This is not my usual type of film, but thought it would be nice to try something new, since, we have now started a New year, it’s a “Thriller/Fantasy” about an American man, Hugo, who is in debt to some English drug dealers and makes a deal with them after discovering an amazing new drug, Bulu which after being sniffed, shows you little movie-like snippets of the future – how intriguing it that? After reading that synopsis, I knew it was worth a peek, even though it wasn’t my usual type of film.
Have a look at the trailer…
The film was starts in India, a quick hop to the UK and then off to East Africa, Uganda, for most of it.
As it was filmed in a small local community in Uganda, the locals were very much included in the production of this film, many were given jobs in Set Buiding, logistics etc… they even offered apprenticeships and projects were set up with local schools and charities, including “Girlbe” an organisation who is developing the education & work experiences for Ugandan women and children.
My Thoughts
My pet peeve with “Thrillers” is that they tend to be all about the action and less about character or character development, but thankfully Imperial Blue is not one of those films.
This point is actually made by the director, Dan Moss, who states;
The acting in this film is very good, particularly from the 2 lead characters, Hugo, Nicolas Fagerbe & Kisakye Esteri Tebandeke, both actors brought a real depth to their roles,it’s hard not to sympathise with each of them, and their desperate situations. They are an unlikely duo, both needing each other to hold up their end of the deal, in order to turn around the situations in which they find themselves.
Uganda provides a beautiful backdrop to a lot of the action, particularly the jungle scenes, I don’t know if it was extra appealing since we are stuck in lockdown here in the UK at the moment of writing, but it was just so nice to see some unspoilt nature in all her glory.
It’s quite a fast paced film, but I suppose most action films are, there are some violent scenes and I’m happy to report these are done all within the purpose of moving the plot forward and not just for the sake of more action to add “filler” or just to keep the “boys” happy.
There is some bad language (swearing), but not excessively.
I absolutely loved Kisakye, I really felt her plight, her father had just died and she is trying to help her family, but has a sister who is a total liability and seems to just be looking out for number 1, to be honest!
No spoilers here, but I did find the ending had me wanting more – is that a good sign? I wanted to see what happens next in both the Uganda and the UK settings. I suppose it meant that I was invested in the characters – oh well!
Rent or buy the film from Friday 15th January 2021 from
Amazon UK
itunes
Also available via Skystore
Enjoy the film & thanks for reading!
Happy New Year!
Chanel x
Chanel Williams