In association with Glasgow Film Theatre
Spaceship is a neon-fuelled glimpse into the lives of a group of cyber-gothic misfits who dream of escaping their reality on earth through a fascination with alien abductions, unicorns, and black holes. Alex Taylor’s debut feature focuses primarily on Lucidia (Alexa Davis) who disappears via an apparent alien abduction, and her archaeologist father Gabriel (Antti Reini) who is still traumatised by his wife’s death years earlier.
Opening with a grainy montage of teenagers expressing their views on aliens, this is the first of a series of portrayals of life that are intermingled throughout and provided by different narrators to blur the definition of reality. This use of intercutting storytelling unfortunately leaves the film lacking depth with regards to characters as Taylor has pushed an overwhelming number of stories into the space of 86 minutes. Whilst typically a fan of intercutting narratives it was difficult to garnet an emotional attachment to the characters as a clear focus had been maintained on the aesthetic feel within the film.
What lifts the film up is the overall intimacy felt throughout as audiences are provided with continuous close-ups of characters as they interact with each other and learn to share issues connected to their identity and reality. At times the film almost feels intrusive as handheld camera shots weave the audience through personal scenes which manage to close off the character from their surroundings, leaving audiences open to interact with the content explored on the screen.
Spaceship takes you through a melancholic world of teenagers full of bright colours and a vibrant soundtrack – with the hair shades to match. As a debut feature goes, Taylor managed to depict the common features of the teen genre in a uniquely aesthetic way leaving you with a sense of content and enjoyment. Despite its flaws, Spaceship is perfect if you just want to leave reality for an hour and a half and explore something vibrant.
This film will be screened at the Glasgow Film Theatre from the 26th to the 28th of May, tickets are available here: http://glasgowfilm.org/shows/spaceship-15
The GFT also offers a free 15-25 discount card for students, available here: http://glasgowfilm.org/plan-your-visit/memberships/15-25-card
[Courtney Hughes]
qmunicatemagazine.com 