WHEEL GONE KID 3 - ROLLING IN IT (REVIEW & INTERVIEW)
Just when Aki finds football more fun than driving cars, a failed magician stops his game. But Aki's always one trick ahead.
WHEEL GONE KID 3 - ROLLING IN IT is the third short in a family and comic series written by Keith Large and directed by Wayne Kelly.
From the first minutes, an atmosphere of recklessness sets in with the total withdrawal of the «adult» world. The soundtrack has something to do with it, but not only that. The destinies of the different characters are intertwined through a major element: the motorhome. Indeed, this one appears as the key symbol of the story. The director frames it from every angle and he stages a recurrent humorous game with the window. This leads to unexpected situations and interactions. This is the case for the little boy, Aki, who enters through this window and appropriates the vehicle. Gags follow one another and burlesque situations must be appreciated in the second or third degree!
The expressions of the characters are very often exaggerated leading to an unreal and fun side at the same time, in a very minimalist and realistic universe, with natural scenery. Dynamic editing creates a fast pace and rich in entertainment. We could say that the film is conceived as a kind of sketch in which the scenes are chained one after the other without real dead time. The film can echo Tuna and Ted directed by Steven Lancefield in terms of humorous similarity and in which we find the same actress, Rita Jagpal-Mohan.
Humor is unpredictable and this unpredictability towards the spectator leads him to surprise him and laugh at the situation. A very precise way and method to manipulate the spectator and activate his emotion instinctively. We will salute the performance of the actors in their gestures and dictions and especially the young actor, Reece Jagpal-Mohan, who finally holds the role of adult more than the adults themselves. We look forward to the next episode to continue to follow the fate of these crazy characters.
Tell us about the film in a few words.
Wheel Gone Kid 3 is a fast-paced comedy full of fun, light-hearted action and endearingly
silly characters. Terrible magician, Houdini Love thinks he's rich, until he crosses paths with
the mischievous Wheel Gone Kid.
What was your method of writing with the writer, Keith Large?
Keith paints in broad strokes, with larger-than-life characters that rarely take themselves
seriously. My job is to ground them in some kind of reality and find the heart amongst the
laughs.
The comedians are very expressive. How did you choose your actors? Have they
always been used to working in this kind of universe?
Keith often draws talent from a familiar pool of actors, a mixture of trained up and coming
newcomers and more seasoned stage actors, who have a gift for Keith's cheeky sense of
humour.
Tell us more about the young actor, Reece Jagpal-Mohan.
Reece is perfect as the Wheel Gone Kid - his smile is infectious and he always has a twinkle
in his eye.
How did the shooting go? Did the actors improvise?
We work fast on limited time and budgets, so actors have to be well prepared and au fait with the script. However, we do love to improvise the action scenes and find fresh ways to add extra laughs through physical comedy and facial reactions.
Where exactly did you shoot?
We shot in and around Shardlow, in Derbyshire, with our main location being a Marina and
clubhouse. The rural roads of the surrounding countryside provided some cinematic backdrops for our drone photography.
What were the constraints on filming?
Predominantly, time and budget, as well as being able to adapt to the limitations of your
location. We only had a short amount of time to capture the stage show that opens the film,
for example.
There is a very naturalistic side to the staging, what effect were you looking for the viewer?
We are influenced by the work of Shane Meadows, who always strives to use real people in
real locations. Despite the broad comedy and heightened scenarios, we are always keen to
bring a reality to our films.
Where did the idea for a camper come from? It is the symbol of the movie.
It stems from our main character, Houdini Love, mirroring his 'life on the road' as a
struggling performer. Like him, it's past it's prime and in need of love and attention.
How did you work the soundtrack?
Library tracks were selected to best compliment the feel of the film and move the action
forward.
The short film is part of a series. Can you tell us more about this series?
The series has built over time, beginning with a very short opening film introducing our title
character and his penchant for driving cars he's neither qualified or allowed to drive! Since
then, we have expanded the universe to bring in a wider set of characters to create new
adventures for Aki and his mum.
How long did it take you to make this short film?
This was shot over two days, with a number of days post production.
What advice would you give to a filmmaker wishing to embark on comedy?
Remember to use the faces of your actors, leave space for comic timing and remember
'comedy is often in the wide shot'.
Would you ever consider making a totally different film, in a much more serious, dark
genre?
We have previously made a suspense/supernatural film called INKLING and also have
another horror film in pre-production.
What do you think of comedy at the moment?
I think comedy is as popular as ever, but certain styles of comedy come in and out of fashion
- slapstick for example. Rowan Atkinson's latest Netflix project Man Vs Bee is more in this
vein so we may well see a resurgence.
Is the film visible on a platform?
The film is currently working its way around the festival circuit with a possible cinema
screening of the entire series so far, being planned for later in the year.
By Hallucinea Film Festival
