This film is worth watching for the opening scene, where Christopher Ecclestone gives a fabulous rendition of John Cooper Clarke's poem, "ChickenTown".
If you don't know the poem, you're in for a real treat. If you do know it, you'll hear a version that even surpasses a John Cooper Clarke performance in both its venom and humour.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't live up to this initial promise. The characters just don't stand up as real people. Strayman in particular: one minute he's giving the performance of his life reading poetry in a pub, next moment he can't string two words together. And what is it with Strumpet needing to strip off in order to be able to sing? There are also some plot holes (such as who feeds Strayman's pack of dogs when they travel to London on their first trip south and how Strumpet manages to find a caravan home to hide in when in London).
If you don't know the poem, you're in for a real treat. If you do know it, you'll hear a version that even surpasses a John Cooper Clarke performance in both its venom and humour.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't live up to this initial promise. The characters just don't stand up as real people. Strayman in particular: one minute he's giving the performance of his life reading poetry in a pub, next moment he can't string two words together. And what is it with Strumpet needing to strip off in order to be able to sing? There are also some plot holes (such as who feeds Strayman's pack of dogs when they travel to London on their first trip south and how Strumpet manages to find a caravan home to hide in when in London).