Paddy Considine has been one of the most prolific (and versatile) British actors of modern film and his first unbridled foray into filmmaking does not disappoint.
Telling the tale of ageing anti-social yob Joseph, it begins with the gruelling depiction of his dog being kicked to death then ferments into an unconventional love story. The cinematography is beautifully grim. Pauses are revelled in, as conversely are abrupt scene changes when nothing else can be said. Peter Mullan (a renowned director in his own right, cf. The Magdalene Sisters and several short films) is terrifying and utterly believable as the violent loner in this perfectly realised council background. Within eight minutes he has killed an animal, attacked some young men in the pub and smashed the Post Office window. Things simmer a bit after that but such a role deserves qualified understatement and thankfully that’s what it gets, his twitchy lips underlining each abhorrent impulse.
Hiding from a gang seeking revenge, Joseph runs into a charity shop and meets Hannah (Olivia Colman). As the kind Christian trapped in an abusive relationship, Colman is a revelation. Her last speech is heart-rending and indeed, when I saw it, one woman left the cinema in tears. Hannah’s relationship is torrid and this is made immediately clear. Her unstable husband James (Eddie Marsden) is first seen arriving home drunk and pissing on his sleeping wife.
This is a film that plays with audience sympathies and, while it is incredibly hard to empathise with Joseph, through his care of Hannah and a young lad on his estate (Samuel Bottomley) we root for him. That rooting is further confounded by constant reminders, including the dark explanation of the film’s title, that he is by his own definition ‘a cunt’. And ultimately Hannah is not without blame as we come to the bittersweet yet still underplayed denouement. Perhaps by this point we realise that just as Hannah is not to be idolised, Joseph is not to be demonised. Not because he is trying – however slightly – to redeem himself but he is, like all of us, merely an animal.
As you’ll understand this is not an easy film to watch. It is however a brilliant piece of naturalistic storytelling featuring perfect dialogue and a masterclass in subdued performance, as is surely evidenced by the many awards it has already received including one each for Considine, Mullan and Colman at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film also boasts some fine turns from the supporting cast, most notably Ned Dennehy and Samuel Bottomley.
If you enjoy this film, please try Paul Andrew Williams’ Cherry Tree Lane (2010) which is similar not only in its fine performances but its horrid naturalistic feel and satisfying end.
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