UK Film Network

THE TIMES BFI 53^RD LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 14-29 October 2009

Published by: Tremayne (Potter)

Monday 26 October

Kicks

Dir.: Lindy Heymann/ Scr Leigh Campbell/ with Kerrie Hayes, Nichola Burley, Jamie Doyle/ UK 2009/ 81

Nicole, played by Kerrie Hayes, is a reserved Liverpudlian teenager, who is somewhat neglected by her parents,with a mother who devotes her no attention due to working nights and a father who has upped and left to start family number two!  Most of her spare time is spent around Anfield and Melwood training grounds, in a desperate bid to see her idol, who come s in the form of midfielder Lee Cassidy (Jamie Doyle).  It is then that she meets wannabe WAG Jasmine (Nichola Burley), from a well off background, with more street cred than she and attention to fashion but it is their obsession for Cassidy which draws them together.  They traipse across the city and its nightly hotspots, daydreaming about Lee and how one day they may be fortunate enough to be on their own with him.  However, when they get to hear of his transfer to Real Madrid, they take it upon themselves to ensure he does not leave the country whatever the price.  ‘One of the Digital Departures Projects which were developed as part of Liverpool’s Tenure as European Capital of Culture.’  Vaguely adapted from an unfulfilled screenplay by Michael Winterbottom collaborator Lawrence Coriat, Lindy Heymann establishes her mark well with Kicks – her feature debut.  A bright and perceptive take on modern celebrity culture.

I met Lindy Heymann (director) and Leigh Campbell (screenwriter) at The Filmmaker Afternoon Tea at The Mayfair Hotel on Monday 26 October when I sat in on an interview that was being conducted by another journalist/filmmaker, where I learnt the two female characters in the film, constrasting in hair colour and personality, had been compared to the director and screenwriter themselves.