Bells

Inspired by an article about twins who have lost their sibling, and in particular the story of someone being mistaken for his deceased brother in the street, Bells is a touching, moving little piece - closely observed, well constructed, it is as strong as the moments where it is still and small as those moments where things ring out.

Bells echo, bells change, bells are cast from the same mould - bells are part of a set. This is a lovely bit of film-making, drawing character and circumstance with all manner of deftness. Barbara Rafferty as the twins' mother is a treat, and the well-meaning awkwardness of a workplace conversation about feeding cats manages to create a perfect sense of the emotional stresses that radiate from grief, be it one's own or that of others.

All sorts of things can spark the idea for a film - sometimes it's a comparable piece, in another medium, sometimes it's a pressing need to reinvigorate a tired merchandising framework, sometimes it is the vision of a cruise ship entering a harbour at a speed too fast to stop. Sometimes it is a newspaper article, as is the case here - and audiences are all the luckier that this story caught the director's eye, because it should not be missed.