropped out a hole in the bottom of the movie.
The deportation gives the movie a seam down the middle.
The first half is handsome but coy, the second is messier but stronger and fiercer too.
The careful framing is gone, and the camera curls up on El-Masrys shoulder like a cat.
I rewound after Id seen the movie to watch the first section again.
Would Farhads knitted panda hat knock me over if I gave it another chance?
Short answer: No.
But on that repeat viewing, the scenes did seem much more frightening.
Its an emergency; cant anyone see that?
It isnt limbo this man is trapped in.
