Sydney Film Festival 2013 - Film Review - For Those In Peril

Aaron (George MacKay) searches for his lost brother - For Those in Peril

Scottish film film director, Paul Wright, makes his feature film debut with this story about loss, alienation and ultimately magical transcendence. The plot line for this film follows a young fisherman, Aaron who is the sole survivor of the loss of a fishing trawler, the other five crew including his older brother, Michael disappearing into the sea. Aaron cannot remember any aspect of the event and the local village, imbued with superstition  and seagoing folklore blame him for the loss. Aaron becomes isolated from the community and causes further grief and anger amongst the village by insisting his brother is still alive and complicating the situation by becoming involved with his older brother's fiancee. The film is almost as cold and bleak as the location in  Scotland at which it was shot. Aaron's mother, Cathy (actress Kate Dickie) is torn between the loss of her eldest son Michael and the apparent mental illness of Aaron and reluctantly she agrees to have him institutionalised. The night before he is due to leave, Aaron disappears and the film closes with his transformation. This film has a blanket of sadness throughout its length yet it's not exaggerated nor overstated.