My Accomplice.

Lacking in all direction and chemistry, My Accomplice is a perfect example of a director getting thoroughly carried away in their own work. This feeble and poorly judged romantic-comedy is crucially lacking in both romance and comedy. There is barely any plot to speak of and the whole affair is dangerously self indulgent and lazy. Two strangers meet on a bus. We then follow them around Brighton whilst they make awkward conversation on several dates. There is no chemistry between the actors which makes their passion and interest in one another utterly unconvincing. Of all the films I’ve seen at Edinburgh Film Festival this is the one I would warn you to avoid at all costs. It is dreary and monotonous, trying far too hard to be quirky. As well as the annoying couple, we are also introduced to a number of Brighton’s residents with all their unique qualities being set up for gags that fall flat. Nobody is explored or developed enough so what we are left with feels like a pantomime dress rehearsal that the public weren’t meant to witness.

The film most closely resembles Once, a charming independent feature that follows the encounters of two strangers who change each other’s lives during their time together. My Accomplice lacks the heart and soul that makes Once so special. It is a muddled up piece of frivolous nonsense that doesn’t go anywhere. It would be forgettable if it wasn’t so irritating. I hated it from the start and was dying for the whole hideous ordeal to end. It felt like a student film with some painfully wooden performances from the supporting cast that will reminded you of your mother’s contribution to childhood home videos. In its entire 90 minutes My Accomplice failed to develop or entertain at all. It meanders from one moronic scene to another with no self control or discipline. There seems to have been no consideration for what the audience want and it remains an exclusively personal product; a bad joke that falls on deaf ears. It is cringe-worthy garbage at its finest. Painfully amateur and lifeless, My Accomplice is an embarrassment compared to the otherwise ambitious and versatile festival programme.

Thanks for reading and let’s all keep supporting our beloved film industry.