By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Mina Mileva | Vesela Kazakova
Starring: Angel Genov | Chinwe Nwokolo | Gilda Waugh | Irina Atanasova | Jon-Jo Inkpen | Kadisha Gee Kamara | Orlin Asenov
Country: bulgaria, france, united_kingdom
Year: 2020
Running time: 92
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8471116/reference
Bob says: “A look at immigrant life in a gentrifying area of London, with Brexit hanging over everything. A Bulgarian woman, her brother (both well educated) and her son are eking out a life in a former council flat in Peckham. She’s managed to purchase the apartment (so she gets stuck with big bills when repairs are required, even if she doesn’t see the need), and they’re surrounded by neighbors who are on the dole, but blame the immigrants for all the problems in the area.
“The directors previously made documentaries, and the script here seems to be pretty skeletal. The actors (who are probably not actors) are ad libbing much of the dialog as far as I can tell, and it mostly works. There are situations, there are attitudes, and things happen, but nothing really happens. It’s like the weather — it’s always grey, sometimes it’s raining, and other times it feels like it’s about to rain.
“Oh yeah, and the cat is a metaphor. And a cat.”
Michael says: “Exploring the challenges faced by immigrants in present-day, Brexit-era London, Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova’s CAT IN THE WALL is a sobering social commentary about race and class and the tensions caused by national identity. Irina is a Bulgarian immigrant to London, struggling to work as an architect, while raising a young son with the help of Vladimir, her lay-about brother. They are fortunate enough to own a flat in a large complex that is populated by both renters and owners. When the building management decides to embark on questionably-needed renovations, the brunt of the costs fall to the owners of individual flats, causing some dissension among the residents. On a smaller scale, Irina and Vladimir come into conflict with some neighbors about the ownership of a cat who have been hanging out on the property.
“The actions and behaviors shown in this film seem very naturalistic and believable, and while much of the cast seem to have several credits to their names, CAT IN THE WALL is the first film Irina Atanasova, who plays Irina, has appeared in. To her credit, she is the driving force of the film and does a really great job. Her character is complex and three-dimensional. She juggles child-care, working to obtain an architectural project, representing the flat owners, struggling with her neighbors, and working at the local bar with determination and frustration clearly evident every day. She pushes her brother, but is never unreasonable. The directors, who also wrote the screenplay, come from a documentary background, and this film plays to those strengths, focusing on lots of everyday activity where very little, and yet quite a lot occurs. The film ends in a frustrating place, right in the middle of things with little resolved, matching what Irina must feel every day of her life. 4 1/2 cats”
Beth C. says: “This film was excellent. I loved everything about it. The whole film was beautifully made, and the director was superb. The acting was stellar, the pace and direction was perfect. I was particularly impressed with the child actor, Orlin Asenov, who played Jojo. For sure, this child deserves an award for best supporting actor. The emotions were so real, and the story was both compelling and unpredictable. There were a lot of issues that were brought up and displayed prominently, especially racial issues of importance. Truly a wonderful film. 5 Cats“