GFF 2010: Cuckoo

With its Hitchcockian leanings and oppressive cinematography, Cuckoo is as tangible a representation of a troubled mind as you are likely to encounter on film. Polly (Laura Fraser) is a cardiological researcher working to further her career alongside her intrusive mentor Julius Greengrass (a subtly creepy Richard E Grant). With her sister Jimi (Antonia Bernath) living in her pocket and a failing relationship with her boyfriend Chapman (Adam Fenton), Polly starts to encounter strange sensory phenomena that challenge her perceptions of the reality around her. Strongly communicating Polly’s anxious and stressed state, the art direction with its shut-out light and abstract visuals, works well alongside the frenetic, heart-pounding score. Fraser is exceptional at expressing the mental remoteness that the mysterious events of her history have provoked. Although at times things are not particularly clear for the audience, the unsettling ambiguity of the protagonist's past culminates in a way that inspires the viewer to question their own perceptions in a confusingly befitting finale.