Midlands Review of Life Support
midlandsmovies • May 24, 2020
Midlands Review of Life Support
Life Support
Directed by Wayne Kelly
2020
KLENS UK & Spoon Jar Films
The familiar sound of an incoming Skype video message call opens this new made-in-lockdown drama from Leicester filmmaker Wayne Kelly
Life Support is a short story filmed as an online video call between Amy Allen (as Shona) and Rachel Nottingham (as Magz).
The two are strangers but as Magz calls unexpectedly, they do in fact share a common connection to a man named Liam. Magz is married to Liam and accuses Shona of having a relationship with her husband after finding information in his mobile phone.
Shona explains that she was “ghosted” by Liam after their brief affair whilst Magz gets upset as she tells this woman she was unable to have a family.
An interesting and unique style, the film uses the video-call format to focus on the faces of these women. The actresses do well with the material and the drama comes from a tight script that teases out the details during the course of their conversation.
Owing to the lockdown period, director Wayne Kelly had to film and direct the short remotely but has done well given those limitations.
Advocating his ethos “creativity through crisis”, it is great to see the filmmaker adapt to the tough situation and focus efforts on creating a stylish short. Without the luxury of a variety of locations, the film moves swiftly with its revealing dialogue and emotional beats.
As the two women further discuss the situation, more tragic news is shared about Liam’s predicament and the director starts to move away from the moral conundrum of the affair. The short then edges towards a more nuanced exploration of loneliness, tragedy and a shared love for a person.
Addressing the Covid situation specifically, the film also reflects the difficulties of our current world but also how it parallels a broader sense of loss and isolation.
Although the outcome didn’t ring particularly true to me, it still must be said that Life Support is a successful example of clever writing and well-chosen stylistic choices. It ends as a great example of a low-budget short, which makes the most of limited resources by using efficient storytelling and a compelling script.
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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