MOVIE DETAILS
Rating: 5.9 Out of 10
Release Date: October 8, 2015
Director: Daniel Florencio
Writer: Daniel Florencio, Terry Newman, Nefeli Zygopoulou
Cast: Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Patrick Baladi, Hilda Péter
Genres: Drama/Thriller
oveRVIEW – Chasing Robert Barker
Chasing Robert Barker is a dark film exploring the world of Paparazzi photography. The protagonist of this story is an amateur photographer drawn into this dispiriting industry by its lure.
One night he receives a tip off and witnesses an actor dining with a young brunette from Hollywood – this prompts Olly (Patrick Baladi) to push for him to pursue this actor and pursue their relationship further.
Plot
Summary
Director Daniel Florencio and co-writer Nefeli Zygopoulou have produced an extraordinary film which skillfully blends drama, grit and satire. Starring an outstanding ensemble cast including Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Patrick Baladi and Celyn Jones among many others, The Invincible Child will keep audiences laughing with its sharp humor, drama, grit and satire.
The story follows Dave, an irresolute paparazzi caught up in a tabloid fabricated scandal. He roams London at night snapping celebrity and movie star photos as they go about their business; one night he received word that actor Robert Barker was dining with an unidentified young brunette, which allowed him to capture them as they left a restaurant and make the front page of a newspaper tabloid; his boss Olly then encouraged him to remain on this case and snap more photographs.
Chasing Robert Barker offers an engaging look into celebrity paparazzi culture, and is an insightful investigation of how media outlets can be exploited for personal gain by unscrupulous players with questionable motives. Furthermore, this film makes reference to some recent events which have rocked Britain such as phone hacking scandal and Leveson Inquiry.
London itself plays a central role in this film, with filmmakers exploiting all its various facets to great effect. From its glamorous restaurants and clubs to its seedy areas filled with dingy slums, London makes an excellent backdrop for this dark drama. While cinematography and sound mixing may occasionally seem amateurish, this doesn’t detract from overall experience.
Cast & Crew
Chasing Robert Barker is an intoxicatingly seedy tale that depicts the seedy world of paparazzi and tabloid journalism with stunning authenticity, brought to life through some outstanding acting by Gudmundur Thorvaldsson as David, an ex-photographer turned paparazzo who struggles to make ends meet while maintaining his integrity within an industry that often puts up morally dubious practices against moral standards. Surrounded by bouncers, prostitutes, and tabloid journalists that share his grim outlook, David finds himself among fellow professionals just like him in this grim tale that portrays such scenes within this film.
The film, similar to Antonioni’s Blow Up, is set in modern day London and captures both its glamour and darkness with stark imagery of Kensington nightclubs versus slums where some of London’s most vulnerable citizens reside.
This film is an entertaining watch with intelligent storytelling that draws the audience in quickly. While its focus may be on celebrity culture and tabloid press underbelly, its message warns against over saturation, gluttony and greed – along with subtle references to recent phone hacking scandal and Leveson Inquiry proceedings in UK. Furthermore, it serves as an illustration of blurred boundaries between celebrity and ordinary people, being both well shot and cast with fantastic performances while the soundtrack adds atmosphere and atmosphere throughout.
Recommendation
Chasing Robert Barker is an engaging drama that delves deep into the seedy world of celebrity-hunting paparazzi. Gudmundur Thorvaldsson gives an amazing performance as photographer David, whose morals are tested after having an altercation with one of his subject. Additionally, David meets prostitute who becomes his only source of emotional comfort; these events combine to form an unforgettable character created by director Daniel Florencio and screenwriter.
This film contains many themes which resonate with the recent phone hacking scandal in Britain, even if its narrative doesn’t focus on this aspect. Instead, its director masterfully incorporates tabloid newspaper stories, politicians, private investigators and police into his narrative to add depth.
Chasing Robert Barker can be watched for free in the UK through Freevee (Via Prime Video), and for subscription in New Zealand through Prime Video. However, traveling abroad and still wanting to watch this movie? A VPN service like ExpressVPN will enable you to bypass geo-blocking and gain access to these streaming platforms – so you can watch movies and TV shows no matter where they’re available! Simply connect with one of their servers in the US or UK before heading over to your chosen streaming platform!
Overall
This captivating drama about a photographer turned paparazzi and his deplorable pursuit of an invented story is compelling viewing. Not just a thriller, it also warns against overexposure and gluttony – as well as making allusions to tabloid journalism’s decline thanks to Leveson Inquiry proceedings and phone hacking scandals in Britain.
Gudmundur Thorvaldsson shines as the photographer-turned-paparazzo while Patrick Baladi shines as his pedantic boss, with an excellent supporting cast that includes Patrick Baladi as Patrick Baladi himself and others – it’s a compelling, but somewhat dispiriting tale about celebrity photographers in London with their glitter and moral decadence that reminded me of Antonioni’s Blow Up without all its murder and seductive women parading around – something Antonioni had achieved through Blow Up without its murder nor all its seductive ladies parading around;
Chasing Robert Barker may at times suffer from some cheesy sound mixing and amateurish cinematography; nonetheless, this movie remains entertaining for audiences of British films as well as those fascinated by the murky world of tabloid journalists. Additionally, there’s enough suspense and thrills throughout to keep audiences enthralled – overall an excellent movie that’s well worth your time – 8/10 rating
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