Illustrator Dave McKean is better known for his award-winning graphic novels and collaborations with Neil Gaiman than his movie-making. And with the arrival of his third feature ‘Luna’, that doesn’t seem likely to change. This low-budget British drama about a couple grieving the loss of their baby and visiting friends at a remote house by the sea doesn’t have much going for it.
It’s at its best when McKean’s artwork is front and centre: the animated opening scene and a dream sequence towards the end stand out for their inventive and beautiful visuals. But they don’t nearly compensate for some ropey acting and an overbearing script. There’s some wobbly camerawork and ‘Luna’ is crammed with motifs and metaphors that are either too obvious (constant stomach rubbing for ‘she’s pregnant’, incessantly focusing on bottles of booze for ‘he’s got a drinking problem’) or not obvious enough. Stripped back ‘Luna’ has the potential to be a good short – but it’s back to the drawing board for McKean.
Luna
Time Out says
Release Details
- Release date:Friday 3 October 2014
- Duration:101 mins
Cast and crew
- Director:Dave McKean
- Screenwriter:Dave McKean
- Cast:
- Ben Daniels
- Dervla Kirwan
- Stephanie Leonidas
Discover Time Out original video