A2 media magazine film review draft #3

1. Reviews
78. British FilmMonthly
Trapped
February2017
DirectedBy GraceJohansson
U.K. Certificate:12. 5 mins.
British writer – director Grace
Johansson’s first short film
Trapped explores the touching
issue of Agoraphobia and the
effect it has on teenaged
Mackenzie, the protagonist of the
story.
Stylistically, it’s difficult to make
comparisons with other short films
about the subject as so many of
them are much more
experimental… Johansson opts for
a realism closer to naturalism.
Trapped is a more faithful, if
cautious interpretation of mental
illness and explores with real
sensitivity how family issues can
realign the problem of leaving your
own home.
Having only two cast members to
focus on allows Johansson to
hone in on what Mackenzie and
Caroline are feeling and by turn
puts the audience on a more direct
path to emphathising with the
characters as they try to find their
way again.
Johansson makes the challenge of
a zero budget work to her
advantage and creates the type of
emotional realism characteristic of
the genre that is made famous by
directors such as Ken Loach,
Andrea Arnold and Mike Leigh.
The audience become enthralled
by the story of Mackenzie through
their need to know what is going
on with her and what will be the
outcome of her phobia in the end.
The struggle is evident within
Mackenzie’s attitude and the fact
that she does not want to leave
and that she is afraid but she
overcomes her fear and even
helps another younger girl.
Amy Benton’s performance as
Mackenzie is captivating and
brings emotion to an already hard
hitting issue.
The minimalistic set decoration of
the home means that there is not
much to distract us from Caroline
and Mackenzie, this works in
Johansson’s advantage during the
making of her film. The Mise en
Scene gives the audience a look
into the personality of Mackenzie
by letting us see what personal
touches she would add, this allows
us to see what she is like without
having the words from her mouth.
The Union Jack Draught stopper is
cleverly used as a prop to
symbolise the weight of
Mackenzie’s struggle with her
condition.
Johansson’s short film is in some
ways similar to her previous work
The Woman who was never Seen
as the themes and issues both
centre around fear and
Agoraphobia, this gives the
audience something familiar if they
have seen Johansson’s previous
work and motivates them to watch
more.
There has been a progression into
the theme of Hope in Trapped
from Johansson’s previous work
as now the Protagonist has a way
to cure her Agoraphobia.
The use of untrained actors in
Trapped contributes to the tone
and style of the film, with the
dialogue becoming more stuttered
and realistic than it would have
been if the actor had been trained.
In the future we hope to see more
from Grace and we hope that she
stays in the film world.
Reviewed By: James Jones
Credits:
Producer
Grace Johansson
Written By
Grace Johansson
Photography By
Grace Johansson
Edited By
Grace Johansson
Assistant Director
Gosta Johansson
ProductionStudios
Johansson Films
Heaven Productions
Cast
Amy Benton
Sophie Benton
Synopsis:
A modern,average house onthe
outskirts of a small,common
lookingLondon city. Mackenzie,a
teenage girl, sits alone struggling
to cope with herAgoraphobia.She
receives a number of voicemails
about an urgent issue that forces
her to face her fears and befriend a
lost childnamedCaroline,who’s
lookingforhermother, and they
face their fears together.
A still fromTrapped ofBentonat a crossing portrayingMackenzie on her
journeyto conquer Agoraphobia.