Who payed the critics

Better Late Then Never

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

i think the team behind this film did a very good job with the limitations they had. only £300,000 and 7 weeks to write, film and edit the whole thing which i think is an achievement in itself. although this film is not for the masses (as a young innocent teenage girl is killed and there is homo-eroticism involved in the story) i think that this film is a heart wrenching tragedy and the more deeply involved you get in the story, the more sadness you feel. more so towards Heaton because of the love he feels but is not returned.this is one of my favourite British films that i enjoyed very much and would watch again. i think that it's a shame that is film is not very well heard of at all.

watching this film for the first time, I couldn't make my mind up if i liked it or hated it. I thought that the film was slow and difficult to understand, as I was constantly trying to work out the relationship between Spike and Heaton. The story line was also quite boring and weird, despite my negative comments, I thought that the film was really touching when we realise in the end that Heaton has buried feelings for his close friend. we also feel sympathy for Heaton as we understand that he feels betrayed by Spike, this also makes us realise that in fact Heaton is the weaker character in the relationship. The ending of the film is weird yet clever, as it leaves you wondering whether Heaton is actually alive or not, which adds to the effect of confusion and sadness.

to start id have to say this is a good film and knowing the conditions under which it was made with little money and in a short space of time i think that the team behind it have done a good job. i do however have a few criticisms one thing that i don't like is the lack of emphasis upon Heatons homosexuality and his feelings towards spike. i think that if it had been made more obvious to the viewer we could have understood his despair and his mixed emotions towards spike better. another thing i didn't like was how the film seemed to lose itself at times not carrying the momentum it started with. this was a bit distracting and removed me out of the experience at times. there were points were the emotion's that the audience were meant to feel weren't made very clear and it was neither laid out or open to interpretation for example the scene were the girl is shot builds tension but then the father lets out a comedic scream which ruins the work before it.overall a good film but i think more time might have helped this picture to become something more. it was however never going to have mainstream appeal with the underlying sub contexts that may have struggled to make an impact on modern audience's. i do not think that it was meant for mainstream cinema anyway so in a way that is understandable, its a shame it wont reach a wider audience but its flaws would stop it from box office success anyway.

Before the regular comments, my main curiosity about THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG is that while there's a running time listed on IMDb of 94 minutes, the DVD from Wellspring Media in the United States runs 88 minutes. Any input on this is appreciated!Two friends with very rough lives take on the road for an adventure. What they wind up in is just that, with one accidentally shooting a girl and the two escaping by foot into the countryside. Rather than just a big chase, the film is complicated by the the daft and rather childlike Spike behaving inappropriately, and clutching his boom box like a teddy bear. Some viewers may dislike the story based solely upon the character Spike, but without a bit of frustration added to the story, the film would have been too easy. You'll notice the way the more stable character Heaton refers to Spike as "big man" in contrast to Spike's "kid out of control" attitude and behavior. Frankly, I too was aggravated by Spike's ridiculous actions, especially the spray can sniffing, but in a desperate situation it's apparent someone of his mentality would choose an temporary escape. But, Heaton was there to keep things in check up until things get way over his head as well.Kenny Glenaan as Heaton is a marvel, and after a while I quit wondering why in the heck he would want to pick Spike up from prison and continue a friendship, due to Glenaan's great performance. After all, there are many many reasons during their run that would be a good idea for Heaton to just ditch Spike and try to save himself. I suppose Heaton felt like a protective older brother to Spike, and the loyalty between the two is hard to break -- until things get too desperate.While some of the cinematography is indeed artsy, it does offer more flavor to story instead of just shots of the men running through the wilderness. The beautiful landscapes, rain, and vast gray skies offer a somber tone that increases the feel of the tragic circumstances. The score is unusual as well, and the use of Public Image Ltd.'s song "This Is Not A Love Song" and as the title of the film is quite smart.Overall, it's understandable if you don't care for THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG as it's focused on two contrasting personalities escaping from another man determined to hunt them down (played by a cool, quiet David Bradley). It's not big-budget action entertainment. For the rest of us that enjoy seeking out something minimal and dramatic, it's time worthwhile spent, and it DOES offer some extremely tense moments that have you holding your breath a bit. I'm really enjoying the films coming out of Scotland recently, with the likes of this one, Dog Soldiers, and The Devil's Tattoo. I'm also a bit thankful for the subtitles offered on this DVD, as the accents are sometimes lightning fast and difficult for some viewers like me to understand. Frustrating, dark, and often tense, THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG is very tragic yet engrossing storytelling.