Mikey is released from prison with the hopes that he can leave the past behind. Unfortunately, the past refuses to let him enjoy his freedom.
The latest film from Phoenix Works Films follows Mikey as he is released from prison. But his fresh start is peppered with anxiety and paranoia. He fears staying alone at the hostel and so his sister, Pam (Dorothea Jones), takes him back to her flat. She is 6 months pregnant and Mikey is quick to latch onto the idea of new life as new beginning. He talks to the baby, making promises and plans, perhaps creating a point towards which he can focus his energy.
Mikey is very emotionally unstable, he is skittish and edgy – like a caged wild animal unsure how to act upon release. Despite this, Pam is very caring and understanding. She wants to be there for her brother. Unfortunately, her partner, Ray, isn’t similarly inclined. When he comes home to find Mikey, he and Pam argue. Mikey leaves, not wanting to impose on his sister, but as Ray chases him down outside the flat, it becomes clear that there is some darkness between them. Ray is very violent towards Mikey – initially it seems to be the incongruity between his job as a police officer and Mikey as an ex con. But there seems to be something else, some other truth waiting to be discovered. Director Victor De Almeida carefully controls how the audience are fed information.
Mikey is plagued by dreams of being interviewed by police, where he screams that he didn’t do it. Mystery and uncertainty swirl around his situation. The crime alluded to involves a 14 year old girl. But was Mikey innocent all along? Pam thinks so, but Ray is convinced of his guilt. However, far from being the picture of morality, Ray has shady dealings of his own, and it seems these overlap heavily with Mikey’s prison term. The twisted tale of deception unfolds.
Filmed over three years, interrupted by covid and resumed in 2022, Scrap of Paper has definitely been a labour of love for those involved. Director Victor De Almeida works well with cinematographer Matthew J. Hicks to produce a classic example of the British drama. Toby Redpath captures the character of Mikey as a broken, shell of a man. He portrays the deteriorated mental state with a fine nuance. Opposite Redpath is Jack Caulfield as the sociopathic Ray, bringing an indistinguishable level of unease to the character from his first appearance.
A tense drama with a winding narrative of betrayal and deceit. Watch the trailer here!