RUN has some of the hallmarks of the fantastically successful, ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise.
With the interesting premise of a working- class man using the speed of late night, street drag racing as an escape from his rather grim daytime existence, RUN has some of the hallmarks of the fantastically successful, ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise.
However, this is no mega budget, glamorous escape by rogues and road warriors who make their living by speed and crime, but a more serious look at the boredom and frustration which finds an outlet in this dangerous urban sport. By daytime ‘Finnie’, guts fish at the local factory in the coastal town of Fraserburgh in the northern Scottish county of Aberdeenshire. It is a hum drum existence not helped by a rather less than affluent home life, where Finnie, played grittily by Mark Stanley, is father to two sons and husband to Katie, played competently by Amy Manson. Things have been stale and tough for a while between the couple, and it’s not helped by the oldest son, who at an age where most young folk are thinking of college, is about to become a father for the first time. Feeling the relentless, grim nature of the blue- collar trap afresh through his son, Finnie feels the world caving in on him, and feels he cannot enter into his middle years without at least trying to break away. So one night he steals his son’s car. Then, in an attempt to relive his youth racing the streets at night he takes off for the docks and the sea wall. However, what he doesn’t reckon on is running into his son’s pregnant girlfriend, Kelly, who with issues of her own is also playing truant from her life.
RUN is wonderfully relieved by the really good micro budget, close up lensing.
Set against a grim, very un-photogenic backdrop, RUN is wonderfully relieved by the really good micro budget, close up lensing of the drag racing from the perspective of the drivers inside the cars. This is exciting, ingeniously done and it’s great to watch. There is also the back drop of the waves crashing over the sea wall, and the relentless rain. This also adds tone to help show Finnie and Kelly’s unexpressed emotions, and the bid for freedom they make, but somehow there is the sense that they are, like rats in a trap, caught in the claustrophobia of the world they were born into.
However, although the tension is set up well, as are the characters, RUN never really solves anything, never really gets to grips and the film peters out even though it started so well. Great for exploring the angst, but with no real resolution, the audience is left to ponder. The direction is great, and the performances, but this is a film all about exploring that, rather than a story with a resolution at the end. If that’s your thing fine, there’s many who will relate to RUN, but it might make it hard for RUN, to find a wider, global audience. RUN is also not helped by its dialogue. The characters are all speaking with broad Scottish accents and use Scottish words, which might be hard for some to understand, and could hamper the films progress. However, this is a great cultural piece of film making, and that’s just fine.
RUN is in UK Cinemas 13th March 2020, courtesy of Verve Pictures
Jane Foster
janecreates@23-films.com
