Shallow Grave

Not one of his best films, but this one was definitely his first.

Director Danny Boyle, one of my most favorite directors ever, shows us what he can do behind the camera, and he doesn't disappoint. The shots are well-executed, and the storytelling is as clear as you can get. Of course he got a little help from screenwriter John Hodge, who would go on to write the screenplay for the other Danny Boyle hits Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, and The Beach.

This film was released in 1994, although looking at Kerry Fox's hair and wardrobe, you'd think you were still stuck in the eighties. This breathes life into what Robin Scherbatsky said in an episode of How I Met Your Mother: "The eighties didn't come to Canada 'til '93." It was probably the same in Scotland.

Ewan McGregor also marks his first of many collaborations with Danny Boyle, and he basically just goes on a fun ride throughout the film. It just seems like he's enjoying himself; it doesn't seem like he's acting at all. And for his so-called non-acting, this role actually won him an Empire Award.

There are actually three characters who live in the same flat (McGregor, Kerry Fox, and Christopher Eccleston), and you wouldn't be rooting for any of them, as they are all equally evil. But eventually, you would actually be rooting for Ewan McGregor, not because he turns into a nice guy in the end, but because he turns out to be the least despicable among the three. Nice twist there by John Hodge.

Despite being Danny Boyle's first film, his musical style has already been firmly established: electronica all the way. So I actually love Danny Boyle for his visual style, his clear-cut storytelling, and for his electronica. So watch this, if you are a Danny Boyle fan, because this was what jump-started his film career.


*some info from IMDb and Wikipedia
pic from empireonline.com


Shallow Grave. UK. 1994.


Rating: Seven out of ten.
Kerry Fox's hair: Five out of ten.