Review of Shallow Grave (1994) by Spangle — 15 Feb 2017

Killing and dismembering a person changes people, as does coming into a lot of money in one fortunate stroke of luck. Danny Boyle's directorial debut Shallow Grave explores just how much one changes when a trio of friends stumble a dead roommate and a suitcase full of cash, only to then wind up in the crosshairs of the cops and gangsters that are closing in fast. Driven to insanity, this black comedy crime film features some of Boyle's trademark fast-paced action and music, but does feel like a debut film. It really does not distinguish itself too much from other crime films at the time and is pretty thinly plotted. That said, the film is incredibly entertaining, well acted, and showed incredible promise for Boyle.

The star here though is Christopher Eccleston. A reserved, innocent, and dorky accountant, his David is brilliant. Driven over the edge after he and his friends find the body and the cash, his change is spurred on by being the guy charged with burying and dismembering the body. He is unable to cope with what he has done and the added stress on his psyche, being driven into madness. Holing up in the attic and frightening both Juliet (Kerry Fox) and Alex (Ewan McGregor), Eccleston plays an unhinged psychotic incredibly well. He really steals the show here and provides a performance that anchors the film incredibly well. One could argue that this is another film about average working men revolting against their boring jobs, even if David does find some enjoyment out of being an accountant. However, even his boss says that accountants are boring. Therefore, it is essentially his revolt against the monotonous life he leads as a timid, reserved people. Killing unleashes his wild side and gives him a shot of adrenaline like no other and it is one that is highly addictive.

Alongside him, Ewan McGregor and Kerry Fox turn in good performances as well in the film that is noteworthy for launching McGregor's career. Both are solid as more straight-laced characters compared to the unhinged Eccleston. That said, they both are punished violently for their actions in the film with helping with the burying of the bodies. The two of them really do bring the film back to Earth a bit, but their best scene definitely comes as they become more unhinged as well at the end. Out for themselves, the film reaches a very dark comedic finale with terrifically maniacal acting on the part of Fox and McGregor in the closing sequence. That said, the only part that truly feels like Boyle is the opening. With fast-paced music and the cruelly interviewing potential new flatmates while mocking them openly, the quick cuts and general pace feel like Boyle. It is in this opening that he really found his style and it is a shame to see the rest of the film be far more reserved and less indulgent of the typical kinetic nature of his work. The end result is a film that simply feels less polished and stylish than we have become accustomed to from the British director. But, what he does manage to do incredibly well is make the film feel alive. The material is quite derivative at times, especially when with some influence with the Coen brothers' love of having characters steal or fall into a briefcase of money, only to lose it at the end and nobody gets the money. Boyle's film feels similar at times in that regard as he finds comedy in odd places and makes the derivative plot feel fresh and new. Though we know it is not, Boyle's approach is always compelling and distracts from the predictable nature of the storyline. Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is a good comparison, though less self-indulgent than that film and it does also feel a bit more unpolished and hesitant. This is a by-product of it being Boyle's debut, albeit one that hinted at the great things to come.

A largely quite predictable and derivative black comedy crime film, Shallow Grave has that "familiar-yet-fresh" feel of many 1990s crime films. With terrific acting and good direction, Shallow Grave hits a sweet spot and is richly entertaining, even if its lacks the cohesion needed to be a very good or great film.