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16 Years Of Alcohol
R1 - America - Tartan Video Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Cameron Murray (7th January 2007). |
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The Film
 "16 Years of Alcohol" is an interesting and surreal movie that claims to be a cross between "A Clockwork Orange" (1971) and "Trainspotting" (1996), having scene only passing scenes from "Trainspotting" and even less out of "A Clockwork Orange" I can't really say how much credibility that this statement does or does not have. What I can say however is that this movie is enjoyable, it is quite stylistic at times and doesn't really pander to the audience, by this I mean it demands that you keep up with it, the story the characters the symbolic motifs, and if you lag behind there isn't many opportunities to catch up. Following the story of one Frankie Mack (Kevin McKidd) a Scottish thug in later life, we are taken back to his youth to discover the roots to his blatant disregard for the well-being of others. The story takes you through Frankie's early life; when he witnesses his father cheating on his mother in a back alley after having just serenaded her in their local pub, this scars Frankie deeply. Then for no apparent reason he takes up drinking (this movie is very stylistic and doesn't really fit into the usual 'give me motivation' framework of regular films), from this young age he continues drinking and then with his three friends he terrrorises those he comes into contact with. The problem that Frankie has is that he is essentially a good man stuck with a bad mans mindset, and though he wants to change he finds it increasingly difficult not to embrace his primal urge to be respected and if not respected then feared. He has a couple of relationships in this film and they give insight to his inability to show affection to his partners. This film is a story of a broken man trying to fix himself, but not being to hold all the pieces intact. The acting in this film is very well done McKidd plays the elder Frankie Mack with a great deal of passion, probably more than what the character could muscle himself if he were real. The rest of the cast gave this film a well rounded feeling, with no performances seeming out of place. Another pleasant surprise about this Scottish film is that you didn't have to starin to understand the accents which can be a trying task with some highland films. Stylistically this movie constantly challenges you, it seems a little bit too cleanly lit at times for the subject matter but over all you forgive it because it has such a staccato and surreal narrative structure. The camera work is fantastic with many track ins and out suitting the emotions that the characters are playing. Top notch effort from this cast. In conclusion if you want a light hearted romantic comedy you're in the wrong place, if you want a surreal stylistic experience and you've watched "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) too many times then "16 years of Alcohol" will most probably tide you over.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 this anamorphic transfer is quite good despite the fact that I found several shots appear too soft. The film's transfer presents the muted colors quite well and I could not find too much wrong with this transfer, there was little grain and it was pleasing to look at.
Audio
Three audio tracks are included all of which are in English, they are in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its DTS track and found it quite good but nothing totally impressive. The audio is well mixed although there was some nice ambient noise I felt some opportunities were missed to use all the channels to create depth with the ambient noise present. Music is nicely rendered through the track and doesn't overwhelm the dialogue. Optional subtitles are also included in English and Spanish.
Extras
Tartan Video has included an audio commentary, a storyboard feature, a featurette, a couple of bonus trailers and a booklet. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up we have a feature-length audio commentary by the film's director Richard Jobson, this track is an excellent listen, the director provides a lot of information about the production, he's often candid and allows the viewer to gain an insight into the making of the film from many perspectives, one of which is his directorial decisions as well as story elements among other things. He rarely pauses and fills his time with enough to keep you listening. Next up is "How It Began - The Film In Storyboards" a multi-angle feature that runs for 100 minutes 44 seconds, this is basically the entire film in storyboard form played with the audio from the film. This is an interesting supplement that allows you to see the planning the filmmakers put into each shot before the production began and makes a welcomed addition to this DVD. Following that is the "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette which runs for 24 minutes and provides an in-depth perspective on the making of the film, the clip features interviews with the cast and director. The director comments on the real life background that inspired many of the story elements in the film and the cast openly talk about their characters. Overall this was a fine clip that covers more than your typical EPK fluff piece. Next up are bonus trailers for: - "Milwaukee, Minnesota" which runs for 2 minutes 10 seconds. - "Mysterious Skin" which runs for 2 minutes 3 seconds. Rounding out the extras is a 2-panel booklet which features an essay by Alan Morrison.
Overall
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