Memorable, crazy movie

I wanted to but couldn't!

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Danny Boyle's feature film debut is a very Hitchcockian crime thriller, interveined with Boyle's very personal, unmistakenly identifiable directing style which he would continue to elaborate on in future directing efforts. In "Shallow Grave", Ewan McGregor gives a teasing of what he could be capable of as an actor in one of his first performances, but it's really Christopher Eccleston whose portrayal of his character's descent into madness is the most captivating in this film. Danny Boyle does not waste a single scene, not even a single camera shot: every particular moment is of relevance to the plot, and the plot itself is structured in such an interesting way that "Shallow Grave" sets itself apart from any other film of its genre. Directing debuts don't usually get much better than this. In addition, the soundtrack is particularly memorable.Where the movie truly succeeds at is not the plot; the story is not entirely original, but still intriguing and unusual enough to set off an intriguing and captivating journey. However, it's the character development which makes this film slightly different from similar movies, as we get to know three rather unlikable characters and still begin to feel interested in their fates as the outcome of the story is approached.Considering that "Shallow Grave" is such a strong film, it just emphasizes Danny Boyle's directing talent to remember that some of his subsequent films would still be a lot better than his first. I'd definitely recommend watching this; it's very stylish, very entertaining, and still has enough substance to be a really, really good thriller.

First of all, I'll address what seems to be the primary criticism about 'Shallow Grave,' i.e. the three main characters are as shallow as the graves they dig for their victims. Even the usually charming Ewan McGregor is as nasty and spiteful as his two flatmates, played by Christopher Ecleston and Kerry Fox.So, if you're looking for a film where you can truly identify with a bunch of nice, loyal, brave heroes, then Danny Boyle's first film probably isn't for you.But, if you can put up with the deliberately dark tones of the film, you should enjoy it. The three stuck-up friends come into possession of a suitcase-load of money (courtesy of a forth flatmate - now deceased). They - naturally - think they're entitled to it and set about having a jolly good time.If the film really did contain such unlikeable characters as some people seem to hate it for, then I doubt it would ever have been considered the classic that it is. I think we tolerate these selfish individuals because we know that, once they've decided not to turn the money over to the proper authorities, then retribution is never far from their door.It's not as stylish as Trainspotting, as Hollywood as A Life Less Ordinary, as action-packed as 28 Days Later, or deep and aspiring as Slumdog Millionaire, but it is a great and raw flick from undoubtedly one of Britain's finest modern film-makers. Definitely worth a watch.

This is an enjoyable little movie with an interesting premise, some good plot twists, fine acting and a lot of humor and style. Boyle's directorial debut is very impressive: the camera-work is at times very stylish. The movie is able to build a lot of tension and to keep the viewer glued to the screen. Some specific sequences and ideas are just great. Having said all of these good things, I can't help but to think that the final part of the movie didn't fully convince me and in its excesses it becomes less and less plausible. The evolution's of Eccleston's character is particularly hard to believe. But this doesn't change the fact that this is a stylish movie that grabbed my attention from start to end, made me laugh several times and even surprised me a couple of other times. Overall, I would recommend it to almost anyone who likes thrillers and crime movies.

At his best, Danny Boyle is one of our finest living filmmakers. And if this 1st feature isn't quite up to the level of the best of his work, it still shows one heck of a lot of talent.That said, while enjoyable and full of energy and solid performances, this didn't hold up as well on 2nd viewing as I'd hoped. This caper drama about 3 self obsessed, comically awful 20 somethings who fall into a bag of money and slowly turn on each other has a lot of dark cynical fun in it, but there are just too many logic holes and too many character leaps to be fully satisfying. A lot of the twists are clever (although some are predictable) but rather than characters evolving, they seem to lurch suddenly on their way down the rat hole to beyond forgivable. You accept the sudden transformations because they're there, but it did leave me wondering 'when did THAT suddenly happen to the character'. In turn, that underlines the film's somewhat cartoony nature, which makes sure it's never too disturbing to enjoy no matter how awfully everyone behaves, but that also robs it of the chance of being a deeper film than just a fun, smart genre exercise.With "Trainspotting" Boyle went on to find that perfect balance of surface fun, and deeper meanings, but this is a good first step.