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"Young Adam" by David McKenzie
"Young Adam" premiered at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival before screening at the Toronto and New York Film Festivals later in the year. Film won award for a Best Film on Edinburgh International Film Festival 2003. Indeed! Joe [Ewan McGregor] is an amoral young man, that makes his way into the lives of a little lost souls, in 50s, at not very romantic Glasgow, in the adaptation of British Beat Generation writer Alexander Trocchi’s first novel. It’s a "romantic" murder mystery set on a barge in the canals of Scotland. Set in a steamy Glasgow of the early 50s, the film focuses on the existential crisis of Joe, a cruel young drifter, who finds work on a barge [even for being writer by its real occupation], owned by the down-to-earth and enigmatic Ella (Tilda Swington). Soon enough, he starts looking everywhere for sex and intimacy. Can Joe ever find what he's looking for? What about a dead woman? Is she murdered? Or it is a suicide? Right under Les' nose Joe sleeps with his wife. Eventually, Les become aware of the betrayal, leaving the couple on their own, when Ella's sister Gwen shows
up. It isn't long before Joe sleeps with her as well, shagging her in the middle of the street corner.
It is not just by chance to have this novel adapted to the big screen, by this film director. "Young Adam" is written for the screen and directed by David Mckenzie, the author of "The Last Great Wilderness". Film begins with the discovery of a barely dressed female corpse. Dead body is found by two barge workers, Joe [Ewan McGregor] and Leslie [Peter Mullan]. A drifter, Joe drags the body, showing a little distress, while police investigation does little exciting his day-to-day existence on the barge. But his behavior slowly becomes more and more erratic, revealing an affair with Leslie's wife Ella [Tilda Swinton]. As film folds on, flashbacks reveal a similarly cruel encounter with once young woman, now the corpse, named Cathie [Emily Mortimer].
Realistic photography by Giles Nuttgens, complemented by David Byrne’s music, provides a picturesque presentation for what would be otherwise, a boring story of morality, gone hopeless in a miserable everyday life, with having just sex as the only fun. A perfect steamy affair with a heavy dose of sex eventually leads to trouble for everyone. A tribute to a director McKenzie on a flashbacks to sexual interludes, representing Joe’s dear memories of a dead woman. Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton both lend excellent performances to the film, acting out a strained relationship of misgiving. I can tell you one thing about film. It is absolutely fantastic and immaculate measure of everything in this film. A fantastic crew [Ewan McGregor, Peter Mullan, Tilda Swington] that not in a one thing reveal unexpected turn in the film. And the characters are so realistic that you simply have the feeling that by some magic, you have entered the world and the story "exclusively". Acting is also immaculate, with not a single one "plastic-wrapping" of the characters. Once I heard the top class actor Michael Colgan, saying: " Ewan McGregor is a really good actor. I’ve seen him in many theatres plays alive. He is not just an other star you know..." Hearing that from his colloquia made me change my attitude about him to something like: Even if I always gladly view films with McGregor ever since "Shallow grave", now I have one more reason to keep on doing it. Not just an other pretty face...
The first time, in McGregor’s acting history, his character is this complex. The role of a sociopath who has enough charm to make us like him, no matter of his suspicious morality. And Swington's down –to- earth strength has never been this effective on the screen. The actors here are having an effective background of beautiful realistically gloomy cinematography with conveniently intriguing David Byrne’s music. It is to everyone's credit that it works as well as it does, subtly getting deep under the characters' skins, exposing some uncomfortable truths. Taut and concise is McKenzie’s storytelling. The film is a gripping tale of the darker aspects of human behavior and the ways in which often, sex becomes a substitute for genuine emotions. And truly, can you imagine a claustrophobic inside of a barge, where Ewan McGregor sleeps with Tilda Swington. Inside everything is small, rusty, old, and ugly…with the couple making it, presenting the only nice sight. Morality issue, as well as murder falls down in the second plan, exposing only the sex. And the atmosphere, even ugly as it is, that contrast the case culminates in a murder trial that forces Joe to confront the prospect of innocent man, being executed for the crime that he did not commit, makes this film kind-a sexy. Because having Ewan McGregor, on such a small ugly space, with him giving the naked exposure, is all that you remember.
I would be giving award for this cinematic masterpiece to all of them. To the director McKenzie, to David Byrne for music, to Ewan McGregor, to Peter Mullan and to Tilda Swington all together. Maybe if the cinematographers would invent Perfect Combination Award. This is a perfectly crafted film for grown-ups only ... provocative and moving festival art film. However, try find DVD on Internet.
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Drama - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Ian McShane, Dudley Sutton, Phyllis Logan, Chris Jury, Malcolm Tierney
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
David Mackenzie'sYoung Adam, based on Alexander Trocchi'sexistentialist novel, ... more
demonstrates that Ewan McGregor means what he says about using high-paying Hollywood roles to finance appearances in intelligent low-budget movies. As Joe, an aspiring 1950s...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
David Mackenzie'sYoung Adam, based on Alexander Trocchi'sexistentialist novel, ... more
demonstrates that Ewan McGregor means what he says about using high-paying Hollywood roles to finance appearances in intelligent low-budget movies. As Joe, an aspiring 1950s...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge) leads a strong cast as Joe, a rootless drifter, who finds ... more
work on a barge, owned by Les (Peter Mullan - Trainspotting) and his wife Ella (Tilda Swinton - Adaptation).On route between Glasgow and Edinburgh they discover the ...
![Young Adam [DVD] [2003]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78518553.jpg "Young Adam [DVD] [2003]")
Mar 9th, 2004
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