I'm pretty cynical when it comes to independent features emerging from Wales,made by welsh film makers. I think there's an abundance of talent in the country and certainly there's definitely film makers of real talent who have produced moments of real quality. Yet in recent memory I can't remember a welsh independent film that really swung for the fences in a major way. I haven't really seen a welsh independent feature made by a welsh film maker that really feels like it could break out further than Wales and find a global audience. Until now . . .<br /><br />Prior to it's premiere screening I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of 'Footsteps', written and directed by Gareth Evans and produced by Random Films. In 80 minutes my opinion of welsh indie film changed dramatically. Here is a film that from the first minute grabs you by the scruff of the neck and never lets go. A film that,in terms of independent film making,doesn't just push the envelope but sets fire to it and pisses on the ashes.<br /><br />The plot primarily focuses on a young guy,Andrew,who is detached and dissilusioned by a life that is far from happy. He eventually falls in with some very unsavoury characters and trawls the seedy underworld of Cardiff with them, desperately trying to find his place in the world as his new found companions indulge in violence and criminality.<br /><br />With Andrew (Brilliantly portrayed by Nicholas Bool) the writer/director has definitely created a character that will join Donnie Darko and Travis Bickle as an icon for the dissilusioned and disenfranchised. But this film doesn't just settle for that,it aims to be far more and succeeds on every level.<br /><br />For the casual audience member who might take 'Footsteps' at face value, it is likely that the grimly realistic violence will be what lingers in the memory for them. Indeed,the violence is brutal and remarkably well executed for such a low budget film. In fact there are at least three scenes near the climax of the film that are right up there with the "home invasion" scene in 'Henry:Potrait of a Serial Killer' in terms of how gripping and considerably harrowing the action is. But if the violence is primarily what people talk about after seeing the film then that would be a real crime because the film is packed full of wonderful moments of real human emotion. A scene where two lovers heading for the end of their relationship are making love and going through the motions is one such moment and it's genuinely heart breaking.<br /><br />'Footsteps' as a whole is a real lesson for any film maker in how to tell a story visually rather than relying on dialogue to convey emotion and carry the narrative. The film's most effective emotional moments are all done without a single word between the characters involved. This is most evident in the ending,where one character's slow burn facial expression imbues the film with this incredible final moment that conveys such emotion and speaks a thousand words without a single line of dialogue.<br /><br />Performance wise,as well as Bool and a strong supporting cast the film boasts a dynamic individual performance by Mads Koudal. A real magnetic screen prescence who manages to play anger and cold heartedness without ever resorting to pantomime. His controlled and spontaneous moments of aggression light up the screen and he manages to steal every scene he's in, which is quite a feat considering even the smallest roles are portrayed by really strong actors.<br /><br />'Footsteps' is a creative amalgamation of the best elements from other pioneering films by the likes of Roeg,Peckinpah and Godard. But whatever the influences behind the film may be, the writer/director has took the standard cinematic conventions,stood them on their head, and created not only the most unique and important Welsh independent film of the last decade but also the most unique and important British film of the last decade.