One morning Cooper (Jumaane Brown) wakes up to find his life interrupted by grapes. More accurately, the random and uncontrollable production of grapes from his mouth. At first it’s just one. One grape. Cooper can still get lost in his daily routines and forget all about the ominous grape. That is until his tomato obsessed (and I mean obsessed) boss comes along making impossible demands of perfection. On top of that – work colleagues who always seem to have everything entirely under control are always there, adding extra pressure. All of these things build up and manifest in the form of grapes.
Cooper’s boss (Stephen Sheridan) and his work colleague, Stan (Jason Griffin), both play excellent parts and are a credit to Bousher and Gee’s ability to write characters. Sheridan is domineering and formidable while also giving the impression that he is one tomato short of a BLT. Griffin plays the sleazy office flirt so confidently it makes your skin crawl. I had no idea there were so many euphemisms for sex – my personal favourite being ‘burying the bishop’. The directors’ attention to detail throughout the film (especially the perhipheral characters) is what gives Don’t Water the Vine a rich quality that moves the narrative away from an experimentation in style and into the realms of brilliance.
As Cooper says goodbye to Helen after a very successful first date, the only thing standing between him and her are those pesky grapes. The metaphor for anxiety and self-doubt suddenly takes another turn and begins to portray the effects insecurities can have on our relationships. It is the middle of an important board meeting, however, when all hell breaks loose. Struggling to contain the grapes, Cooper’s boss demands that he simply ‘spit it out’. This feels like a play on the figurative use of the phrase, representing how difficult it can be to talk about our problems. The inevitability of keeping things (grapes) bottled up for too long is that they eventually overflow. As Cooper creates a fountain of grapes in the majestically horrifying climax of the film, it feels like we shouldn’t be watching these events unfold. Yet it’s impossible to look away. If you thought Don’t Water the Vine was weird up until this point, it’s about to get a whole lot freakier.
Jumaane Brown shows exquisite control in his performance of the man plagued by grapes as his struggles and contortions are often difficult to watch. The anxiety that underpins the film is heightened by the soundtrack which often provokes a sense of unease in the audience, preventing them from resting on their laurels. The film also features some excellent special effects make up. Another brilliantly crazy film from the directing duo Bousher and Gee; Don’t Water the Vine is as disturbingly fantastical as it is relatable and meaningful! Head over to their website or the film’s Facebook page for more details.
If you enjoyed this review, please consider donating to help with the cost of my domain name and web hosting! Thank you!