ARCHIPELAGO directed by Joanna Hogg (UK, 2010)
In the age of digital cinema and crowd pleasing blockbusters, social realism has largely gone out of fashion.
Top grossing movies are often those with the most elaborate special effects. while modest, people-centred dramas or comedies tend to rattle along at such a rapid pace as though directors are worried that if viewers are given time to draw breath they’ll realise how superficial these  ‘entertainment’ packages really are.
Thankfully, there are still filmmakers out there who focus on stories with genuine substance and depth. Joanna Hogg is one of them.
Archipelago is a slow-moving, at times static, film that many could lose patience with but which stands as a welcome antidote to the contrived story-lines and stereotypical characters you find in so many so-called ‘serious’ dramas. Continue reading
