Fingers is a short crime drama based on the Biblical story of Salome and the martyrship of John the Baptist, reimagined in the murky underworld of a 1960s nightclub in London’s East End. With a view to reexamining the scripture from a modern perspective – and with influences from Shakespeare to Scorsese – this is an exciting film that shines light into the darkness – and shows the consequences of making the wrong choice between good and evil…
Fingers centres on a surprise birthday party thrown in honour of Harry, set shortly after the death of his brother, crime boss Phil King. It explores the family dynamics in the wake of this event, and the conflicts between the adults that surround Harry’s niece, a young girl named Sally.
Despite the slick and smoky underbelly of 1960s East London almost bursting through the screen, the otherwise solid production is sadly dampened by a few wooden performances. It feels as if the film would have been more successful if the whole thing was seen through Sally’s eyes – as it is she only appears halfway through and the clash of crime and innocence is not as powerful as it could be.
Having said that, the costumes are great, the atmosphere is almost spot on, and the low budget is masked well by Alfie Biddle‘s skilful camerawork and a punchy score. There is some promising talent on display here, so be sure that we’ll see more from this team in the future.
What do you think of Fingers? Let us know in the comments!
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