WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Paranoia. Psychosis. Delusions. Reality. Foundational words, often, when someone goes through a traumatic experience that sticks within their mind, their very being, well after the triggering event took place. How does someone move on in life when said experience is then tends to re-manifest itself through dreams, nightmares, and even more unsettling, during waking hours as well. Anna (Vasso Georgiadou) has returned home to Glasgow, Scotland to be with her boyfriend Josh (Martin Sweeney). Since being away in Athens, Greece for a time, she aims to reacquire a sense of normalcy after experiences there were apparently less than ideal, as nightmares plague her sleep. Ultimately interviewing for a local job and trying to smooth things over with Josh, life seems good.
But, even as she begins to meld into her newly established existence, complete with co-workers Ruth (Sharon Osdin), Jojo (Bill Wright), and the creepy, enigmatic Robert (James Robson), her terrifying and sometimes violent memories of Athens almost begin to dominate every moment. Even after an effort is made by Josh to aid her via a friend, Melody (Kirsty Hamilton), Anna still attempts to dismiss the seriousness of her issues, masking the growing turmoil welling up inside. Phantom feelings, sights, and attacks begin to take their toll, only made worse by the sense that there is no actual solution to rid herself of the fixations on the past. But, what if the very key to peace and atonement will come from the most unexpected source?
Next, my Mind:
As a man of many hats, writer/director/producer/editor/cinematographer Bernd Porr’s venture from indie short film to his newest feature film takes a decidedly emotional and intensely human turn with “Anna Unbound”. Delivering a dark, character-based drama which delves into the complexities of paranoia, its effects on one’s actions and daily life, plus the ways it can or cannot be dealt with, the disquieting and unbalanced nature of the narrative’s lead pulls viewers into a frenetic world where reality becomes warped and sanity wavers constantly. The flow and ebb of the cinematography deftly immerses us in Anna’s plight, whether in current time or flashback, and in tandem with the film’s soundtrack, maintains the ominous atmosphere created. This is a disturbing story, no question!
To say that Georgiadou’s performance here truly steals the picture would be an understatement, and in no way is this to disavow the other actors present in the film. It’s more that the sheer potency and ferocity that Georgiadou brings to the character of Anna is palpable when watching her sink into a state of absolute, unabashed fear and madness after trying desperately to hold things together and start a new life. Plus, her interactions with Robson’s suitably eerie and threatening, yet somehow distant and caring, loner Robert makes the conditions she’s enduring even more overwhelming and tangible. Sweeney, Osdin, Wright, and Hamilton all deserve credit for effectively, and importantly, portraying those who become engaged in trying to help Anna’s deteriorating mental faculties.
Overall, “Anna Unbound” is a raw, engrossing, disconcerting, and nerve-wracking piece of independent cinema that truly deserves notice from the film world and audiences alike.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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