Dangerous parking (2007)   

Review: written 2008

Fast and furious semi-autobiographal black comedy of a hedonistic alcoholic suffering from cancer

Fast and furious semi-autobiographical black comedy of a hedonistic alcoholic suffering from cancer... there really is no shorter way of pitching the movie, and while its all of the above, perhaps the end result does not add up to a sum of the parts.

Although this is a difficult enough watch despite the at times hilarious black comedy, if a role of cinema is supposed to be giving insight into the human psyche, or frailty thereof, then this does hit the mark.

Noah Arkwright (a thinly veiled representation of the author of the book, Stuart Browne) is a hedonistic film director in complete alcoholic and drug addled meltdown. His friends persuade him to seek help, and we see the journey from deadbeat alcoholic in denial through recovering alcoholic and then on to cancer sufferer, with journeys into love, jealousy and any other human frailty along the way, told in a brutally honest way.

The film is full of energy, both humourous and inventive in its parade of movie styles and breaking the barrier with the audience in surprising ways. The whole movie is told in non-linear fashion, and narrated by the main character, leading to amusing frequent dichotomies between his spoken thoughts, and his actions. Furthermore, his style is explicit in content and language, albeit completely in keeping with the character. Ultimately the shifts in tone from jocular witticisms and displays of crass insensitivity to painfully in your face pictures of both alcoholism and then chemotherapy can feel a little jarring, making it difficult to truly invest in the main character

Truthfully, this is a difficult watch which feels not quite as rewarding an experience as it wants to be - but it is so darned imaginative and...yes, funny, and then ultimately quite affecting, that it is worth a watch.