There’s a certain sense of homage to the French nouvelle vague of the 1950s and 60s in The Drifters. Charm and don’t-care-ism, poetic realism, a bit of existentialism, and that certain feeling of freedom that came with the times.
Two young immigrants find each other in post-Brexit Britain. Jonathan Ajayi (Noughts & Crosses, Wonder Woman 1984) is Koffee, an illegal immigrant from West Africa looking for work, and Lucie Bourdeu (En Famille, Kings for a Day) is Fanny, an out of work French waitress who dreams of going to LA to meet Quentin Tarantino, whom she met once in Paris.
Both are living on the margins and are seeking roots in a new country, Britain. They meet at language school in London and one sunny weekend they set off on a stolen motorbike to hit the road on a relaxed love/friendship adventure.
Things like guns and jewels and passports crop up but it is the attractiveness and sincerity of these two actors, who fit the story like a glove, that sweeps the film along with them. Beautifully shot, well-acted and Devon’s seaside in summer looks ravishing.
Director Benjamin Bond (SKINS, Killing Bono, Delta Forever), writes and directs this offbeat story of love, loss and adventure, and it’s a pleasure to go along with them.
In virtual cinemas and on demand www.thedriftersmovie.com
MARIANNE GRAY