Its nice to see that there are some filmmakers out there that are taking the teachings of the masters and putting them to good use. Danny Boyle notably takes inspiration off of Alfred Hitchcock but refreshes the genre to a nineties fashion in his dark comedy thriller, SHALLOW GRAVE.
Danny Boyle continues his long running partnership with Ewan McGregor (Alex) in the film with also stars Kerry Fox (Juliet) (Welcome to Sarajevo, Angel At My Table) and Christopher Eccleston (David) (Elizabeth, Jude) as three Edinburgh flatmates who are looking for a fourth flatmate to share their spacious place with. Of course getting the flat is a bit of a problem because you have to run through a gauntlet of insults, interrogations and criticisms dished out by the three friends. They finally do choose a person to live in the flat, but he doesn't last long. After becoming suspicious as to why their new roommate hasn't left his room in days the three break into his room and discover he has expired. What they also discover is a suitcase full of money. Here's where the fun stuff begins.
You've got a suitcase full of money. What do you do with it. Spend! Spend! Spend! Well then what do you do with it then? Well that's simple you become a paranoid freak. You see in before they could spend the money they had to dispose of their old flatmate and make him unidentifiable to anyone who would discover him. This unpleasant task was put upon their more timid friend David. After performing the grisly deed David changes dramatically and soon becomes suspicious of his friends and locks himself up in the attic of the flat along with the money. What happens afterwards is your basic journey into betrayal, manipulation and greed.
The movie uses hip cinematography that captures the paranoia of living in a house with three people who aren't who they are anymore. In an impressive use of light, Danny Boyle captures the prison that David's paranoia has placed him in when after drilling holes in the floor of the attic to see what is going on in the flat, the lights from below pass upwards creating shards of light that look like bars surrounding him.
The film ends smartly, but not pleasingly. You see there isn't really anyone in this film you can really like. Everyone is out to screw the other one over and uses sneaky tricks in order to do so like sex and friendship. In the end you will find David's question even more poignant: "If you can't trust your friends, who can you trust?"
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