Early Bird (2005) Online

This is one of those films that you wish you hadn't watched but absolutely had to in order to see what can possibly come next in this complicated denouement. The spectator is constantly taken by surprise, as are most of the protagonists. Surprise is too weak a word; shock would be more appropriate.

After a fairly mild start,when the landlady is irritating due to her over-critical attitude to her new tenant. Nothing he does is right in her eyes. The backbone of the story is the inter-action between landlady and tenant. He is nice, she is not. There is nothing pleasing about her, neither looks nor behaviour. The lodger, on the other hand, is the sort of young man who is liked by everyone. He's ordinary, good-natured, and played perfectly as such by an actor unknown to me: Tension in their relationship necessarily builds up to what seems an intolerable degree. He tries to be accommodating and co-operative but fails at every attempt.

More surprise comes when Sasha's father enters the scene. The father and daughter relationship is strange. Now he is the dominant one. She seems to look up to him for guidance and approval. This is unfortunate. Our first impression of Sasha as a rather fussy and annoying landlady is suddenly and shockingly revealed as nul and void.

This is truly a film noir, and gets blacker, and then blacker still.

Best not to watch it on your own!