On All Floors
Encyclopedia
On All Floors is a 2002
British film directed
by Geoff Evans
and written by Craig Handley
. It is a dark comedy which tells the story of five people who are trapped in a falling elevator. Believing they have only a few minutes left to live, the lift's occupants start to confess their deepest, darkest secrets.
Michael (Rhys Morris) is the self-proclaimed office "whipping boy". Lecherous and unpopular, Michael is very keen to form a meaningless and purely sexual relationship with any woman, but especially Melanie (Catrin Mara), the 22-year-old office receptionist who admits to falsely accusing her family dog of starting a fire.
Glen (Tom Lewis) is twenty-four and a senior broker at a private equity firm, located in the building. Handsome but ultimately shy, Glen has held a homosexual desire for his school friend and now colleague, Matthew (Dean Keohane).
While finishing work, late, on a Friday afternoon, the employees of several prestigious companies in a Cardiff
office block, enter the large elevator, which will take them to the ground floor. After descending through several floors, the lift comes to a screeching halt, followed by the sounds of cables snapping and creaking.
Several hours later and with no sign of any help forthcoming, the occupants are resigned to dying. Michael, much to the chagrin of Stuart, makes a smutty, suggestive remark to Melanie. Ever the loyal manager, Stuart is quick to defend the young woman, only to reveal his troubled and disturbing past, involving several incidents of wearing his dead mother's underwear to school and a criminal conviction for horse buggery.
Shocked by this apparently carefree confession, each of the other characters, save for Michael, confess their own dark secrets, which culminates in Glen, declaring his long-held love for Matthew, who, to the delight of Glen; reciprocates.
Suddenly and without warning, the elevator finally breaks free of its cables and hurtles to the ground floor. There is darkness, followed by the flickering of lights as the elevator doors open. Stuart is lying on his back as Michael and Melanie step over him and exit the elevator. Matthew and Glen leave the elevator holding hands.
Stuart is horrified that he and the others have survived, especially when he realises that he has to see the same people every day; all of whom know his dirty little secret.
The film ends with a fantastic expression of horror on Stuart's face and the final punch-line of Matthew returning to the elevator and making a horse noise to Stuart.
and writer Craig Handley
have created a tight and perfectly formed story in little under five minutes of screen time.
Made as part of the 2002 Screen Gems initiative, the film enjoyed wide theatrical distribution throughout the United Kingdom
, where it was usually shown before many of the major cinema releases of the time, such as Die Another Day
.
Despite the film having a very minor homosexual theme, On All Floors has enjoyed considerable success on the international gay and lesbian film festival circuit, where it has gained very positive reviews.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
British film directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Geoff Evans
Geoff Evans
Thomas Geoffrey "Geoff" Evans, is a former Wales international rugby union player. In 1971 he toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions as a replacement. Evans played club rugby for London Welsh RFC.-External links:...
and written by Craig Handley
Craig Handley
Craig Handley is a Welsh film writer, director, producer and script editor. He is the creator of the upcoming web-series, Bleedout. Handley was born in Merthyr Tydfil and attended Cyfarthfa High School...
. It is a dark comedy which tells the story of five people who are trapped in a falling elevator. Believing they have only a few minutes left to live, the lift's occupants start to confess their deepest, darkest secrets.
Plot and characters
Stuart (Jason May) is in his mid-thirties and is the manager of a highly successful sales company. Unknown to his colleagues and indeed his employers, is that Stuart has previous criminal convictions for horse buggery and a penchant for wearing his dead mother's lingerie.Michael (Rhys Morris) is the self-proclaimed office "whipping boy". Lecherous and unpopular, Michael is very keen to form a meaningless and purely sexual relationship with any woman, but especially Melanie (Catrin Mara), the 22-year-old office receptionist who admits to falsely accusing her family dog of starting a fire.
Glen (Tom Lewis) is twenty-four and a senior broker at a private equity firm, located in the building. Handsome but ultimately shy, Glen has held a homosexual desire for his school friend and now colleague, Matthew (Dean Keohane).
While finishing work, late, on a Friday afternoon, the employees of several prestigious companies in a Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
office block, enter the large elevator, which will take them to the ground floor. After descending through several floors, the lift comes to a screeching halt, followed by the sounds of cables snapping and creaking.
Several hours later and with no sign of any help forthcoming, the occupants are resigned to dying. Michael, much to the chagrin of Stuart, makes a smutty, suggestive remark to Melanie. Ever the loyal manager, Stuart is quick to defend the young woman, only to reveal his troubled and disturbing past, involving several incidents of wearing his dead mother's underwear to school and a criminal conviction for horse buggery.
Shocked by this apparently carefree confession, each of the other characters, save for Michael, confess their own dark secrets, which culminates in Glen, declaring his long-held love for Matthew, who, to the delight of Glen; reciprocates.
Suddenly and without warning, the elevator finally breaks free of its cables and hurtles to the ground floor. There is darkness, followed by the flickering of lights as the elevator doors open. Stuart is lying on his back as Michael and Melanie step over him and exit the elevator. Matthew and Glen leave the elevator holding hands.
Stuart is horrified that he and the others have survived, especially when he realises that he has to see the same people every day; all of whom know his dirty little secret.
The film ends with a fantastic expression of horror on Stuart's face and the final punch-line of Matthew returning to the elevator and making a horse noise to Stuart.
Impact of the film
Director Geoff EvansGeoff Evans
Thomas Geoffrey "Geoff" Evans, is a former Wales international rugby union player. In 1971 he toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions as a replacement. Evans played club rugby for London Welsh RFC.-External links:...
and writer Craig Handley
Craig Handley
Craig Handley is a Welsh film writer, director, producer and script editor. He is the creator of the upcoming web-series, Bleedout. Handley was born in Merthyr Tydfil and attended Cyfarthfa High School...
have created a tight and perfectly formed story in little under five minutes of screen time.
Made as part of the 2002 Screen Gems initiative, the film enjoyed wide theatrical distribution throughout the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it was usually shown before many of the major cinema releases of the time, such as Die Another Day
Die Another Day
Die Another Day is the 20th spy film in the James Bond series, and the fourth and last film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond; it is also the last Bond film of the original timeline with the series being rebooted with Casino Royale...
.
Despite the film having a very minor homosexual theme, On All Floors has enjoyed considerable success on the international gay and lesbian film festival circuit, where it has gained very positive reviews.
See also
- Cinema of the United KingdomCinema of the United KingdomThe United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
- List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender-related films by storyline
- Craig HandleyCraig HandleyCraig Handley is a Welsh film writer, director, producer and script editor. He is the creator of the upcoming web-series, Bleedout. Handley was born in Merthyr Tydfil and attended Cyfarthfa High School...
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTnwJopqAGM On All Floors at YouTube
- BritFilms.com entry for On All Floors