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kolinferguson
Reviews
TimeLock (2013)
Scottish Sidney Lumet
Veteran screenwriter David Griffiths directorial debut is a taut, slow burn crime drama that is pregnant with incident. Reminiscent of many of the American thrillers of the Seventies, Timelock is a film less about the crime itself than a character study of the participants; and as such, the films success hinges on its performances.
Lead actor John C Gilmour refreshingly underplays his part as Mark Kerr, an emotionally repressed man whose ennui is punctuated by bouts of gambling whilst Alton Milne as the antagonist Callum Coyne wisely avoids the histrionics which usually accompany playing a villain.
They're ably supported by Leo Horsefield, Danielle Stewart, Lauren Lamarr and Natalie Clarke amongst others.
Griffith carefully establishes the environs of the hotel where the bulk of the of the film takes place before ratcheting up the tension in scenes that don't overstay their welcome, ending on an ambiguous note which leaves the door open for a possible sequel. Timelock won't be to everyones taste though; especially those reared on a diet of multiplex fare who might find it too slow.
Crying with Laughter (2009)
Lenny meets Sleepers
A shambolic stand up comic Joey Fisk (a terrific Stephen McCole in a welcome lead role) meets an acquaintance from his school days Frank Archer (an understated Malcolm Shields) whose attentions have a sinister ulterior motive.
It's hard enough to do a comedy or a really good thriller with genuine shocks but to combine them both without diminishing either is a real accomplishment from writer/director Justin Molotnikov.
It's great to see a whole cast of Scottish faces that are new to the big screen.
Here's hoping it gets a good distribution deal.
The Crew (2008)
Above average thriller
I have to admit that I had a vested interest in seeing this film as I've co-produced and co-created a pilot ironically in Glasgow called The Crews. Which is being punted as The Scottish Sopranos.
So when this film came along naturally we were pretty despondent as it could be construed that we are jumping on a bandwagon when in fact I'd never heard of the film until it's release on DVD. Then the PR blurb surrounding it called it the Liverpudlian Sopranos. LOL.
What made it worse for us is the film is actually very good.
Standouts include the ever excellent Stephen Graham and Scot Williams as the lead Ged.
If I had a criticism of it; ironically enough is it plays like a pilot episode of a TV show itself as you expect a follow up.
Here's to stepping on toes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJxJIT57krg http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crews/169254085135?ref=sgm
True North (2006)
Best film I've seen this year.
True North hits the ground running. It's never less than engrossing and the performances are uniformly excellent.
What sounds like a derivative thriller: A crew of fishermen facing bankruptcy decide to smuggle Chinese immigrants from mainland Europe to Scotland, could easily have traded on clichés for it's effects. But writer/director Steve Hudson creates an all together more complex portrait of what essentially decent people will do in desperate circumstances.
Martin Compton shows a maturity and stoicism in his performance.
Peter Mullens character has the greatest arc; as an ex-con who lives his life at a superficial level to avoid engaging in anything deeply who has his humanity awakened by the plight of the immigrants stored in the belly of the boat.
Gary Lewis quietly exudes the desperation of man whose working life is based around daily failure.
Steven Robertson is excellent as the uptight cook from the Western Isles who is terrified of his own sexuality.
But the real revelation for me was first time actress Angel Li whose facial expressions are pages of dialogue in themselves.
My criticism of the film is not in the story itself but the state of the Scottish film industry with again, another Scottish story being shot predominantly in Ireland.
In closing, I just hope True North gets the distribution deal that it deserves. It will probably be marketed as a thriller but it is so much more than this. Go see it.
Night People (2005)
A must see
One of the best films I've seen this year. Red Road pales in comparison. What first attracted me to NIGHT PEOPLE was the spectacular shots of Edinburgh that I saw in the trailer. Previous films set in Edinburgh like Trainspotting have failed to exploit on the capitals inherent beauty until this one.
To digress for a moment I'm sick and tired of "wee bobby stuck up a close films" the qualifications for funding seem to be:
(1) Is it depressing? (2) Does it show Scotland in a bad light?
Yes? Give that man a grant!
So I had no expectations regarding NIGHT PEOPLE; in fact, I had low expectations going in to watch it; as any film emanating from Scotland seems to wallow in degradation like a toddler fascinated by the contents of its potty.
Whilst I don't deny the existence of such people and places if I want to watch a tap dripping I'll switch one on in my house not pay a tenner for the privilege.
A film makers first job is to entertain.
From the get go in watching NIGHT PEOPLE I knew I was in a safe pair of hands. It's clear that Adrian Mead can tell a story evident from the brisk pace and lack of fat in the narrative.
The film follows the progress of a disparate group of people over the course of one night in Edinburgh. Mead displays a deft touch in handling such diverse subject matters as child prostitution, drug dealing and dog kidnapping.
Now it sounds like I'm contradicting myself by what I've said before.
No, TALENT RESIDES IN THE EXECUTION. NIGHTPEOPLE lacks the overweening worthiness of it's inferior counterparts.
Mead does this by injecting humour into the proceedings to vary the tone of the piece (something lacking in many monotone movies of today) and by keeping his actors on a tight rein avoiding overindulgence and bathos.
The dialogue is first class, in one exchange a priest tells a young homeless girl that God is inside her to which she retorts: " I hope he's wearing a condom."
With the exception of Alan MacCafferty the cast is made up of unknowns which works in its favour since you concentrate on the stories rather than who is baying for a Bafta. Mead also avoids the obvious temptation to interlink the stories in contrived ways. CRASH anyone?
The genius of America and Americans is having no real history of their own they created their own mythology. You see Bullitt and you want to go to San Francisco, watch Pulp Fiction and you want a milkshake in Jack Rabbit Slims. Question? Why can't the Scots do it?
When I watched Red Road it didn't make me want to visit Glasgow anytime soon. Trainspotting did nothing for Edinburgh but Adrian Mead's NIGHT PEOPLE seems to be at the vanguard of something new.
He makes Edinburgh look filmic, it's aspirational, it's a place you'd want to visit on the strength of his images. So if Meads backers have any sense they should be punting NIGHT PEOPLE to North America where I predict it will be a sleeper hit.