Director: M.J. Delaney.
Starring: Sheridan Smith, Kate Nash, Oona Chaplin, Jaime Winstone.
Running Time: 86 minutes.
Rating: 15.
Synopsis: Sam (Sheridan Smith) is on a night out with an old friend visiting from Paris (Kate Nash). Coincidentally her loud, shameless and unglamorous close friends are in the same club for the night. It becomes a juggling act as she tries to hide her true lifestyle from her Paris friend and keep her real friends happy.
POWDER ROOM is based on the play ‘When Women Wee’, which shows insight into the glamorous world of nose powdering, make-up applying and general toiletry needs on a night out. It is a very relatable depiction of how the high expectations of a night out slowly but surely descend into a nightmare, often fueled by alcohol, awkward bump-ins, wardrobe malfunctions and horrid bouncers.
Despite being based on a play and shot in one location, POWDER ROOM never feels static or boring, but instead rotates and moves the audience around in a different way. This experience can be credited to Delaney’s past in video music directing, which also explains her incredibly stylish, edgy and fast paced film which keeps the audience engaged throughout its ninety minutes. There isn’t a dull moment, and a lot is squeezed into a movie which soon becomes a rollercoaster of emotions and revelations.
Thanks to the film’s micro-budget, it also boasts a brilliant soundtrack using many unsigned artists that were discovered on SoundCloud. POWDER ROOM is a great example of how young, talented and inexperienced filmmakers can come together and produce a great British film.
Sheridan Smith is brilliant as the kindhearted but street smart Sam, as she undergoes a disastrous but life changing evening inducing both chuckles and moments of sympathy. She is caught between who she wants to be and the disappointment of being who she is. Sam is caring and fun but depressed, causing her to betray her friends and seek confirmation from those who look down on her.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Bechdel test this year, and it’s safe to say that POWDER ROOM passes it with flying colours. The honest conversations are easy for women to relate to, while men will get an insight into women’s lives like never before. Despite being shocking at times, it’s not obscene or looking for a cheap reaction. It is sickening, sad, dirty, indulged with TMI statements, and the truest depiction of a night out you’ll see in a long time.
[usr=4] POWDER ROOM was released in UK cinemas on Friday 6th December.
