neil hurn There are a fair number of brilliant, unusual, quirky films out there. Some of them are very well known, like Field of Dreams. Others not quite as well known such as like Little Miss Sunshine, The Station Agent, Shaolin Soccer, etc, etc. The thing that all of those films have in common, is that no matter how odd the story, and context, the characters are those whom you can care about and emotionally invest in. And they tackle big themes like loss and redemption, moral complexity etc in a way which is ultimately cathartic and uplifting. Skeletons, is as brilliant and enjoyable as any of the aforementioned films. All of the actors are superb, and the unusual story is captivating from beginning to end. A hidden and delightful gem.

Passive Zero I have been going through the alphabet doing a film each letter, and I came across this gem.The characters are extremely well filled out and believable. The plot is simple but draws you, even with quiet a quirky main part with the characters jobs seem relatively ordinary and believable through out. It also shows what can be done with only cast members. The ending is a little weak, but expected and does wrap the story up nicely.Would recommend this to pretty much everyone as a good watch. Its not action packed, but you never fell that it is dragging. Will be keeping my eye out for other films of this type.

melqart I came across this totally by accident and was very surprised there hadn't been more of a buzz about this great film. Best film I have seen for a long time and it must be one of the best ever British films. Creates a weirdly familiar alternative universe which we accept despite ourselves. Very original. Proof that you don't need a big budget or star names to create an interesting, amusing and very successful film. This deserves to be seen by a large audience. It isn't fast paced but the lack of exposition keeps it rolling along nicely. The acting is excellent and for a first time director this is amazingly well imagined and put together. I'm looking forward to the director's next effort.

Tom friday I had the pleasure of catching this great little gem of a film. I found it to be charming and engaging. The two main characters are physically the type you'd never see headlining an American film. They work as investigators for a company rooting out skeletons from their client's closets. The main characters banter back and forth between assignments, and only in reading other reviews here did I find out these two are a comedy duo. This helps their chemistry on screen and moves the film along.A standout is Tuppence Middleton, who plays her daughter role with luminosity. The screenplay doesn't give her much, but she's ready when it does. Expect more good things from her.Another standout character was the main character's boss. (He looks and sounds strikingly like Timothy Dalton.) While watching this film, I was reminded somewhat of Inception. Unlike that film's gun-blazing dream logic, here you get a well-explored charming British version. They are quick to establish it, flesh it out and for the bulk of the movie, dance for the sheer joy of dancing with it. The small cast each give great performances.I am rating this highly because I know I'd sit through this movie again. I'd sit through a series of movies based on the world that's created and explored here. I was left at the end hoping they already had a sequel in the can, or perhaps an entire British TV series of hour long episodes. This movie is based on a premise that hasn't *quite* been handled this way. The director shoots it well, and with the single exception of a slightly overused musical cue, it came across to me as perfect.