Saw this just earlier on THRILLERMax, Cinemax's suspense channel. I surmise the depictions of the locales, the club scene and the character's backgrounds are as indigenous to Londoners as BOYS 'N' THE HOOD would be to people from Compton, and ONCE WERE WARRIORS would be to those folks struggling in the metropolitan slums of New Zealand's larger cities. That said, if you're not a fan of EASTENDERS, Guy Ritchie or British flicks in general, you'll find it rough going deciphering most of the dialogue, never mind the street slang.
Writer/director/star Andrew Goth makes like a Brit Spike Lee with a much better body and a thicker accent, with his freshman tale of two former prison mates just released, (how they are related is not really made very clear; are they brothers in the familial sense, or just brothers in crime?), and the different paths they choose to take once they're out. Ray (Goth) wants to turn his life around and use his connections to do good in the neighborhood and help out some struggling dance troupe/musician mates, while Terry (Goldie) has been, is and always will be content to live the life of a 'G-man.'
I'm not familiar with Goldie's history as a singer/musician, but I did recognize him from his role in the ensemble cast of SNATCH. I'm sure that Goth's playing it low-key was the choice he thought was right for Ray, and he does have a magnetic, physical presence that is undeniably compelling. But if his acting even equals what success I've read about him having as a musician, Goldie has quite a future ahead of him. He is as mesmerizing and terrifying in his psychopathic portrayal of an unhinged street thug as anything ever essayed on-screen by actors of the same mold, (think Ice-T), and manages to rip the movie out of Goth's muscular grip every time they appear in a scene together.
Besides hungering for the one thing that he is willing to give to no one else: respect, Terry also has some kind of psychosexual obsession/fascination with his "brother." Kind of makes you wonder if anything went down between them behind bars...
Though I'm not an aficionado of the club scene or the music, the soundtrack was good, and definitely appropriate for the scenario. David Bowie's performance may seem stilted by comparison with the work he's done in other films, especially THE HUNGER and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, but then B.U.S.T.E.D. is not a showcase for him--it's allegedly Goth's baby, and I think he does a more-than-credible job with what little he's given to do.
The movie overall could've used a trim in some places where it definitely moves too slowly. Violence junkies won't find nearly enough to hold their interest, though there's enough misogynistic vibe to turn off any potential female viewers, as the pathologically jealous Terry assaults and tortures Ray's new girlfriend, (the comely Rachel Shelley), and the grisly death of a central character and his young son are shocking enough, IMHO. The ending is meant to be a jaw-dropper, but it's curiously unsatisfying, especially since not nearly enough was made of the Ray/Terry relationship to warrant the gasps it was meant to elicit from the audience.
Still, overall, it wasn't a bad start, and should Goth choose to give Hollywood a shot, he has shown that he has the basic knowledge (not to mention the looks) to attract some pretty serious attention. Ditto for Goldie, though I'm afraid that after this and SNATCH he could very well find himself typecast; all the more reason for him to keep his musical "day job," just in case.
Writer/director/star Andrew Goth makes like a Brit Spike Lee with a much better body and a thicker accent, with his freshman tale of two former prison mates just released, (how they are related is not really made very clear; are they brothers in the familial sense, or just brothers in crime?), and the different paths they choose to take once they're out. Ray (Goth) wants to turn his life around and use his connections to do good in the neighborhood and help out some struggling dance troupe/musician mates, while Terry (Goldie) has been, is and always will be content to live the life of a 'G-man.'
I'm not familiar with Goldie's history as a singer/musician, but I did recognize him from his role in the ensemble cast of SNATCH. I'm sure that Goth's playing it low-key was the choice he thought was right for Ray, and he does have a magnetic, physical presence that is undeniably compelling. But if his acting even equals what success I've read about him having as a musician, Goldie has quite a future ahead of him. He is as mesmerizing and terrifying in his psychopathic portrayal of an unhinged street thug as anything ever essayed on-screen by actors of the same mold, (think Ice-T), and manages to rip the movie out of Goth's muscular grip every time they appear in a scene together.
Besides hungering for the one thing that he is willing to give to no one else: respect, Terry also has some kind of psychosexual obsession/fascination with his "brother." Kind of makes you wonder if anything went down between them behind bars...
Though I'm not an aficionado of the club scene or the music, the soundtrack was good, and definitely appropriate for the scenario. David Bowie's performance may seem stilted by comparison with the work he's done in other films, especially THE HUNGER and THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, but then B.U.S.T.E.D. is not a showcase for him--it's allegedly Goth's baby, and I think he does a more-than-credible job with what little he's given to do.
The movie overall could've used a trim in some places where it definitely moves too slowly. Violence junkies won't find nearly enough to hold their interest, though there's enough misogynistic vibe to turn off any potential female viewers, as the pathologically jealous Terry assaults and tortures Ray's new girlfriend, (the comely Rachel Shelley), and the grisly death of a central character and his young son are shocking enough, IMHO. The ending is meant to be a jaw-dropper, but it's curiously unsatisfying, especially since not nearly enough was made of the Ray/Terry relationship to warrant the gasps it was meant to elicit from the audience.
Still, overall, it wasn't a bad start, and should Goth choose to give Hollywood a shot, he has shown that he has the basic knowledge (not to mention the looks) to attract some pretty serious attention. Ditto for Goldie, though I'm afraid that after this and SNATCH he could very well find himself typecast; all the more reason for him to keep his musical "day job," just in case.