LAVA
Starring:
Joe Tucker, James Holmes, Nicola Stapleton, Leslie Grantham and Tom Bell.
Director: Joe Tucker
Running time: 99 mins
Certificate: 18
Smiggy (Tucker), a lonely, military obsessed man, takes on the job of a killer after staying in a depressing B&B. He goes after a mindless thug who for no reason at all, had beaten the living daylights out of Smiggy’s brother, who is now more turnip than man. Smiggy and his friend then end up in the mindless thug’s flat, confronted by the violent man’s girlfriend (Stapleton). Here, things begin to go slightly wrong.
The rebirth of director Joe Tucker’s brother’s film, The Last Yellow, Lava is a violent, hard-core, no-holds-barred entrapment of powerful drama. Much better than I first assumed, Lava is a great cinematic experience. However, it would have been made furtherly gritty, which is what it sets out to achieve, on a good old VHS. This is very much an at-home experience, but don’t be put off, this is certainly an entertaining and watchable film.
The films director/writer/star Joe Tucker plays Smiggy wonderfully, as the always hilarious indifferent character of the film, who intriguingly manages to switch moods in a heartbeat, from quietly laid back to shockingly violent. Violence is a key theme in this film, so don’t see it unless you’re comfortable with being subjected to displays of thuggish temperament. Swearing is also prominent, and is delivered with excellent comedic precision by Nicola Stapleton (the thug’s girlfriend).
For me personally, it was slightly too gritty, with real life being such a large piece of the film. However, it is in this sense that the film manages to make itself great, and the quality of it is beyond doubt, whether you like it or you don’t. Filled with a compelling and direct narrative, this is a masterpiece of the low budget character-driven drama. Joe Tucker shows himself as a talented actor, writer and most of all director, with an original and unnegotiable firm storyline. Worth a lot of respect.
Guest Review by Jay Em
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