Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The_White_Hotel What a shame this is not more easily available. In short, I thought this was an astonishing programme. Part tribute to Ken Campbell and part document of Nina Conti's visit to an international ventriloquism conference for a final contemplation of this art-form before giving it up herself (spoiler: she decides to carry on) this documentary riffs on ideas of identity, creativity, grief and regret. Through Conti's relationship with her puppets we are invited to consider our relationship with our own internal monologue and how it often says things which we do not allow to be expressed in conventional ways. In Campbell's words, this voice within us gives expression to what sometimes might be considered "madness" and for ventriloquists provides a legitimate outlet for individualistic expression, the same type of expression that channels our artistry and creativity. This documentary is fascinating, it raises many questions about who we are as individuals, how we present ourselves, what voice or character we choose to put on and what goes unsaid, and is also almost unbearably moving as Conti tackles head on her feelings about her one time mentor and lover Campbell whose unexpected and premature death has driven her on to greater heights within her field almost as a way of somehow keeping him alive. If you get the opportunity, watch this, it really is remarkable television.

wytche A bleak attempt of Nina Conti (daughter of actor Tom Conti) to rekindle her career as a ventriloquist.Through her grinned teeth Nina manages to voice several puppets that sound somewhat similar to herself in a confusing, and sometimes muffled, manner. On the premise of mourning the death of a previous and much older lover her obvious contempt towards the art of ventriloquism is clear as she unceremoniously stuffs said lover's puppets into a suitcase and heads to the Vent Haven Convention. It is here she wonders alone, avoiding contact with more talented ventriloquists as she contemplates her future and ponders over what to do with the puppets she "inherited" from her previous lover.This so-called documentary is bland and without much of a point other than to showcase Nina Conti's contempt towards an industry she feels she is trapped in (and Nina replacing a 'p' with a 'k' sounds like a 'k')The only saving grace for this confusing yawn fest is that she apparently gives the only professional ventriloquist dummy in her possession to a young boy at the Vent Haven Convention who no doubt already is more skilled and dedicated than she.

thruppence For me, it was just very enjoyable to watch. What a talented ventriloquist! Her on-stage performance at the convention alone was worth the price of admission. That said, I don't ever understand why review sites insist on ten lines of text before they will upload your review, but they do. I'm not sure I have ten lines in me. We'll see. I've never written a movie review before, because I've learned over the years that hardly any two people who see the same movie, see the same movie. What I think isn't important. The movie touched me, for whatever reasons; and I just felt like saying how much I enjoyed it. And, once again, the bit she did at the convention was very clever, or so I thought. And now, line eleven (or so it was in the window where this was written).

paul2001sw-1 Nina Conti's film begins with the film-maker asking herself a peculiar question - is this a documentary? - which leads one to wonder, how doesn't she know? Bt the truth is, it is both a documentary and a performance, for Conti, a ventriloquist, is undoubtedly acting for the camera, yet also seems to reveal the extent to which so many practitioners of her art really do live through their creations. Conti seems more natural, almost, in character than as herself - and this is in effect why her former lover first encouraged her to take up the art, as a way of unleashing her creative side. Now he is dead, and this film is a kind of homage to him. Aside from Conti's own genius, what makes this potentially bizarre film work is what it has to say about the way that human beings choose their own characters; and how some of us manage to escape from them.