Dad Savage (1998)
A wealthy, successful, East-Anglian tulip grower, Dad Savage is also something of a godfather in the local criminal fraternity but doesn't trust banks to take care of his money. On recommendation from his son, Sav, Dad hires two of Sav's unemployed school friends, Bob and Vic, to help with the business and the crime. After some careless talk from Harold, just known as 'H', about Dad's pension fund, Vic and Bob decide to steal the money from Dad if they can find it. The plans to liberate the money go awry and Sav is killed requiring Bob to call upon his sister Chris to rescue them. Dad intercepts their escape and forces a showdown to try to determine exactly the events of the night in order to identify his son's killer.
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Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??
From my favorite movies..
disgusting, overrated, pointless
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Last evening I watched this movie, and I think that is a great story,and great acting. Some scenes,especially those in the forest are original, hard and powerful, so my opinion about director of this movie - really nice work. One interesting thing for me,well,all the time I thought that the film from the 80's,instead of 1998! photography of the reason for this, and it's even better. Cold, ruthless and cruel is the best description of this film that keeps you awake all the time. I do not type comments clear, Stuart Patrick is known... So what? Did a great job in this film, as well as others, then not so well-known actors. The camera is very good, picture us all positive and negative features of character, with a gloomy atmosphere in the forest only help in conjuring it.
I have to say that I wasn't looking forward to watching Dad Savage, having read some fairly bad reviews of it. But I rented it out anyway. The result was one of shock. I was amazed at some of fantastic talent in front of and behind the camera and was stunned that such a film could go un-noticed for such a long time.The closest films to compare this to are certainly not US films. The nearest comparison is Trainspotting or The Acid House, both of which have raw and realistic characters and settings. Dad Savage has both of these, being set in the North of England and centering around a few normal friends who all have something to do with Dad himself. It all goes wrong when Dad reveals his secret stash of dosh hidden out in the woods and slowly everyone conspires against each other to get the money.This film, in my own opinion, is one of the greatest films to come of the UK in recent years. I think that it is sad that it has not been given any credit and the only way to get it on video is to import it from the US.The writer deserves credit for trying something simple and trying to push into the boundrys of cinema. The fact that this film is so down to Earth and raw is what makes it so realistic and gut wrenching, not to mention appealing.The director used to wonderful ways of getting the script across in a superb way, the car crash at the beginning in slow motion, for example. There are numerous other shots and scenes that I could witter on about but would bore you here!I cannot write about Dad Savage without mentioning Patrick Stewart. There are two sides to this one. Does he suck? Unable to escape the mold of Star Trek? OR is he a bloody good actor? Well, Stewart not only escapes Trek, but also brings to life a character who you grow to love as well as hate. The rest of actors are superb and deserve just as much credit, if not more for surviving in Stewarts lime-light.This film does have its bad points, being very uncomfortable to watch and being a bit confusing on first viewing. But open your mind and you will find that DS is a great film.
Dad Savage held all the cards for a classic movie, but threw them away too quickly.The cast was strong, the script was tight, the flashbacks were clever, and the atmosphere was gritty. There were some chilling moments, and it's a movie I'd like to see a second time because it was quite complicated and intricate too.But the element of surprise was lost, because it ran out of plot twists too soon and left us watching the rest of the film unfold in a predictable way.If you enjoy raw and rough films, or if you want to see Patrick Stewart in an uglier role than the shining captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Dad Savage will hold entertainment value for you.But it's not quite up to par with the likes of "Shallow Grave".
The opening is very dramatic and is an attention grabber. The rest of the movie spends its time with flashbacks which are a bit distracting but the viewer catches on fast enough. The performances are strong. Motivations might be a bit pat, but the emotions seem real enough. Patrick Stewart fans will see their hero in a very different and dark light but will enjoy the performance. The other four younger actors are very much ones to be looked for in future films.