THE LOW DOWN / *1/2 (out of four)
By Blake French:
As I prepared to watch a video screener of Jamie Thraves' "The Low Down," I had my notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other-ready to jot down any comments or discrepancies I had with the film's quality. I sat down in my favorite, fluffy chair, ready for what the filmmakers say is a view "on life, love, and other four-letter words." The movie began. After a few minutes, the film almost entirely lost my interest. My mind began to daydream about what I needed at the grocery store later that week. Occasionally, I wrote down a little note about how the dialogue lingers, the characters drift, and the story wanders, but most of the time I was sketching little smiling faces in the margins of the paper; I was that bored. The film is only 93 minutes long, but, oh God, does it seems a lot longer than that.
It is sad when years can go into making a movie that does not contain a single iota of interest. As I watched the scenes fall flat, I felt sorry for the filmmakers. Writer director Jamie Thraves, who previously won awards for short films, music videos, and TV commercials, started making this movie in late 1998. "The screenplay changed a lot during the time I was writing it," explains Thraves in the publicity notes. "As a result, Frank (the film's main character) may be a little schizophrenic but I quite like that because that's how most young men are at that age." Thraves succeeds if he wanted to make a movie that feels so authentic its like eavesdropping on someone's private life. But the film is not entertaining or engaging.
For a movie like this to work, we need several things that this movie obviously does not have. The main character, Frank (Aidan Gillen), needs to lead an interesting life-this movie can be extremely well constructed, but if there is no significant reason to watch Frank go about his daily activities, there is no purpose in viewing the film. Frank, in his mid twenties, lives a rather boring life, spending most of his days working with bizarre sculptures and hanging out with his foul-mouthed friends. He does eventually get a love interest, but that story has no impact or chemistry. It lacks passion, affection, and not a whole lot happens.
"The Low Down" does manage to capture a good mood for the characters. Its style is kind of interesting, consisting of hand-held camera work shot on Super 16 film. The production is certainly spontaneous, and the actors do a good job of making convincing characters. Aidan Gillen, from TV's controversial "Queer as Folk," is full of energy and self-motivation. Kate Ashfield, one of Britain's most promising young actresses, provides a solid romantic interest for Frank to pursue. Some of the scenes work on a unique, bizarre level; one time the characters take out their aggression on a sculpture. This scene is played against a backdrop of mind-warping music. Scenes like this prosper from their unique texture.
Ultimately, however, this film fails miserably. If a movie is going to develop its characters through short incidences and quirky situations, then it needs to be breezy and energetic with ample wit. But no. "The Low Down" doesn't keep us interested in the quirky little romance. We never care enough about the characters to pay attention to the occasional humorous touch. There is simply no conflict here, no involving drama. If you're looking for a charismatic little love story, see "When Brendan met Trudy," also from The Shooting Gallery. That film had style, wit, and interest. This one just ganders from scene to scene with no aim or direction. The dialogue lingers casually. I realize this film is supposed to be a slice of urban life, but it's not a very flavorful one. In a specific scene the characters discuss the paint color of a gigantic statue of a hand. Could we care less? I don't really think so.
By Blake French:
As I prepared to watch a video screener of Jamie Thraves' "The Low Down," I had my notebook in one hand and a pencil in the other-ready to jot down any comments or discrepancies I had with the film's quality. I sat down in my favorite, fluffy chair, ready for what the filmmakers say is a view "on life, love, and other four-letter words." The movie began. After a few minutes, the film almost entirely lost my interest. My mind began to daydream about what I needed at the grocery store later that week. Occasionally, I wrote down a little note about how the dialogue lingers, the characters drift, and the story wanders, but most of the time I was sketching little smiling faces in the margins of the paper; I was that bored. The film is only 93 minutes long, but, oh God, does it seems a lot longer than that.
It is sad when years can go into making a movie that does not contain a single iota of interest. As I watched the scenes fall flat, I felt sorry for the filmmakers. Writer director Jamie Thraves, who previously won awards for short films, music videos, and TV commercials, started making this movie in late 1998. "The screenplay changed a lot during the time I was writing it," explains Thraves in the publicity notes. "As a result, Frank (the film's main character) may be a little schizophrenic but I quite like that because that's how most young men are at that age." Thraves succeeds if he wanted to make a movie that feels so authentic its like eavesdropping on someone's private life. But the film is not entertaining or engaging.
For a movie like this to work, we need several things that this movie obviously does not have. The main character, Frank (Aidan Gillen), needs to lead an interesting life-this movie can be extremely well constructed, but if there is no significant reason to watch Frank go about his daily activities, there is no purpose in viewing the film. Frank, in his mid twenties, lives a rather boring life, spending most of his days working with bizarre sculptures and hanging out with his foul-mouthed friends. He does eventually get a love interest, but that story has no impact or chemistry. It lacks passion, affection, and not a whole lot happens.
"The Low Down" does manage to capture a good mood for the characters. Its style is kind of interesting, consisting of hand-held camera work shot on Super 16 film. The production is certainly spontaneous, and the actors do a good job of making convincing characters. Aidan Gillen, from TV's controversial "Queer as Folk," is full of energy and self-motivation. Kate Ashfield, one of Britain's most promising young actresses, provides a solid romantic interest for Frank to pursue. Some of the scenes work on a unique, bizarre level; one time the characters take out their aggression on a sculpture. This scene is played against a backdrop of mind-warping music. Scenes like this prosper from their unique texture.
Ultimately, however, this film fails miserably. If a movie is going to develop its characters through short incidences and quirky situations, then it needs to be breezy and energetic with ample wit. But no. "The Low Down" doesn't keep us interested in the quirky little romance. We never care enough about the characters to pay attention to the occasional humorous touch. There is simply no conflict here, no involving drama. If you're looking for a charismatic little love story, see "When Brendan met Trudy," also from The Shooting Gallery. That film had style, wit, and interest. This one just ganders from scene to scene with no aim or direction. The dialogue lingers casually. I realize this film is supposed to be a slice of urban life, but it's not a very flavorful one. In a specific scene the characters discuss the paint color of a gigantic statue of a hand. Could we care less? I don't really think so.