Blah, blah, blah - I'm bored and etc. Anybody got a car they want washing?
Blah, blah, blah - I'm bored and etc. Anybody got a car they want washing?
Member since:03.10.2000
Reviews:231
Members who trust:70
Another week, another Sunday morning. Oh, what to do. The clocks have all changed, my other half is ill (AGAIN) so it looks like we're housebound. Hey, maybe we can catch up on some of the 150,000 films I've recorded over the past few months. But which one? Wall Street - Looks a bit to 'slick'. Family Business - Well it's got Sean Connery but... Ok, we'll go for Human traffic. Neither of us know what it's about but Channel 4 had rated it so we'd give it a go.
Bored shop worker Jip enjoys clubbing with his four friends, Koop, Lulu, Nina, and Moff. It's Friday so they have a whole 48 hours to hit the Cardiff club scene (should I say 'tidy' now? My Welsh sarcasm is lacking so please bear with me). And...
...Well nothing actually. That's the plot - 5 people go clubbing. Err, did I miss something along the way?
Not being part of the club scene but being of the age (26) I have to say that I'm baffled by this film, it's terminology, and it's intended audience. There simply isn't a story and reviewing it becomes very hard. Well I'm not one to avoid the difficult things in life (Yes you are Neil, don't lie) so here goes.
The lack of story leaves the viewer all expectant for the first hour - We're looking for a story to develop. Is someone going to overdose? Is it all going to go wrong. Sadly after this first hour the realisation dawns on us - Nothing is going to happen. What a swiz, I demand my money back. But what DO we get? We're 'treated' to an adventure into club land and maybe it would have worked if we'd had characters that we can actually like and care for. This lot though are so facile and 2 dimensional that you simply couldn't care less about them. Backgrounds that could have added spice and interest end up being either cliche'd or just TOO 'sensational'. It loses realism (Ok so this is a film that enters drug induced reality but come on).
The cast do nothing special and indeed lead Simm seems to be so far up his own back area (I avoid using the obvious A word) that I'm suprised he doesn't disappear.
A montage of images, what if's?, and 'views', this ends up being a very boring film, never managing to establish it's intentions or generate any interest. It tries to court controversy in some of it's scenes but they either fail to be radical enough or just totally embarass (alternative national anthem anyone?).
Drug use is a serious issue and sadly this film, although trying (briefly) to highlight the dangers generally seems to hold the message that drug use is fine and will enhance that clubbing experience. The film that came to mind while watching it was Trainspotting (which I loved just in case you think I'm a total anti-drugs prude), which managed to combine drug abuse, drama, a story, and some hard hitting imagery. It's obvious that Human Traffic tries to follow the same trend but it's watered down and almost sanitised - There are no after effects, no consequences, and it has nothing new to say.
Clubbers may get the terminology (although it doesn't come into the big picture very much) but even they would probably prefer to be elsewhere. The rest of us mere mortals will be bored, disappointed, and maybe hope that the British film industry gets closed down if this is the type of rubbish that they're producing - Avoid
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
I'm afraid I'm gunna b the odd one out here but I really liked this film probably because I like the whole clubbing scene. This film gets put on regularly in my house.
deltawise 11.08.2001 13:58
If this was another film i would have said Don't put people off like you have. But i understand your point. Unfortunately if you have been in the same position of these people you will think this film is superb, as i and countless people i know did. You see you did have to be there, and the fact however disagreeable for some is, drug use in the most part is fine and does enhance the clubbing experience. But having never been in the situaton i can see you missing the point, so your opinion will be valid to many. To those of you who have been part of the house music scene at some stage, especially the early 90's in england, this will make a lot more sense.
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lightweight slice of pop-cultural ephemera from debut director Justin Kerrigan. Cardiff is the city, and hardcore partying, clubbing and pubbing is on the menu as Jip (...
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The real story of youth in the nineties is this: chemicals, clubs, bars, pubs, pushing the ... more
vinyl, blagging the guest list, mobile phones, trainers, combats, care-less, monged, mashed, sorted, safe. And it's right here in first time writer-director Just...
Advantages: Classic film, can be watched many times and enjoyed by all Disadvantages: Few extra features, doesn't vary a lot to the normal edition of the film
![Human Traffic [1999] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78550962.jpg "Human Traffic [1999] [DVD]")
Mar 26th, 2001
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