Featured Movies
Partners
Shank
A gay Bristol teenager caught up in vicious gang violence is forced to confront his own sexuality in this raw, low-budget debut
Bold storytelling, explicit sex and a matter-of-fact approach to its ripped-from-the-red-tops subject matter marks coming-of-age/coming-out drama Shank, a raw despatch from the frontline of queer cinema. It's a far from polished production and there's full evidence of a cast and crew (average age: 19) with limited experience on both sides of the camera. There is, nevertheless, a fierce level of energy on display, and a serious attempt to confront the issues head-on. Cal (Wayne Virgo) is the Bristol teenager running with a gang of violent happy-slappers led by the apparently sociopathic Nessa (Alice Payne). Struggling with his half-acknowledged homosexuality, Cal has anonymous sex with older college lecturer David (co-writer and co-producer Christian Martin) and he films the encounter on his phone. A combination of confusion and shame then prompts Cal to subject David to a brutal post-sex battering. It's a moment that sets the kid off on a dangerous new trajectory which will not only force him to confront his own sexuality, but also unlock the secrets of a gang which he can't escape. Shank (slang for an improvised blade or a stabbing) does its best to inhabit an authentically grim world of pointless teenage violence. Nessa and her crew are the kids you'd run away from. However, a screenplay that's efficient rather than refined means they exist as sketches rather than fully-drawn personalities. Cal's clandestine affair with exotic French student Olivier (Marc Laurent) is the film's most plausible relationship but - graphic sex scenes aside - there's a chemical imbalance between the actors which prevents this central strand from coming to life. In fact it's manipulative gang leader Nessa with her violent homophobia who's the most intriguing character here, and the distressingly violent climax brings with it a raft of extraordinary revelations. Ironically, given the film's rough 'n' ready tone, it's these moments that veer away from gritty realism towards sheer sensationalism that come across best. For writers and co-producers Darren Flaxstone and Christian Martin, both of whom have a background in TV, Shank is the fruition of a personally-motivated project. The screenplay was inspired by their own experiences as young gay men. First-time (and straight) director Simon Pearce, 20-years-old when he got the gig, was recruited precisely because of his youth. That lack of experience is apparent in the film's prosaic appearance - in style if not in content Shank resembles an X-rated episode of 'Hollyoaks' - but the structure of the film is sound and it unfolds with a fair degree of zip. The grim and graphic climax may represent a dramatic step too-far - it's as if several different conclusions were considered, and finally all of them adopted. That sequence dominates the film so completely that you barely notice the subsequent twist. The raw power of the story isn't always very effectively harnessed but the level of conviction is certainly impressive. Verdict Limited finesse but maximum energy mark this in-your-face queer drama. |
