The 'stalker movie' returns...

Stalker films were all the rage in the 90s after Fatal Attraction’s bunny-boiler antics astounded audiences. Hand That Rocked the Cradle, Cape Fear, Single White Female and One Hour Photo all followed a standard set pattern. Creep appears, ruins decent person’s life and then is dispatched much to the audience’s relief. Placing a stand-up comedian at the heart of one such story might be misleading, but director Justin Molotnikov knows exactly what he’s doing in this surprise Scottish BAFTA winner which treads a fine line between darkly comic and just plain dark.

When comic Joey Frisk (Stephen McCole) befriends ex-school buddy Frank (Malcolm Shields) during a turbulent week, he little suspects just what an impact old demons between the two might have on the unhinged former marine. On the surface Frank offers Joey some much-needed help when he’s suspected of a nasty GBH charge and made homeless, but at what price?

Not since 2004’s Enduring Love, when Rhys Ifans' sinister actions impacted upon Daniel Craig’s happy relationship, has a male stalker seemed so precariously disturbed.  Shields balances Frank superbly between decent, mild-mannered friend and a raging pool of guilt and revenge bubbling underneath, while McCole pitches himself well as the sarcastic foul-mouthed comic and father who eventually comes good; Frankie Boyle this ain’t.

Revealing too much of the plot would strip the film of some of its power as events lurch from the unsettling to the deeply disturbing, eventually explaining exactly what led Joey down his chosen path and whether happiness roots within. Suffice to say that everything, and psychologists might agree, hinges on a childhood memory. As the plot twists and turns towards a slightly unexpected conclusion, a few surprises emerge which threaten to spoil the simmering tension Molotnikov has done well to create; thankfully he keeps things relatively low-key, avoiding the hysterics.

Making Edinburgh and its comedy scene the perfect setting, Molotnikov bookends the film in grimy clubs and backstage hovels as characters are established, shifting scene for the middle act as the plot reveals its disquieting stalker scenario. Though the structure rarely departs from the tried-and-tested flashback intro, coming full circle highlights well the characters’ development, while suggesting there’s more than just tears to the laughter.

Frisk’s sardonic and no doubt offensive humour helps root the story as he turns what could have been the worst week of his life into a life-changing positive one. Though some plot threads are left dangling – and some conveniently dispatched – as the film emerges from its powerful third act, this is one screen double-act that’s well worth catching.

Extras
The 2-disc version features a Director’s commentary, “Making Of” Doc, Round-table discussion feature with cast and crew, comedy sets, deleted scenes and a Joey Frisk notebook crammed with jokes.

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