A tale of theatre becoming too close to reality, Ghostlight had its UK premiere at Glasgow Film Festival on 27 February.
Construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) accidentally gets involved in an am-dram production of Romeo and Juliet at his local theatre amidst an incredibly tragic period in his life. We follow his outwardly rebellious daughter Daisy (Katherine Mallan Kupferer) causing issues in school, and his deflated wife Sharon (Tara Mallan) treading along carefully.
As the narrative unfolds, we gradually begin to understand the parallels between the Shakespearean tragedy and the family’s difficulties. The loss of their son creates great turmoil in their lives, and, although we struggle to identify this for some time, all becomes beautifully clear the longer you spend with the characters.
Dan is presented as a real ‘macho-man’, exhausted by life yet still pummeling on through. His character being unexpectedly thrown into the world of theatre brings great comedic value, and Keith Kupferer’s depictions of sadness are so natural, bringing real joy in his witty remarks.
I made a note to say how well the family dynamic works in the film, however, later discovered that the cast is in fact a family in real life. This brought real emotional depth to the film. Between Mallan’s powerful performance when criticising her husband’s strong guard and Mallan Kupferer’s boisterous yet vulnerable portrayal, the three work together to unify a broken family that deeply loves each other.
A film that engages with such tragic events in a beautifully thoughtful yet comedic manner, Ghostlight is both cathartic and incredibly sweet. I advise tissues when settling in to watch this.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars.
Hi, I’m Jenna! I am currently in my third year studying English and journalism.
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