Hallam (Bell) is reeling over his mother’s death – apparently suicide – by spending a lot of time pretending to be a badger in the garden of his wealthy father’s (Hinds) estate. He’s sure that his dad’s new woman, Verity (Forlani), is behind his mother’s death, but still he has sex with her when she rubs his crotch. Perhaps wisely, Hallam escapes to Edinburgh, where he smiles more, lands a job in a hotel and has a romance with the hotel’s cute manager, Kate (Myles). Yet weirdness persists and he fills his evenings by clambering over rooftops and spying on women through windows. In a committed but unconvincing performance, Bell gives us creepy Hallam, feral Hallam, lucid Hallam, romantic Hallam, screwed-up Hallam and carefree Hallam. Each incarnation is a new chapter – only from entirely different books. Complex characters are desirable, but Hallam doesn’t add up. As a study of grief, this is silly and nonsensical. Taken less seriously, Mackenzie delivers a light dance over heavy issues, and the romance works – but how flippantly can we take death, grief and suicide? 

Dir David MacKenzie 2007. UK. 95 mins. R21. Jamie Bell, Ciarán Hinds, Claire Forlani, Sophia Myles.

Hallam is showing in the 18th European Union Film Festival.