The Leafcatcher

The old man (Karl Howard) fits every bill as a homeless, harmless dosser. He stands about under tress, trying to catch leaves.

Filmed in a documentary style by writer/director Leo Sedgley, the film has heart but no discernable direction. As a document of one man’s life over a year, it leads from A to A with only the occasional insight into why, or how, an educated man, who admits at one point to being a doctor, would end up living in a broom cupboard, surrounded by leaking pipes.

The upper lip remains stiff, it seems, amongst the lost and the roofless. Feelings are checked at the door in case too much excitement might upset the insecurities of others. There is an exception, of course, and she is genuinely nuts.

The leafcatcher discovers that giving to others is better than sitting in a heap, feeling angry at trees. He helps the mad girl with sympathy and trust. It’s all he has left.