Black Pond (2011)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

good back-story, and good acting

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

I just loss 83 mins of my life.. 83 mins I could have done something worth while like, cutting grass, sleeping, cleaning the house... This was a waste of time, and I hope to never ever watch this again for the rest of my life. The director should never work on a film ever again. He tried to be witty but failed at every step. There was nothing at all good to say about this film. I thought Simon Amestell was a cross dresser or Pre Op transvestite till I looked him up on Wikipedia... I even hated this film the second time I watched it. an outter waste of time and film, why was it even made, does anyone like this shitty ass movie? i don't know a single person thats even seen it let alone like it.

Creepy, uncomfortable, cheap, and actually lacking imagination. It is very confusing when watching the film without the aid of a preview, one doesn't quite understand if it has a serious intent or is just a spoof. The conclusion is quickly that it's a bad spoof. Dysfunctional family, weird outsider, dodgy dog. A dog's dinner. In fact the three legged dog was the best actor. There is a real danger of one being trapped into thinking it's good because it's alternative and built on a £25k budget. It's only just above awful because my compatriots giggled and didn't dump the DVD. but only just. Unfortunately one laughs for all the wrong reasons. Deeply depressing..I lost my sense of humour in the black pond.

An incredibly impressive debut film from youthful newcomers Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley. Black Pond is a delightfully grim black comedy about the Thompson family, who're embroiled in a tabloid scandal about the death of a new family friend. They say that truth is stranger than fiction and, while this IS fictional, it has a realistic plausibility and a documentary style which makes the almost farcical events seem hilariously absurd in contrast with the repressed sobriety of the upper-middle-class English milieu. It's one of these films that will have you grinning like a Cheshire cat all the way through, giggling and snorting like a child who's just heard an old man fart during a quiet church service and eventually letting out a proper belly-laugh every now and then. Colin Hurley, Amanda Hadingue, Simon Amstell, Will Sharpe (writer/director/actor) and the whole cast are excellent and Chris Langham makes a long-awaited return to film (with the controversy of his own personal ordeal with negative publicity perhaps adding its own somewhat dark undertone to the film – almost definitely NOT a conscious effort by the producers though!). It's a fine example of typically British satirical wit and exemplary of the potential of indie cinema, considering it was made on tiny budget of £25,000. The lack of money means this film will only be seen by few people on its limited release, but as it gathers rave reviews and serious respect, it will no doubt earn cult status by the time it's out on DVD. More like this and more from Sharpe and Kingsley please!

Please don't let the IMDb summary,and indeed the film's own trailer deceive you. This film is not really about a murder,except that's what they are accused of.It's about a dysfunctional couple(with two away from home daughters) and how their lives are changed,and indeed turned upside down by the entry into their lives of a clinically depressed neighbour called Blake. It's one of those films that will benefit from repeat viewing,as it has many nuances that you just cannot pick up in one time. A good thought provoking,and at times moving film. Do give it a try.I am not sure how this film will go down in the US,as although they have the same family problems there,they also have a different way of looking at things.