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jasonallan0072003
Reviews
Bad Day (2008)
A masterpiece!
Bad Day may be the single best UK low budget movie ever made, and quite fittingly it is by one of the most creative directors of the independent film world, Ian David Diaz. Don't know who he is? Just buy or rent out The Killing Zone a movie that was wrongfully denied of any attention from the British film industry but praised by Harry Knowles from Ain't it cool.
This movie is really entertaining from beginning to end, the dialog is surprisingly hilarious for this type of film, and I think that's what has made it so unique. The film does not even reach a tenth the degree of violent represented by the average Tarantino film, and it relies, instead, on amazing performances, flawless direction, a great soundtrack and edgy, tense camera-work.
I'm from the states and I order this movie on line because my DVD player can handle the European system DVDs.
The film starts with a brutal murder by two black dudes, one being Dominic Debias and the other being Marlon Sage Kerr, who kick-start the film with unbridled meanness'. This scene is then followed by the heroine of the movie Rebecca Ryan played by the brilliant Claire Goose. From here on in you have entered a world of the cop movie (but it's set in England) with all the trappings, the no nonsense black boss (Robbie Gee), the good looking rookie cop played by the sexy Donna Air and the worn-out experience cop Darius Cruise played with excellence by Anthony Ofoegbu.
The editing by Diaz is slick and even though it was all shot hand held the quick-cuts, close-up camera shots and the variety Bad Day has is not just held within inside its narrative, but within its technical side too. Then you have the brooding use of music composed by Dominic Glynn painting the film with a dark level of ill feeling. The set-pieces are also well crafted, the chase, the fight in the junk yard between Claire Goose and Donna Air, the shoot out in the restaurant and the climax in the church which was performed with such power by Claire Goose and Donna Air.
For me Donna Air was the brake through performance of this movie her entire body: running, screaming, fighting, running some more: the being and thinking blond thing was part of her character, and my God she did an outstanding job!
This is not to say that the rest of the cast didn't do as well because they did. Bad Day is, quite simply, a hard-boiled, cop movie masterpiece and definitely deserves a watch if you haven't seen it.
The Killing Zone (1999)
Sheer enjoyment from this low budget gem of a movie
Yes I've seen The Killing Zone and it blew me away! It's Lock stock meets Get Carter!
Way better than Layer Cake (even dear old Lock stock) it's got great photography, cool acting, in parts funny and very engaging (I loved Matthew Palmer)
But what I really liked about it was the way it was directed (Fine work Mr Diaz) scenes were actually very exciting so that at times you felt concerned when certain characters were in peril. All UK thriller movies should be made this way! I can't believe I missed this movie when I was in the UK five years ago.
Anyhow, go see it you'll love it, trust me!