I had a lot of trepidation about going to see Late Night Shopping, especially as most UK films are unfortunately terrible. Late Night Shopping stood out from the crowd though, as a stylish, amusing and very likeable picture. There's something nicely old fashioned about the film, it reminded me of times as being Billy Wilder-esque. It doesn't insult the audiences intelligence, rather it builds slowly, so by the time you are in the third act, without even realising it, you've developed a real affection for these characters. The jokes are amusing- especially the car radio gag, which you'd have to be made of stone not to chuckle at- and the performances are uniformly good, especially Kate Ashfield as the cast-out Jody, and James Lance as lothario Vincent. He manages the feat of being slimy, charming and entertaining all at once.
It's not the perfect picture, but it's so good natured and fast moving that minor quibbles about the plot seem pointless. Yes, the premise is a little rocky if you think about it, but it's a very British thing to concentrate on these things and seem them as faults. Like good American cinema, Late Night Shopping grabs you by the collar, takes you on a ride, and doesn't let you worry about the details. For once, UK cinema has produced something contemporary, relative and FUN.
Some of the dialogue is overwritten, and for the first 20 minutes the film seems to hesitate about putting it's cojones on the line. There is a convenient plot coincidence 60 minutes in, although this is totally forgiveable as a) This is the movies and b) It leads to the film's funniest sequence, on a freezing cold crazy golf course. All around me the cinema was erupting in laughter. The direction was fluid, the script (in most) worked, and the cinematography was excellent, giving the picture a refreshing gloss. As for the music... what can you say about 80's Power Ballads? They rock. Late Night Shopping is a funky, hip little movie that provides 90-odd minutes of entertainment before kicking you out with a smile on your face.
It's not the perfect picture, but it's so good natured and fast moving that minor quibbles about the plot seem pointless. Yes, the premise is a little rocky if you think about it, but it's a very British thing to concentrate on these things and seem them as faults. Like good American cinema, Late Night Shopping grabs you by the collar, takes you on a ride, and doesn't let you worry about the details. For once, UK cinema has produced something contemporary, relative and FUN.
Some of the dialogue is overwritten, and for the first 20 minutes the film seems to hesitate about putting it's cojones on the line. There is a convenient plot coincidence 60 minutes in, although this is totally forgiveable as a) This is the movies and b) It leads to the film's funniest sequence, on a freezing cold crazy golf course. All around me the cinema was erupting in laughter. The direction was fluid, the script (in most) worked, and the cinematography was excellent, giving the picture a refreshing gloss. As for the music... what can you say about 80's Power Ballads? They rock. Late Night Shopping is a funky, hip little movie that provides 90-odd minutes of entertainment before kicking you out with a smile on your face.