(spoiler free)
‘Trespass Against Us’ isn’t the first collaboration between actors Michael Fassbender & Brendan Gleeson. Right at the beginning of this year we saw the pair in video game adaptation, ‘Assassin’s Creed’. Unfortunately this was seen as a rare misfire for both actors. Could director Adam Smith’s drama about a family from a traveling community fare any better?
The talent that these actors have is no secret and thankfully it’s easy to appreciate here. Gleeson & Fassbender play a father & son, however there is an underlying conflict within this relationship. Fassbender’s character, Chad, is looking to move himself and his immediate family away to a different community. His father, Colby, however is desperate to keep the larger community that he has built together which very much includes Chad and his family. Both Fassbender & Gleeson understand & execute the dynamic of this relationship well which makes for an engaging watch. The supporting cast only strengthen the film; Lyndsey Marshal & Sean Harris have the largest roles within this group. Marshal, who plays Fassbenders on screen wife, is fantastic alongside the majority of male characters. She brings a different element to the film and showcases the struggles of her character with good ability, often stuck between father and son. There are plenty of other familiar faces from British film and TV featured here too. One final noteworthy performance was that of youngster Georgie Smith, who plays Ty, Fassbender’s and Marshall’s son. He has great chemistry with his fellow cast members and comes across as incredibly authentic.
The narrative for the film is quite a simple one, it stays pretty close to the previously described synopsis. It’s fairly character based which creates a stimulating story. It’s good to be able to spend time really getting to know this family unit, making the stakes of the drama all that higher. The story does included plenty of thought-provoking material. Education, relationships, religion & circumstance are all touched on creating a thematically rich screenplay. Due to the nature of the story there are also quite a lot of car chase sequences. These are particularity well filmed showcasing the obvious care and attention that has gone into them. These always injected the film with pace & energy and the skillful directing here really elevates the quality of the film. Amongst all of the character study and drama the film is at times quite emotional. This shows the strength of the writing & performances and should mean that audiences will be invested in what they are watching, I certainly was. As well as this there is some humour in the film, not as much as there is emotion but an appropriate amount I thought.
‘Trespass Against Us’ is much more like the films we want to see such cherished actors as these appearing in. Fassbender & Gleeson anchor the film with their strong performances supported by the rest of the cast. The narrative is simple but effective, containing interesting themes and enough emotion & humour making audiences feel connected to the movie. The impressive action sequences only increase the caliber of the film making resulting in a very accomplished piece of work.
Rating – 8.5/10
Question: What is your favourite cinematic father & son relationship?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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