That Sinking Feeling

source: That Sinking Feeling

source: That Sinking Feeling

I found this very difficult at first with unfunny jokes and a rather embarrassing ineptitude on display. Gradually, however, things got not so bad. Most likely shot in sequence it was probably asking too much of young and inexperienced Robert Buchanan to perform those somewhat dodgy early soliloquays and it is evident that as the film progresses, so does his confidence and quality of performance. Similarly as the plot unfolds we get to find the various youngsters more appealing and able to adjust to both the situation and the strong accents. Such a culture shock at first it is only afterwards one can fully appreciate the many endearing and amusing touches. The young girl bouncing a ball is on hand to lend a cigarette and provide a light between bounces. A seemingly weird sequence to an electrical shop to listen to some sales pitch only makes sense when viewed as a way to get a free cigarette and so on. By the end, although still stunned at the audacity of much of this uncompromising and in your face 'naturalism' there is a smile lurking somewhere and despite the constant rain a feeling of warmth for the whole enterprise. Added bonus for anyone who knows Glasgow is that this is mostly filmed on location in and around the city and shows much of the old industrial buildings and canal as it was in the late 70s.

I was in the UK and caught this crcking little movie. Igonore the production standards and the ropey plot (it's comedy!) that make it look and sound af it's been shot on a Super 8 cine camera. Considering there was no budget this works because of keen scripting, natural actors and understated situational observation. It's hard not to love this movie. The scene where they talk about disabling the factory fire alarm is short, but absolutely brilliant and reminescent of a chargehand that I used to work with from the West of Scotland many years ago. It's a real pity Bill Forsyth's subtle and indirect humour didn't bring hom greater success, but I don't think he ever made a bad movie.

Which is why I give it a well deserved ten. Those who have given this a low score have failed to realise what it's all about. The usual team of sophisticated heisters armed with many high tech gadgets are replaced by a bunch of idiots with no high tech gadgets. Rather that target gold bullion or some other type of very high value item that's easily transported the clowns in this film go for for a large quantity stainless steel sinks. Rather than have a fancy escape vehicle they have a baker's van. Towards the end it becomes clear why the youngest gang member is repeatedly climbing a slide in a park and going down it. This film is a spoof for those who have yet to reach this obvious conclusion.

6 minutes in and one of the lads was talking about his recent and rather lackadaisical suicide attempt involving a spoonful of cornflakes and holding his nose. Brilliant lol! A lot of the dialogue is very quotable and the comedy is pretty damn dark at times. Not every joke and gag lands though and the acting is quite awkward throughout. I enjoyed this film but it has dated CONSIDERABLY and I don't think many outside of Scotland would give it the time of day.

I enjoyed all the humour, silly plot and performances by the very young cast. A low budget doubtful quality film, but eminently watchable. I felt an underlying felling of hopelessness of living in 1970s Glasgow and all that was left for the youth of the time was to try and generate some excitement by the most ridiculous of means. They were hardly going to make a fortune and yet that is the point. A fortune to them was anything more than they had.

No genuine film aficionado has remained ignorant about one of British cinema's best films "Local Hero". It was one of the few films which spoke about a man's true calling in an absurd world where commercial interests had to be accorded priority over family as well as personal interests. It was a véritable plaidoyer for a common man's desire to preserve nature at all costs. Although "That sinking feeling" does not have too much of a common "environmental concern" with "Local Hero", it continues to give immense popularity to its Scottish director Bill Forsyth. He was just 33 years old when he made his début as a film director to speak about worthless lives of some Glasgow city's youngsters. Plenty of laughter is guaranteed in this film as some wacky, young boys devise ingenuous plans to carry out one of the most unusual heists in the history of cinema. It is important to note that "That Sinking Feeling" is set in Bill's hometown Glasgow, a city which has changed a lot in last three decades. If there is somebody who gave a new meaning to 'Kitchen sink comedy' in English cinema then Bill Forsyth's name needs to be remembered. Lastly, some sequences with Scottish accents might be viewed by some viewers as a minor constraint but intelligent viewers would not allow themselves to be disappointed by choosing to watch it with English subtitles.

I am struggling to find anything remotely positive or interesting about this film. Its cheap, its nasty, its hard to understand half of the dialogue and obviously, by now, its extremely dated. The characters are plain stupid, as is the storyline. Do not waste your time on this absolute drivel.

What's not to like. Film making at its most pure. The first first feature by Bill Forsyth and starring kids from the local Glasgow youth theatre.