Review: "I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning" — A Humanist Ensemble Drama Adapted from Keiran Goddard's Novel
By
David Ehrlich
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
A review of Clio Barnard's film "I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning," an ensemble drama adapted by screenwriter Enda Walsh from Keiran Goddard's novel. The film follows five friends from Birmingham and is described as a low-key multi-character yarn that builds into a humanist light show with the enduring power of a folk ballad. The review praises the film's astutely observed emotional truths and its slow-burn emotional impact.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledSome films herald the scope of their ambitions from the opening frame, whereas others start humbly with a mastery that slowly comes to the fore.
It's hard to identify when the emotional circuit board underlying 'I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning' switches on and a low-key multi-character yarn coheres into a humanist light show.
After that certain point it achieves the enduring power of a folk ballad.
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