Paddy Considine’s directorial debut is one that holds a strong link to Gary Oldman’s debut (and only) film as director, Nil By Mouth. As Considine later confirmed in the ensuing Q&A “It was a film I had to make”, suggesting that the demons that lurk within the film had long been bubbling within Considine and, much like Oldman’s film, many may make a personal link. Oldman was actually the first person to read the script, Considine using him as a soundboard, to which Oldman’s response was “don’t change a fucking thing”.
The film is a brutal manifestation of anger that erupts continually in both physical and psychological ways throughout the film, which makes it an often terrifying and relentlessly heartbreaking film.
Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an aging man, on the dole, no family, his only friend is dying of cancer and he meets Hannah (Oliviva Colman) a Christian charity shop worker who upon meeting him, begins to pray for him. The two form an unorthodox relationship that due to the psychological trampoline they both seem to live on is an often tumultuous one. Loneliness and raging anger issues plague Joseph’s life, whereas domestic abuse from her husband fills Hannah’s. The two find solace in one another, and in one of the film’s most simplistic yet touching moments, she says, almost as though for the first time in her life “I feel safe with you”. Hannah’s husband James (played terrifyingly by Eddie Marsan) is the antithesis of Joseph - Joseph lashes out in furious bursts of anger and violence, openly accepting he is a “cunt”, whereas James is calculated, manipulative and brutal. Operating behind closed doors, he is cowardly in his actions and blames them on an illness, claiming “it’s not the real me”.
Delving into the film’s core too much would undeniably spoil some of the power the scenes hold, but it is a rough ride, and some scenes are devastatingly brutal, genuinely difficult to absorb. Considine’s step into directing has been a wise one - he shows flair, craft and ultimately restraint throughout the film. If anything it has highlighted his talent as a writer even greater. For those who had forgotten, he co-wrote Dead Man’s Shoes, and you will recognise his personal stamp on that film through his own writings here; that same wicked sense of humour that can mutate and manifest into seething violence is ever presence here as it was throughout Dead Man’s Shoes.
The performances are really quite magnificent all round. While Olivia Colman will undeniably (and rightly) be showered with praise for her gut-wrenching portrayal, Peter Mullan’s performance must not be overlooked - via his character’s journey, the sheer range of complexities and emotional turbulence he goes through is fruitful to say the least.
If there is an underlying message to the film, it’s a difficult one to decipher - whether the film is a tale of revenge or redemption remains to be answered. Considine himself after the film simply stated, “I wanted to make a love story”. It seems the human emotional spectrum was one that Considine focused on most intently, the fact that Joseph is a violent, racist borderline psychopath is almost forgotten what with the emotional investment we as viewers place into his journey. In regards to this, Considine stated that One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest was a big influence to him – many forgetting that the charismatic McMurphy was indeed originally in jail for sex with a minor.
Speaking about the film, Considine was adamant regarding the film’s intentions, “I didn’t want to make some shaky camera, social realism film, whatever that means anyway… I didn’t want to make some little British film, I wanted to make cinema,” and he has succeeded in doing so.
Screening complimentary of The Showroom Cinema, Sheffield.
www.showroomworkstation.org.uk