Shallow Grave | | Cast : | Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, Ewan McGregor | | Director : | Danny Boyle | | Studio : | Mgm/Ua Studios | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | February 10, 1995 | | DVD Released Date : | June 08, 2004 | | Language : | French (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 05, 2005 | | Summary | They started a joke: they worked hard for the money! | Content
 | Three students play hard with the ancestral fears of the common people in search of hostage; black humor and great doses of morbidity are some of the condiments added to frighten every one who intends to spent a simple night.
But suddenly the coin will invert for them and will suffer in own flesh consequences even worst.
A real cult movie!
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| Rating | | | Date | May 30, 2005 | | Summary | Titus Andronicus-esque | Content
| I watched this film shortly after going to see a stage production of Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare. And to top it off I had watched the movie adaption named simply "Titus" the day before. Talk about twisted fate *shivers* (Titus Andronicus is known as one of Shakespeare's most brutal plays...you should check it out). Loss of limb is always chilling...especially when you can't clearly see it happening but you can HEAR it VERY clearly. Bone chilling...literally.
Anyway, I had heard that this movie starred Ewan McGregor and so naturally I had to see it. I had seen some of his movies (the new Star Wars movies, Moulin Rouge etc) and was a big fan but I was not prepared for this. This movie has a Titus meets Hitchcock feel and it does it's job in completely freaking out its viewer. But back to Mr. McGregor, he is the highlight of this moving, he gives a wonderful performance as the perverse and annoying Alex roommate of the other main characters (David and Juliet...hmmm, yet another Shakespeare tie in). Everybody has/had a friend like Alex, the loud, seemingly always drunk friend who doesn't seem to grasp the idea of self control or modesty. He's the guy you love to hate.
PLOT: (no real spoilers...at leats none that you won't find on the back cover anyway) Three roommates in England are looking for a new roomie. They find one but the very next morning they find him dead of an OD. They also find that he left a suitcase full a money. Do they do the right thing and call the police and hand over the money? Of course not! This leads to bloodshed, murder, the breaking of trust and one of the most shocking endings in the history of Hollywood!
BUY THIS MOVIE!!! You won't regret it. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 24, 2005 | | Summary | "Security and insanity are not the same thing." | Content
| Danny Boyle has given us movie fans some amazing films in a variety of genres(Trainspotting, 28 Days Later. His first movie, Shallow Grave, is one of the best directorial debuts ever. A solid, gritty thriller centered around three flatmates and their descent into greed and subsequent savagery.
Shallow Grave is invariably one of the top 10 mystery/thrillers I recommend to newbies of the genre. The large cult following for this film is most definitely warranted, mainly because it doesn't fall victim to studio executive induced foolishness or its bastard requisite happy ending. This is good film making with taut direction derived from an excellent script.
The entire crux of the film is the question: "When confronted with a large sum of money can friendship survive?" Obviously the answer is a resounding "no". Boyle drops his audience into a frightening and exhilirating situation, makes us care for his characters, and then ruthlessly pummels them with brutal circumstance. We can see a little bit of ourselves in all three main characters which definitely increases our empathy and revulsion at the betrayal and bloodshed.
Shallow Grave is a haunting depiction of paranoia, deceit, murder, and madness that gets better with each viewing.
P.S. Danny Boyle revisits similar ground with his new release "Millions", albeit in a more wholesome, family friendly format. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 23, 2005 | | Summary | suspense and lack of trust | Content
| Three sarcastic, greedy roommates (a journalist, an accountant and a doctor) decide to find a fourth roommate for their apartment, but their unorthodox approach of interviewing/screening potential applicants excludes most people. Eventually someone comes along who seems to meet all of their criteria. He moves in, locks himself in his room and is never heard from again. Eventually the three roommates decide to break into the room when their curiosity gets the best of them. They find their new roommate dead along with a monumental sum of cash. Naturally they decide to keep the cash, but they must find a way to dispose of the body (this is gruesome) and what follows is a study in how trust disintegrates between friends and suspicion and paranoia pulls people and alliances apart. Naturally there will be inquiries from police, which the three of them will have to withstand, and there will be problems from the people who actually have claim on the dead roommate's money. Although I fell asleep the first time I saw this, and therefore cannot call the story the most captivating thing I have ever seen, it is actually quite entertaining and suspenseful when you stay awake! Kerry Fox, Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston embody their roles perfectly, not making their characters sympathetic but at least believable as the kinds of young, greedy, selfish people you don't want to meet. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 05, 2005 | | Summary | The Pardoner's Tale, Retold | Content
| This story is an updated version of The Pardoner's Tale, that old staple from The Canterbury Tales, which reminds us all of the consequences of greed and lust for money. Kerry Fox's performance is the clear standout here, and she really deserved a lot more attention for it. I believe this film was released ahead of its time... 1994. If it were to hit the screens now, it would have an immense response, especially now that Ewan McGregor's become a household name. The soundtrack is always pumping, and the twisted ending's especially memorable. |
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