By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK? ****

The winner of this year’s British Independent Film Award for best film revels in being both an unflinching look at a BDSM relationship while colliding with a very embarrassed British sense of humour more likely found in fare like Four Weddings And A Funeral.

• Read on for reasons including how this is funny, thought-provoking and far more warm of heart than you might expect

Melling (King Lear, Old Vic) plays mild-mannered traffic enforcement officer Colin who meets an impossibly handsome gay biker called Ray played by Hollywood’s Alexander Skarsgård while entertaining a pub as part of a barber shop quartet including his father.

It’s Christmas Eve in Bromley and Ray slips Colin a note suggesting they meet at 5pm on Christmas Day outside Primark in the town centre.

Colin’s parents played by Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp (The Seagull, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith) suggest their son should be accompanied by the family dog in case his life is endangered but instead he’s ushered down an alley next to the store for an unexpected mouthful.

Ray invites Colin to his home and it becomes clear he expects the traffic enforcement officer to cook and clean for him while being subservient to him sexually.

Colin’s parents don’t understand their son’s relationship and the comedy is strongest when those 2 worlds collide with Ray told he’s not local, asked where he’s from and giving ‘Chiselhurst’ as the hilarious reply.

Colin’s ailing mother has a moment to shine herself when she describes exactly what she thinks of Ray and where the viewer’s loyalty lies will very much depend on their own life experiences that they bring to this film.

Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears throws himself into a minor role as a member of Ray’s biker gang and former squeeze who has some interesting if alarming advice for Colin.

We’ve seen Melling perform in some challenging theatre and it’s to his credit that he immerses himself in a role that sees him wrestle near naked with Skarsgård and also exposed while bent without clothes across a picnic bench as outdoor events take a sexual turn.

Pillion then isn’t a film to watch with your parents but writer/director Harry Lighton, making his directorial debut, has created something funny and thought-provoking which is far more warm of heart than you might expect.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Pillion Tickets
• Have you seen an Alexander Skarsgård film before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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