Arnold’s debut feature was a cause celebre for the artier end of the British cinemagoing establishment last year, and it’s easy to see why. It’s directed by a first timer (and a woman no less), it’s gritty and rough edged, there’s a fair amount of messy, explicit sex and raw emotion, and most of all it looks absolutely stunning, casting the mean backwater estates of Glasgow in a bleak, leaden, occasionally terrifying hue. But as is often the case with such things, it’s a shame that Arnold forgot to come up with much of a plot. Story wise, there’s nothing we haven’t seen before in numerous soaps and BBC dramas, and although the acting is close to flawless we never get a real sense of the characters beyond the obvious fact that they’re downtrodden and generally unhappy most of the time. As an artistic statement Red Road is impressive, but as narrative cinema it’s crying out for more- more humour, more sympathy, more life.
It’ll be interesting to see whether this film, despite it’s awards and plaudits, actually receives a North American release- if it does, I guarantee there’ll be subtitles.
by Tom Huddleston | Source: DVD
13 Mar 2007 1:44 PM | Submit Comment
