The Jigsaw of Life was my first feature film. It was shot in September 2004 and premiered at the Phoenix Picture House in Oxford on the 7th May 2005. The film was shown to 212 people, which included the majority of the cast and crew and members of the public. The film was well received by the audience, with a big round of applause awarded at the end.
The Jigsaw of Life is an emotional drama, and takes a poignant journey, exploring love, friendship, betrayal, anger, vengeance and enlightenment. The film is set over the course of Duncan’s life. Duncan's childhood is shown from the arrival of his Step-Dad, Father Michael. Duncan’s Mother, Faye, inadvertently allows them to get trapped in a suffocating atmosphere that slowly poisons them more and more. We see how the young Duncan deals with the situation at home and how it changes him and shapes him for later life.
Duncan then moves away to University, where he experiences happiness for the first time, and falls head over heels in love with Clara. A close betrayal by his so-called friend, Keith, then starts a chain reaction that leads to him losing all direction. Duncan makes a great friend at University, Lee, and he sticks with him through thick and thin, as Duncan tries to find some understanding and reasoning in the World. He then meets Pete, who suggests the concept of the jigsaw of life, and this helps Duncan move on and look to the future.
Clara lives to regret her decision and she is left with the consequences of an unstable life with Keith. Keith struggles with jealousy and obsesses over Duncan’s return. This eventually takes him over the edge and leads to him losing all control. Duncan eventually comes face to face with Keith again, and their ultimate confrontation sparks the final climatic scenes.
“It’s a promising start - it's beautifully shot, and there are strong performances by the cast in some genuinely touching scenes. The film is ambitious and earnest in its attempts to convey one individual's journey of self-discovery, the pinnacle of which is the realisation that life, like a jigsaw, is made up of a multitude of smaller fragments and that we must try to see the bigger picture in order to understand each of these individually.” Alison Gowland, Daily Information. Read full review. “I really did enjoy this movie. It is a really a compelling story. It's got great acting, an excellent score, and a really positive message. Pete's explanation of the "jigsaw of life" really made me stop and think. The way that the main conflict was resolved was also very nicely done. It seems as though the director made good use of such a low budget. I was very impressed with the actors. Nick Hooton's portrayal of Duncan was one of the best acting jobs I've seen; especially in an independent film. Kelvin Jonck as Keith was able to seem very likable early on, and then transform into a truly despicable villain by the end of the film, and Lauren Kivits as Clara was able to make me completely understand why she initially chose Keith over Duncan, and why she continued to stay with him. The rest of the cast as well did an excellent job. I'm very impressed that the director was able to find such talented actors on such a small budget.” Monika DeLeeuw-Taylor, MicroFilmmaker. MicroFilmmaker awarded The Jigsaw of Life 7.1 out of 10. Read full review.Reviews