Love is thicker than water: Real life film

If you want real life and not fantasy – this is the film for you!

At the Raindance Film Festival, a film which has already been bought up by more than 10 countries, including the UK, China, USA, Australia and the Middle East,  “Love is Thicker than Water” (104 minutes) was screened to a packed viewing audience.  It is a story of a “mildly mixed relationship” between the Jewish daughter of a London medical Dr and the son of a Welsh steelworker from Port Talbot.  Arthur from Wales played by iconic actor/singer musician Johnny Flynn and very confident and girlish Vida – Lydia Wilson – his girlfriend, find they have issues relating to not only class and religion but also their homelands – Wales and England.

The couple is gloriously in love and enjoying every inch of life in London eventually under the same roof when they decide to get engaged, which of course inevitably involves meeting respective family members.  It seems this story originated from a real-life situation intimated by a very talented director, the Friesian (Dutch) Ate de Jong who was present with some of the other crew at the screening.

Issues concerning class and religion come on board and Juliet Stevenson plays the coquettish and unfaithful wife of Vida’s father convincingly played by Henry Goodman.  Brothers and sisters of both the couple plus fathers and mothers eventually all meet at the engagement party. The “Welshness” of Arthur’s family is an integrated part of the plot of the whole story working as something which brings gravitas, humor, and characterisation to the unfolding drama.

I won’t spoil the story for you by telling you the whole plot.  Most interesting to me is the fact that the whole film was filmed in 15 days which is almost unheard of in the film industry. This gives it lightness and sensitivity and conviction.  It is partly based on a true story.

The acting skills of all involved, including scenes of a tragic-comedic nature,  love scenes and scenes of social interaction perhaps highlighting mostly class differences are exemplary.  Look out for it either at a local screening or on your television channels soon.  I personally recommend it as a treat not to be missed.

Penny Nair Price