Genres

Visitors Review

ianlouisiana 2012-05-23 04:50:29

A bit of style,not much substance, but for 100grand,pretty good

Just like a tyro musician who can impress with a few cool-soundinglicks, young director Eran Creevey flatters to deceive in "Shifty".Theneat tricks are there,the veneer of newly-learned techniques rapidlyabsorbed,but beneath the facade of cinematic urban grit there isn'tactually much depth.The movie is yet another look at the drugunderclass,all of whom,apparently,are living lives of rather noisy butcinematic desperation. Set in some hellhole (but grittilyphotogenic)outpost of the East London/Essex border country,it featuresa Muslim drug dealer as he goes about his daily business and his oldschoolfriend who is trying to persuade his pal to mend his ways.Theymeet all kinds of strange(but grittily photogenic) characters.Er,that'sabout it,really. Although decidedly 21st century in content andcontext,"Shifty" can be traced back to "Cathy come home" from the 1960sand even earlier attempts to depict the hopelessness and misery (albeitgrittily photogenic)of the lives of many inhabitants of this fair isle.Indeed it would appear that life for some is worse now than it was thenbut at least we've got guys like Shifty to ease our burden.Back then weleft the pram outside the "Dog and Duck",drank ourselves senseless thenstaggered home to beat the hell out of the wife.Now,thanks to ourfriendly local pusher,we need never leave the privacy of ourhomes.Thank God for progress. It is remarkable that "Shifty" was madefor £100,000.I congratulate all concerned most sincerely on theirachievement.I hope Eran Creevey doesn't disappear down the black holemarked "MTV videos",I really do. However,having said all that,I wouldbe less than honest to be praising it unreservedly.It is what it is - apromising movie debut,no more,no less.

Neil Smith 2012-05-22 12:51:37

Moving, gripping and funny, this is a homegrown gem you can't help taking to your heart.

Anton Bitel 2012-05-22 04:17:20

An impressive, energetic debut that will leave you with a taste for more.

Matthew Turner 2012-05-22 03:25:13

Emotionally engaging, impressively directed and sharply written debut feature that side-steps many of the usual urban drama cliches and features terrific central performances.

Philip French 2012-05-17 04:37:19

The film has a sense of authenticity and there's no sentimental suggestion that Shifty's way of life is the inevitable result of his background.

Anthony Quinn 2012-05-16 12:02:37

Drug crime on the outskirts of London sounds neither promising nor original, but Eran Creevy's debut feature is more character study than the usual Britcrim parade of guns and geezers.

mgould23 2012-05-13 05:33:45

A small budget film that shines.

It is hard to believe they made this film for £100k. I wasn't expectingit to be great, but it was far better than I expected. I liked the twomain characters Shifty and Chris and the whole ensemble were very good.Riz Ahmed and Daniel Mays are both very good actors, I had seen a fineperformance by Daniel Mays in Mike Leigh's 'All or Nothing' but it wasthe first time I had seen Riz. Although they aren't really well knownoutside TV and smaller budget stuff, both these actors are going to bebig names in the future. I have great regard for all the actors whoappear in Mike Leigh films and Daniel Mays will be up there with TimSpall, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Rea, Phil Davis to name a few. It is a fairly simple story of a drug dealer who runs into big trouble,it is a good portrait of the seedy world of drugs and the horrors theybring. Although very different, I would recommend this film to anyonewho liked 'Sexy Beast' 'Dead Man's Shoes'.They did a brilliant job with £100k.

colinmetcalfe 2012-05-12 23:37:30

Despite the over familiar subject matter - a good little film

Yes, a good film, and for one made for a £100 grand a hell of anachievement. The performances were good to excellent (the Trevorcharacter in particular was particularly convincing). I like the factthe film makers had not resorted to simplistic visuals to get themessage across. For example the estate where they lived looked prettynice and yet even with the sunshine you still felt this story was rightthere.My only reservations are I didn't consider the banter was as convincingas everybody seems to think it was. But mainly it was the subjectmatter. Guns, gangsters, drugs, family conflict here we go again.Apparently, the original script focused on the dealer and his customersand that would have suited me more. But if you get the chance to see it - well worth a look.

Alistair Harkness 2012-05-04 10:42:38

A tightly-structured, hard-working thriller with a raw feel for character and place, and an optimistic outlook on the need for friendship and taking responsibility for one's actions.

FlashCallahan 2012-05-04 04:12:47

Got any gear?.....

Shifty, a young crack cocaine dealer in London, sees his life quicklyspiral out of control when his best friend returns home.Stalked by a customer desperate to score at all costs, and with hisfamily about to turn their back on him for good, Shifty must out-runand out-smart a rival drug dealer, intent on setting him up for a bigfall.As his long time friend Chris, confronts the dark past he left behindhim, Shifty is forced to face up to the violent future he's hurtlingtowards....A stunning British drama that focuses on people rather than drugs, iswhat Shifty is all about. Having the main protagonist be a Muslim, is amarvellous move from the makers, as it adds a whole new angle, to whatcould have been another average Drug film.Everyone puts in a bravura performance, and all the way through thefilm, you feel Shifty's 'point of no return' as you see his life startto spiral out of control.The ending likes to think that it is cleverer than what it actually is,and it feels a little like the end of 'Silence of the lambs', but it'sstill an incredible film.Funny in parts, depressing in others, it shows desperation of addicts,and also empathy for people who take drugs to escape reality, and thanpeople facing up to reality.

Derek Malcolm 2012-04-27 00:00:27

Couched in a kind of Pinteresque slum language that needs a glossary to be totally intelligible, the film boasts an authenticity and wholly natural performances, particularly from Mays, and is devoid of the usual clichés of its genre.

Anton Bitel 2012-04-26 14:47:17

Shifty boasts convincing performances, even-handed characterisation, creeping suspense and energy to burn.

bob the moo 2012-04-26 07:45:38

Engaging and well made drama/thriller

Shifty is a young drug dealer living with his older brother and earninga couple of grand a week. When an old friend comes to stay with him andasks him to come back up to Manchester to a safer, cleaner life, itmarks the start of a rough day for Shifty, as his normal drop-offs arecomplicated by one customer who goes off the rails, and a rumour thathas made it back to Shifty's supplier that he is cutting the productand selling for himself on the side.Made for as little as £100k (which would not even buy you a one-secondMegan Fox pout) this film is to be admired for how good it looksconsidering the constraints of the budget. However if praise was givenout to independent films made for no money then there would not beenough to go around as there are plenty of similar attempts – just manyof them really do show the lack of resource in all areas. It is not thecase with Shifty because the film is an effective and well made affairthat engages by virtue of how it is put together. The story isreasonably straightforward but it is written with a wider story behindit – one that we perhaps don't get all of but one that impacts onto thecharacters and their relationships and makes for a stronger characterset and a more interesting film. I was interested in both Shifty andChris as people as well as the grubby little world they inhabit.On top of this the day in question also has some violent risks forShifty and these add a semi-thriller touch to the story. Again, thisisn't totally fleshed out all for the viewer to see but it works as itgoes. It isn't perfect as a story but it does well to juggle a coupleof different characters to add to the flow of the narrative while alsoavoiding being judgemental about any of them – your conclusion may be"drugs are bad m'kay" but the film does not seem to have that as anagenda but is just focused on telling the story.The cast deserve credit for working on such a low budget film; OK theyare not Hollywood stars used to commanding millions but there areseveral faces that will be recognisable from big films. The star of thefilm is Riz Ahmed, who does well for once not playing someoneassociated with 9/11 films. He is a likable character but he alsoconveys that edge of toughness and threat that he needs. He does goodwork with his face and eyes to ensure the viewer can sort of appreciatehis thoughts without them being rammed down your throat. Mays has lessof a showy role but he does the same – hits the character well andmakes him convincing from the start and throughout, only weakening alittle bit towards the end when I expected him to convey the impact ofevents a little better. Flemyng is a solid presence and a good face tohelp the film, while Simpson's Trevor is a tragic figure and he playsit well, making him a real person rather than a simple plot device tobe either pitied or hated.Shifty is not a brilliant film to be sure, it is far to slight for thatbut it is a particularly good one. It isn't social realism but it hasan authenticity to it that helps make it work, with the well writtenand performed characters providing a strong base for the narrative tobe built on. If it had cost ten times as much to make I still wouldhave liked it but that it was made for so little is an impressive thingof note.

Tim Robey 2012-04-26 04:11:27

Written and directed by first-timer Eran Creevy, this quiet piece is mostly convincing in its mundane details, and doesn't feel the need to ramp up its plot too precipitately into guns and threats and spiralling vendetta.

Robbie Collin 2012-04-20 15:14:36

It's sharp, smart and incredibly funny. But most importantly it's real, with none of the macho gangsta posturing that often makes tough, yoof-centric drama look like a lazy British retread of Grand Theft Auto.

GrahamEngland 2012-04-20 03:21:26

Darkness On The Edge Of Town

While a subject that is quite familiar to low budget UK films, 'Shifty'is better than most.The tiny budget may have made too much flashiness impossible, the filmis all the better for it. Since it gives a more realistic touch andlets the characters develop.The film does was it sets out to do well, 24 hours in the life of adrug dealer (who unlike the usual stereotype had choices due to hisgood education and once supportive family). His limited world isupturned by an old friend returning to town after 4 years, after anevent, not revealed until late in the film, though he has plenty ofother problems looming.Well shot, good characters, good script and it kept me interested fromstart to finish with some very good moments within a tight narrative.Plenty of similar films in this genre deliver less than they promise,'Shifty' on the other hand, to quote a well known advert in the UK'Does What It Says On The Tin'. And does it very well. Recommended.

Wally Hammond 2012-04-19 20:43:54

Creevy's fine ear for dialogue, sensitive and productive direction of actors and confident control of tone is all the more impressive for being delivered under the short schedule and tight budgetary exigencies.

thebogofeternalstench 2012-04-19 13:04:59

Flat

I've noticed this growing trend with a lot of British gangster anddrama films that claim to be 'gritty and realistic' but are no wherenear it.Shifty suffers from the same flaws. I'm sorry, but even the lower classof British society doesn't say 'yeh bruv' or 'mug' etc every othersentence, its so stereotypical and bloody over done.It seems also, that Daniel Mays is a one dimensional 'actor', butreally, he can't act to save his life. He has one of the mostirritating faces to look at and permanently looks retarded. To me, hesounds EXACTLY like Danny Dyer, another bloke who thinks he can act.How he got a part in anything to do with Mike Leigh is beyond me.Riz Ahmed however seems like a very capable actor but was given acompletely $hit script to work with.The whole film is just so uninteresting. I thought there would be someaction and meaning to the story, but at end its like the viewer issupposed to clap their hands at Shifty's clever little stints he did toget out of his spot of bother.Also, if he made 3 grand a week being a drug dealer, would he really beliving in that $hitty flat/house with his older, old fashioned brother?I doubt it.Another disappointing, clichéd British film.

PippinInOz 2012-04-17 23:48:58

'Don't go reminding me again of how brittle bone is....'

There are lots of things that made this film 'good' in my estimation,most of those things have been discussed by other reviewers already.For example: strong performances, some lovely cinematography etc. But the 'thing' that really struck me about this film was the braveattempt to depict drug dealing and drug use in an unglamorous context.English crime / gangster films had moved into a comic book realm in thelate 90s early 00s - courtesy of Guy Richie's thoroughly entertaining'Lock Stock....' - I have no problems with that little genre. However -this was always a white middle class guy's romantic comic book versionof drug deals and guns. This is not a criticism, as I say, the films hemakes are good fun and entertaining. They are what they are. So it is all the more wonderful to see a film like this one. TheRespectable working class milieu, not everyone lives in a decrepitLondon (or Manchester or Liverpool) decaying block of flats withgraffiti and p**s stains on the wall for example. The 's**t - shire' -nothing place. Not quite street cred enough to be 'cool' - the camerapans over rows of little houses with bins out the front, small gardens,indistinct small scale warehouses, the underpass, the quiet suburbanstreets. This is not London, this is not the country, this is thenowhere's ville where a larger percentage of 'us' actually come fromthan we care to admit at times. The kitchen sink averageness of the cocaine addicted building siteworker, the quietly observed sadness of the crack smoking old lady inher familiar looking flat, framed photograph of a daughter, granddaughter on the mantle. It is the quietness of this film that really got to me, which made thefinal scenes all the more horrific and powerful. It made me think of aBilly Bragg lyric 'Don't go reminding me again of how brittle bone is.' No rock n rollers, no sharply dressed fellas on the make. Just people,who look like people at the local shopping centre you walk pasteveryday. While it is not perfect, I eagerly await the director's next film. Hatsoff to all the actors involved as well - not a weak link anywhere. Mr.Mays: you were sensational! If you want to see a film that is not a post modern comic book versionof life (and again, these films have their appeal for me at times) givethis one a go.

Karl French 2012-04-17 16:41:59

It is all done with conviction, is well acted, particularly by the two leads, and is a brisk, promising debut for Creevy.