I was fortunate enough to be invited to a film premiere for a film called Flutter. By British director, Giles Borg, it focuses on the greed of man and the lengths a person might go to preserve appearance of control. Touching on the issues of trust, attraction, friendship, family and obsession, the script writer, Stephen Leslie, fashions a compelling story of a young husband, John, who makes a living, with the blessing of his wife, played by the not-hard-on- the-eyes-at-all, Laura Fraser , gambling. His preferred place of earning is the dog track, a place for him and his friends, Adrian and Wagner. Their favorite bookie, Stan, is not in his usual place, his spot occupied by a female bookie. John investigates. He finds out that the female bookie is the new 'Stan'. Initially, after a tip from Billy Zane's dentist cameo, John has a big win at the track. Unfortunately his luck desserts him. After a streak of miserable luck, Stan offers John a way out of his financial mess. Joe Anderson as John, is excellent and totally believable as a slightly roguish, but amiably popular face down at the tracks. Anna Anissimova gives an equally watchable performance. With her heavily lidded eyes and lips that would challenge Angelina Jolie for plumpness, she is a model of chilling detachment as the mildly smirking Stan. The performances are good across the board, especially from Luke Evans and Max Brown, as John's gambling buddies. In conclusion, I would have to say I found Flutter a very watchable and enjoyable film. At eighty-five minutes long, it does not cause the bum numbness of many a film released of late and keeps you engaged right up until the end. Some may find elements of the script a little far-fetched, but if you are looking for reality check bbc news! If you want to enjoy ninety minutes of cinema, catch Flutter nationwide next March.
