Stella (2022)

Stella (2022). Stella: Directed by Jessica Fox. With Jill Brown, Bill Coles, Oli Fyne, Louis Hall. It is 1937 and Stella, a German Jewish refugee, finds work in a Scottish country estate owned by the fascist Earl of Rig, only to be accepted as one of the family and must hide her true identity to survive.

“Oh Dear, I really wanted to like this film. The theme is interesting, the cast includes some distinguished names and it was filmed in an area I know well. But to say Stella is pedestrian is an insult to pedestrians. The theme of a Jewish refugee seeking work in a country house run by a rabid fascist in the 1930s should be fascinating and charged with drama and stress. But Iu0026#39;m afraid the combination of an undisciplined script with weak dialogue, frequently amateurish acting, single level directing and lazy editing results in a movie with few low or high spots and at least thirty excess minutes. What was required was a team of script editors who knew what makes a film pull the audience along with it and creates pace and emotional excitement. Iu0026#39;m afraid neither are present here and you are left wondering at the end, what actually changed over the previous two hours. Such a shame to see excellent actors like Gary Lewis make a perfunctory appearance, spew out unrealistic propaganda and then disappear. Some reasonably good cinematography, but the opportunity to establish the action in a beautiful rural landscape was largely missed.”