The Low Down

The lives of a group of lonely London losers comes under the spotlight in Jamie Thraves' film 'The Low Down'. As a director, Thraves is very keen on breaking up the flow of images, and disconnecting them from the dialogue, a trick annoying enough when Soderbergh does it, but frankly plain odd in this film, which is otherwise unassuming and generally low-key. The script is good at the sort of dialogue spoken by people who don't really know each other very well, or like each other very much, but who pass the time in each other's company for the want of anything better to do, and there are some funny moments. But there's little real warmth on show, and little explanation provided for the characters's disaffection: pointless moody shots of overflying aircraft aren't really adequate for this purpose. Overall, it's a bit of a waste of the beauty of Kate Ashfield, and a forgettable movie.

Best summarised as middle-class kidults slum it in NE London, this film would really have benfitted from a script which explored the characters rather than indulged their essentially predictable and uneventful lives. Relying far too heavily on improvisation, the director and the cast have forgotten that, although they might well like each other's company, it really isn't sufficient to record great stretches of repetitive, dull conversation and present it to the world as entertainment. It may sound realistic but anyone can sit on a bus in Hackney and tune in to snatches of dialogue - doesn't make it interesting. And this film desperately needs a point of view that highlights the evident absurdities of its protagonists, rather than accepting them at their own evaluation.

The actors look older than the immaturity of their roles would suggest. The female lead is passive to the point of pure stupidity - it's exasperating to watch. Could the actress really have had any input into the development of her character? Any self-respecting woman beyond the age of 15 would have put the male lead (her boyfriend) in his place for endlessly failing to show up and throwing chairs about when he can't have a drink - what a jerk. And why does the male lead have such difficulty in moving into a vast and expensive-looking flat? Most of us in NE London are still renting at 30 and would give up cheapo accomodation any day. Seems something of a spoilt boy dilemma as opposed to the rights of passage moment I think we are supposed to view it as. And where's all his money coming from? These blokes are supposed to be commercial artists - of a sort - but this aspect of the script is totally unconvicing. Anyone who works in that line of business would be baffled by the length of time (framed by the central relationship which we assume lasts a few weeks?)it takes two men to produce a couple of papier mache models.

As for the other characters, we learnt whether or not they were having a cup of tea and where you cold buy dope/coke. That's it. And honestly, there's better conversations going on in any pub in Dalston, any night of the week, and you don't have to pay to take part.

The sad thing is, the genre the director is working in is very interesting and the British film industry urgently needs to develop an identity of its own. So, we do need dramas that explore our own way of life in an inventive way. But this isn't going to be the start of the revolution.

A soft and subtle film that I found quite dreamy and languid. It doesn't knock you over but seeps into you. It is very English, and it's all about the characters and scenes which are very real. I found it a very natural film, where you didn't feel you were pushed along to a climax but were happy to be on a travelator with these characters. Film doesn't always have to be about escapism, where there are Tom Clancy storylines, glossy set ups and oohs, and ahs; instead this is a personal film which might make you think and feel.

I've lived in North London, and I'm a similar age to that of the characters in the film, so for me everything in the film rang very true. It's great to watch a film that truly comes out of a real culture, and very refreshing to observe real comments on life, rather than just recognise well worn stereotypes. The interaction of the group of friends - the lines that people in relationships spin, when they say one thing, but mean something entirely different. A great film - funny & warm, and highly recommended.

I am taken aback by all the bad reviews. It glued me to the screen from the get go. The acting is superb, the characters nuanced and believable, the eye of the camera loving and inquisitive. I don't rate it a ten only because the ending is a bit facile. Maybe I especially empathised with this film because I am of that very generation and it all feels very real, very familiar - it didn't bring tears of nostalgia but it was almost too close to the bone. It reminds me of the Aldo Busi quote "What remains of all the pain we believed to suffer as youngsters?".