''Kelly + Victor'' is a 2012 romantic

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

film written and directed by

Kieran Evans Kieran John Evans (born 8 February 1969) is a Welsh film director and screenwriter whose work includes music videos, film and documentaries. His 2012 film '' Kelly + Victor'', produced by Janine Marmot, saw Evans awarded the BAFTA Award for Ou ...

, based on

Niall Griffiths Niall Griffiths (born 1966) is an English author of novels and short stories, set predominantly in Wales. His works include two novels ''Grits'' and ''Sheepshagger'', and his 2003 publication ''Stump'' which won the Wales Book of the Year award. ...

's 2002 novel of the same name. Starring

Antonia Campbell-Hughes Antonia Campbell-Hughes is an actress, writer, director and former fashion designer from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Natascha Kampusch in 3096 Days, Marie-Antoinette in Dangerous Liaisons and the titular role in Cordelia. ...

and

Julian Morris Julian David Morris (born 13 January 1983) is an English actor. After appearing in the British television series '' The Knock'' (1996) and ''Fish'' (2000) during his teenage years, he had his first starring role in the American slasher film '' C ...

, the film follows a young couple embarking on a passionate love affair. The film won the

BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer The BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer is presented annually at the British Academy Film Awards in London. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual ...

in 2014. It was released in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2013 by Verve Pictures.

Plot

Kelly and Victor meet on the dance floor of a Liverpool nightclub, both of them on drugs. They quickly leave the club and return to Kelly's flat where they take more drugs and drink whiskey together. While they have sex, Kelly chokes and bites Victor for sexual gratification and admits to him in the morning that she got carried away. Kelly's fetish is mirrored when she joins her dominatrix friend in whipping a masked man to earn some money, but she struggles to play the role of dominatrix and does not enjoy the experience. On a visit to her mother's house, Kelly finds that her mother has invited her ex-boyfriend, who is clearly still infatuated with Kelly but is not allowed within three metres due to a restraining order. Victor sets up another date with Kelly, telling her in the pub that he would do anything for her and that their relationship is something special. Later, Kelly ties Victor's hands while they have sex, chokes him and carves the phrase "K + V" into his back using cut glass. Victor tells his friends and sister that he no longer wants to see Kelly but is clearly still preoccupied by her. After returning from a party, Victor finds Kelly bleeding in the street after she has been attacked by her ex-boyfriend. He takes her to A&E and the two return home again together. Kelly again strangles Victor with a tie, him insisting that he will tap her when he has had enough. However, Kelly gets carried away and does not notice that Victor is unable to tap her. He dies from asphyxiation, leaving Kelly distraught and listening to a CD mixtape that he made for her.

Production

The film was shot almost entirely in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, with one sequence filmed in

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

Critical response

The film received positive reviews. Trevor Johnston of ''

Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...

'' magazine named

"the most exciting British filmmaker to emerge in the wake of

Lynne Ramsay Lynne Ramsay (born 5 December 1969) is a Scottish film director, writer, producer, and cinematographer best known for the feature films '' Ratcatcher'' (1999), ''Morvern Callar'' (2002), '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' (2011), and '' You Were N ...

, Steve McQueen and Andrea Arnold".

Cast

as Kelly *

as Victor * William Ruane as Craig *

Stephen Walters Stephen Walters (born 22 May 1973) is an English actor. A regular in British television and film, he has played a wide range and variety of character roles in both drama and comedy. Walters is most commonly associated with unpredictable, compl ...

as Gaz *

Claire Keelan Claire Keelan (born 8 May 1975) is an English actress. She played Claire Ashcroft in ''Nathan Barley'' and Electroclash in '' No Heroics''. Background Keelan is a former member of the Royal Court Young People's Theatre.Mark Womack Mark Edward Womack (born 9 January 1961) is an English actor, known for starring in '' Liverpool 1'', '' Sorted'' and Willy Russell's ''Dancin thru' The Dark''. In 2020, he appeared in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' as DI Mark Malone. Person ...

as Frank * Michael Ryan as Pete Tucker

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly And Victor 2010s British films 2010s English-language films 2012 films 2012 independent films 2012 romantic drama films BDSM in films British independent films British romantic drama films English-language Irish films English-language romantic drama films Films about couples Films based on British novels Films set in Liverpool Films shot in Merseyside Irish independent films Irish romantic drama films