Mark Kermode, Observer film critic 

Back to the Garden review – a naturalistic mood piece about grief

An improvised drama about a theatre group gathering to remember their late mentor has the flavour of Joanna Hogg's work, but with less structure, writes Mark Kermode
  
  

Back to the Garden: 'discussions about grief, faltering love and mistimed connections'.
Back to the Garden: 'discussions about grief, faltering love and mistimed connections'. Photograph: PR

A year after the death of their mentor, a theatrical group gathers to scatter his ashes and perhaps bring down the curtain on some off-stage interpersonal conflicts. Celebrating the freedom of low-budget digital film-making ("no outside interference or aesthetic constraints means that everyone's creativity can be released"), Jon Sanders's improvised and occasionally annoying mood piece has something of the air of a Joanna Hogg, albeit with less structure and discipline. Extended takes allow the cast (rooted in 70s alternative theatre) to improvise conversations with naturalistic results; discussions about grief, marriage, faltering love and mistimed connections ring true. Misty visuals lend a hint of ghostly transcendence.

 

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