EMR (2004)

Directors:

James Erskine
Danny McCullough

Writers:

James Erskine (writer)
Danny McCullough (writer)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Swallow your fear

Plot:

Londoner Adam Jones is stuck in a dead end job; lives alone with his cat and spends his free time obsessing...

Plot Keywords:

Conspiracy | Psychological Thriller | Independent Film

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Anthony Azizi	...	Taxi Driver
Gil Bellows	...	Paramedic
Kate Buffery	...	Mrs. Jones
George Calil	...	Agent 6
Lara Cazalet	...	Dr. McLean
Kevin Christy	...	Barfly
Whitney Cummings	...	CyberBunnyLilly
Toby Dantzic	...	Carl
Jose de Valencia	...	Priest
Richard Dillane	...	Victor
Jeremy Edwards	...	Kevin the Barman
Jade Gordon	...	Estella
Adam Grant	...	Jelly Boy
Rebecca Greenwood	...	Call Attendant
Tom Hardy	...	Henry
Ana Harrison	...	Mexican Maid
Alice Hart	...	WPC Barrie
Guy Henry	...	Head Agent
Paul Herriott	...	Lunatic
Ben Illis	...	Tramp
Chris Jarman	...	Ben
Andrew Keatley	...	Thug 1
Adam Leese	...	Adam Jones
Angelina Liu	...	Bum #2
Nicholas Maccarone	...	Pusher
Ross McCall	...	Derek
Carl McCrystal	...	Tony
Jayne McKenna	...	Isabelle
Juan Mitchell	...	Dover_Door Man
Kenn Norman	...	Paramedic 2
Alana Marie Silla	...	Kite Girl
Keith Stie	...	Bum #1
Phil Talsky	...	The Human Water Fountain
Tony Taras	...	PC Braham
Matthew Thrift	...	Pizza Boy
Jemma Walker	...	Tracey

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

UK:15

Filming Locations:

Essex, England, UK

Company:

Cottonopolis Films

Trivia:

On the first day of filming in San Francisco, the lead actor, Adam Leese, became locked in his hotel bathroom, after the lock failed, and had to kick his way out, breaking his toe.

Quotes:

Barfly: [talking fast] Hiya. Hola. Hello. Good Evening.
[gets up and wanders over and sits next to Adam]
Barfly: Nice to meet ya.
Adam Jones: But we've never met.
Barfly: Oh, we go way back, John. Way way back.
Adam Jones: My name's not John, it's...
Barfly: I know what your name is, Bob.
Adam Jones: [keeps looking straight ahead, in monotone] I don't know you or what you're talking about.
Barfly: What do you mean you don't know me, Frank? Or is it Fred now? I always remember you liked changing your name. Some people change socks, I tell ya. But Wilson here, he changes his name like octopi go through digital watches, and real ones too.
Adam Jones: I don't follow you. I just want to get back to my house and be left alone. Don't you understand that?
[...]

Soundtrack:

Cracker Jack

a good little indie number

This is one of those films that it seems to me needs to be judged for what it is. Namely, a film made on a small budget that punches above its weight. It looks to me like the script could have done with a bit more work, but that said, the acting performances are largely excellent, the direction is good and the subject matter intriguing. Adam, the lead, is excellent - a really good portrayal of a geek who is nevertheless a hapless hero. And the tortures he goes through are great. The San Fran bar scene towards the end of the film hints at real potential. In some senses the ending might be considered predictable, but equally, it's really nice and dark and doesn't let up. Is this all his paranoid ravings or is he actually the victim of a grander corporate experiment? With all the news about drugs companies pushing the limits of the law both in terms of how they market drugs and how they test them, this seems to me a timely reminder of the dark realities of modern consumerism and the thin line between the profit motive and patient welfare. A good little Indy effort and much more refreshing than most Brit flicks currently on offer.