Boy Meets Girl

I love this film. It's riveting, smallscale and concentrated. Has a rare intensity, despite occasional lapses in acting. Gripping and frightening exploration of extreme sexuality, which pulls no punches, yet leaves much to the viewer's imagination. Might well be a key underground movie of the 90's.

A few days ago I received this film in the mail,and I must admit that I was expecting this to be something special,at least according to reviews that have praised this as something dark and unsettling.Well,I can tell you that's not the case at all,I'm afraid to say.First of all;I'm well aware of the fact that this is director Ray Brady's cinematic statement about the general portrayal of on screen violence.And I also realize that Brady had to choose an angle that didn't blur his message,meaning that he couldn't exactly revel in blood and gore.The result he would have got then,is that people would have perceived it as a sadistic gorefest,and ultimately failed in grasping his overall message.But then the question is;is it still possible to make it unsettling and dark,and at the same time let the message come across?Of course it is.Two examples that come to mind are "A Clockwork Orange",and "Man Bites Dog".Regarding the latter,it is stated on the cover that "Boy meets Girl" is "the English answer to Man Bites Dog".Well,sadly it is a far cry from this gem,and should not be compared at all!!My main objection to BMG is that the whole affair comes off as a amateurish attempt to make the viewers emphathize with the victim,and perhaps also with the perpetrator.My point is that this isn't accomplished at all,this mainly due to the apparent lack of really convincing actors,lack of top-notch dialogue,and the lack of realism that is acquired in order to make it look like a snuffpiece.To sum up;I have not watched a horrifying and unsettling film which is shaking one's foundation,I have instead watched a first-year's film student's idea of a innocent,masochistic wet dream.Mediocre at best.Definitely hardly anything that's worth banning,that's for sure!!Oh so many squeamish people out there,the reviews this one has got is a crystalclear proof of that!!

From the Directors commentary we get the whole story of how this "film" came about:

Picture the scene: four students, a lot of beer, no money. "Hey" says one of them, "Why don't we make a film?". One of his slightly less moronic friends says: "But we have no money, we can't write scripts, no-one knows how to direct and no actors who can actually act will work with us!".

"Don't worry" replies the 1st student. "Leave all that to me..."

And thus Boy Meets Girl was born...

The genius of this film is that they entrusted all of crucial aesthetic elements to the least talented film-maker in the entire world - Ray Brady. He has now developed a cult following for making the most universally bad movies ever seen - he even surpasses Ed Wood.

The camerawork is worse than a home movie shot by a drunk, blind, amputee with CP. The dialogue is so stilted it conjures up visions of promotional catalogues for toenail clippers. The plot is non existent - man gets tied to a chair and tortured a lot - and it as about as "artsy" and "shocking" as bowl of soup. The acting reminds you of 1970's Open University programmes, but without the lecturers charm and on-screen charisma.

Basically this film takes self indulgent trite into a whole new dimension and you will leave it at best swearing never to watch a moving image on a screen for the rest of your life, and at worst planning genocide of the entire human race to ensure something like this is never made or seen again.

Fun for all the family!

Ray Brady's "Boy Meets Girl" is a low budget, uncompromising and controversial shocker. When married-with-two-children Tim Poole sets out on yet another one-night-stand as an obscure drinking hole, he bites off more than he can chew. Finishing the evening in what appears to be the home-made dungeon of the psychotic Margot Steinberg, Poole's woes have only just started.

This is a grim tale that has gained much notoriety due to its initial home video /DVD ban in the UK. This censorship has now been lifted and the DVD can now be purchased from all good retailers. As I'd read a lot about this project many moons ago and seen the documentary series "Banned in the UK", I knew how things were going to pan out which reduced the tension somewhat. Despite this, it's quite a gripping and unpleasant experience that leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

I found the audio frustratingly unclear in places, annoying as this is a dialogue driven film. The more over-the-top violence is suggested rather than explicit but this works in its favour as it is not let down by cheap effects.

Tim Poole is great as the victim, Tevin. However, it's Margot Steinberg and Danielle Sanderson who really leave an impact on the viewer. This movie is enough to make you think twice about going back to a stranger's house for a night of no-ties passion. Its use of female protagonists is effective and deeply chilling.

6 out of 10. A lot of talking and psychological games fill out the running time but the experience is not as powerful as that of "Scrapbook". Some viewers will hate this movie as it's a slow paced affair but connoisseurs of modern horror may feel obliged to check it out.

Watching this savage look at the inner psyche of a twisted mind makes you shiver with fear, but you remain hooked with morbid fascination. Ignoring societies barriers, the film takes you through a world of sadism and pain, stripping away the rational filters which everyday life shrouds us in. This is a truly uncompromising work - going far further than "The Collector" dared to go. This is not a fun film - but it should be seen by anyone who ever wonders how far the human mind can go. A truly unique and important work.