23/11/2009

UK director Shane Meadows has taken a break from his “normal” projects to make Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a mockumentary reminiscent of jokes between friends, which has just been presented at the 47th Gijón International Film Festival.

It is one of those films where we’re not sure who enjoyed themselves more, the viewers or its creators. But this minor self-indulgence can be overlooked because the viewers are treated to a very good time.

Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee, which runs just over 70 minutes, is the first instalment in the 5-Day Feature series, launched by Warp Films, in which directors have only five days to shoot. Meadows takes the idea literally, describing exactly five days in the life of Donk, a character created years ago with actor Paddy Considine, who plays him on screen.

Donk is an odd bloke: an unsuccessful, flashy and short-tempered musician, somewhere between cool and completely uncool. He currently works as a roadie on the UK tour of young band Arctic Monkeys, and is also a manager for white, obese rapper Scor-zay-zee (a musician in real life), who is brilliant with a mike in his hand. The opportunity is too good to miss and Donk gets Scorz a slot at a huge concert in Manchester.

Without doubt one of the most interesting voices in new British cinema (with works such as This Is England [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Somers Town [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Meadows once again demonstrates his talent in this epic joke, which some have described as the “Spinal Tap of the Midlands”.

The film was produced by Warp Films and Big Arty, with backing from Film Four and EM Media. It was released in the UK on October 9.

(Translated from Spanish)