After being separated for a few months, Kate asks Jake if they can meet up. The meeting prompts the pair to reminisce and explore the events that led up to the end of their relationship. This is Jack McLoughlin’s Kate and Jake.
We never know what type of films we are going to receive here at Screen Critix, as we get all sorts of genres in all their different forms, but interestingly this is the second film I’ve reviewed this week which can possibly site Richard Linklater’s film Before Sunrise as a direct influence. Kate & Jake explores very similar themes, as we watch a new relationship start off strong, deteriorate over time, and then finally implode. When all is said and done, it’s a very realistic portrayal of a young couple’s fledgling romance and throughout the 95-minute run time, it manages to show all the complexities of a relationship between young people.
Filmmaker Jack McLoughlin has worked in film and TV for a long time in different capacities, managing to cut his teeth on some of TV’s biggest shows and with some of the UK’s biggest talents. Kate and Jake is his debut feature film and it is an excellent drama that follows the main couple from their meet-cute to their eventual breakup, and it does so in a way that feels both familiar and honest.
The dialogue between Kate and Jake is natural and believable, and the actors Sarah-Louise Chadwick and Michael Latham do a great job of bringing the characters to life. The supporting cast is also strong, with Anthony Devine particularly memorable as Jake’s brother Ian. We also get to see actor and comedian Crissy Rock in a small but memorable role, and she is as enjoyable as ever, especially around the dinner table. Kate & Jake is a realistic and intimate portrayal of a young couple’s relationship with McLoughlin’s script capturing the excitement and discovery of new love, as well as the heartbreak that can follow.
Another strength of the film is its cinematography, with Cameron Brown’s photography choices capturing the beauty of Liverpool, as well as the grittiness of working-class life as he gives us shots of contemporary Liverpool and the hidden council estates and bedsits within its suburbs. The film’s editing is also effective in conveying the emotional ups and downs of the story.
Amongst a strong cast the two leads, Sarah Louise Chadwick and Michael Latham, give thoughtful and committed performances. The intimate chats between the couple are particularly well-done and feel both real and emotionally affecting. The editing helps to emphasise both the joyous and heartbreaking moments in life and how two people can change over time. It also gives us a look at the challenges of post-graduate life for university students, both financially and mentally, showing how these experiences can affect young people.
Additionally, the film challenges the stereotype of working-class life being poverty-stricken and grim by focusing more on the sense of friendship, laughter, and fun that can be found in working-class communities.
Ultimately, the film is about Kate and Jake, and it is their love and affection for each other that becomes the film’s driving force and its true purpose. A well-made, emotionally resonant, and thought-provoking film, I would recommend Kate and Jake to anyone who enjoys realistic indie dramas.
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