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Sugarhouse (2007)

Director: Gary Love

Time Out rating

Average user rating

6 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

City slicker meets council estate crackhead in this would-be insightful meeting of opposites adapted by Dominic Leyton from his play ‘Collision’. Steven Mackintosh’s smart-suited Tom is obviously several zones out of his depth when he pitches up in tower-block territory to conduct a deal with Ashley Walters’ motormouth addict D, and trust’s in short supply as they negotiate the precise order of payment and delivery. Meanwhile, in a nearby flat, tattooed Loyalist headcase Andy Serkis is simmering his way towards full-scale eruption on the realisation that someone has snaffled away his snub-nosed pistol. Time to dust off the machete, then?

Thirty years ago, this would have been a BBC ‘Play for Today’, and its reliance on constant verbals and an abandoned warehouse location still suggest it might have better suited a smaller frame. As it is, although the writing’s exploration of common humanity across the social divide offers occasional worthwhile moral provocation, its evident theatricality also works against any sense of urban authenticity. Mismatches abound unfortunately, since the high-res digital camerawork merely shows up the artificiality of the blood, while first-time director Gary Love’s self-consciously arty framing seems at odds with everything else. Better surely to have kept it simple and let the actors do the heavy lifting: Walters is on good form as the wannabe-player with his self-delusion showing, and Mackintosh squirms admirably, but why nobody insisted Serkis tone down his caricature hard-nut with anger-management issues is hard to fathom. Good intentions abound but, compared to the likes of Loach, Ramsay or Oldman, this debut for ambitious production outfit Slingshot is junior-league fare. What a shame.

Author: Trevor Johnston

Time Out London Issue 1931: August 22-28 2007

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User reviews of this film

Jimmy said...

Posted on May 15 2011 03:46 Watched this on tv just two days ago and I was gripped by it, it was on late and I needed to be up early but couldnt, no, didnt want to turn it off, I feel some reviews are pretty harsh. It was a great drama/thriller. Having said this I did not know that it was a film first and most probably wouldnt have went to watch it at the cinema. It definitely works better as a tv drama. Great acting all round and I feel it just goes to show how amuch of a great actor andy serkis is as I havnt seen him portrayed in this manner before

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boris said...

Posted on May 14 2011 19:49 Just seen this on the tv last night, it was the best film i have seen all year.......and i watch a lot of films. Surprised by the low reviews this has previously received. Excellent, go watch it.

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James Morgan said...

Posted on Aug 30 2007 13:43 Don't go to see this expecting gritty social realism, because it's the opposite of that. A moral story without much of a moral. A pity that one should have lower expectations of a film's dialogue for knowing that it was once a play - but this rule of thumb is borne out here. Mackintosh and Leyton's protracted confessionals in the latter half of the film are downright painful, and just not convincing. Although it's probably fair to say it starts well.

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db said...

Posted on Aug 29 2007 13:42 Excellent performances, and beautiful cinematography make a mockery of this films paltry £250K budget.
Punches well above it's weight. See it now.

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John Armstrong said...

Posted on Aug 25 2007 11:59 A good TV movie, but not worth paying for in the cinema. COuld have been done in 3 episodes.

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mooseburns said...

Posted on Aug 21 2007 14:48 I agree that the acting was extremely good. I think the close-up camera shots added to the intensity of the film and Andy Serkis was downright scary! This was much more than just the usual UK urban thriller, it was easy to understand where all the characters were coming from.

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