Beats: Shot in subdued yet sharp monochrome (breaking into grainy during raves) this film tells the tale of Johnno (Cristian Ortega) and Spanner (Lorn Macdonald) living in a sink estate in in small town West Lothian. It's 1994 and Raves are about to be outlawed but that doesn't stop the polis from preemptively and violently breaking up the raves anyway. Spanner lodges with his psychotic and violent drug dealing older brother Fido, Johnno is at home with his mother but her new partner is a police constable and the family are due to move to a new home. Over one weekend Johnno and Spanner plan to attend one last rave together but they cross Fido's gang and are pursued to the Rave site.
The only colour in Beats comes during the Rave dance shots and are reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey trippy scenes. Partly a coming of age drama, the boys link up with girls a couple of years older, led by Cat (Amy Manson); and also about restrictions, rave music and a commentary on the empty lives of so many young people. The underage drug use no doubt got Beats it's 18 certificate but it doesn't just glorify this abuse, the consequences are shown in a potential car crash.
But the rave scene is also a revolt against cuts and restrictions as Tony Blair blathers on the tv in the background it is easy to see why youth would choose music rather than see him as an alternative. The leader of the scene is crazed but cuddly pirate station DJ D-Man (Ron mann) looking like a young John Peel as he gives clues to the Rave location. Violent at times but always interesting even if the accents are occasionally difficult to decipher. Director Brian Welsh delivers a credible version of Kieran Hurley's stage play with the screenplay written by Welsh and Hurley. 8/10.
The only colour in Beats comes during the Rave dance shots and are reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey trippy scenes. Partly a coming of age drama, the boys link up with girls a couple of years older, led by Cat (Amy Manson); and also about restrictions, rave music and a commentary on the empty lives of so many young people. The underage drug use no doubt got Beats it's 18 certificate but it doesn't just glorify this abuse, the consequences are shown in a potential car crash.
But the rave scene is also a revolt against cuts and restrictions as Tony Blair blathers on the tv in the background it is easy to see why youth would choose music rather than see him as an alternative. The leader of the scene is crazed but cuddly pirate station DJ D-Man (Ron mann) looking like a young John Peel as he gives clues to the Rave location. Violent at times but always interesting even if the accents are occasionally difficult to decipher. Director Brian Welsh delivers a credible version of Kieran Hurley's stage play with the screenplay written by Welsh and Hurley. 8/10.