Dad Savage

I have to say that I wasn't looking forward to watching Dad Savage, having read some fairly bad reviews of it. But I rented it out anyway. The result was one of shock. I was amazed at some of fantastic talent in front of and behind the camera and was stunned that such a film could go un-noticed for such a long time.

The closest films to compare this to are certainly not US films. The nearest comparison is Trainspotting or The Acid House, both of which have raw and realistic characters and settings. Dad Savage has both of these, being set in the North of England and centering around a few normal friends who all have something to do with Dad himself. It all goes wrong when Dad reveals his secret stash of dosh hidden out in the woods and slowly everyone conspires against each other to get the money.

This film, in my own opinion, is one of the greatest films to come of the UK in recent years. I think that it is sad that it has not been given any credit and the only way to get it on video is to import it from the US.

The writer deserves credit for trying something simple and trying to push into the boundrys of cinema. The fact that this film is so down to Earth and raw is what makes it so realistic and gut wrenching, not to mention appealing.

The director used to wonderful ways of getting the script across in a superb way, the car crash at the beginning in slow motion, for example. There are numerous other shots and scenes that I could witter on about but would bore you here!

I cannot write about Dad Savage without mentioning Patrick Stewart. There are two sides to this one. Does he suck? Unable to escape the mold of Star Trek? OR is he a bloody good actor? Well, Stewart not only escapes Trek, but also brings to life a character who you grow to love as well as hate. The rest of actors are superb and deserve just as much credit, if not more for surviving in Stewarts lime-light.

This film does have its bad points, being very uncomfortable to watch and being a bit confusing on first viewing. But open your mind and you will find that DS is a great film.

To be honest I would have instantly dismissed DAD SAVAGE as " A British Tarantino wannabe that starts with a pre title sequence followed by a soundtrack by The Jam similar to the opening of RESERVOIR DOGS followed by a not very interesting story that cuts back and forth like PULP FICTION "

But I`ll modify my opinion by stating " It`s also very bizarre due to the casting that makes it rather more watchable "

That casting choice is Patrick Stewart as the title character . Who`s Patrick Stewart ? you ask . He`s only the captain of the USS Enterprise from a little known show called STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION . Unlike William Shatner Stewart can act but after being cast in ST:TNG no one will ever think of him than anything else than Jean Luc Picard . A shame perhaps but I had to admit there`s a great novelty value to DAD SAVAGE walking around like the cowboy from The Village People , speaking in a ridiculous accent , spouting the F word frequently and getting nasty with a shotgun . If they`d given the part to an unknown actor I wouldn`t thought much of this movie but it contains a watchability level and novelty value due to Stewart`s bizarre performance

Very much in the style of contemporary films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Reservoir Dogs and The Usual Suspects, Dad Savage is a more realistic and significantly less humourous film.

Patrick Stewart definitely carries the film as the patriarchal head of a family of criminals - not to belittle the performance of the films other actors it's just that none of them are as memorable. Although far removed from the Star Trek universe, Patrick Stewarts portrayal of Dad Savage is reminiscent of Capt. Picard: namely that of a man with a hard outside and a soft - even vulnerable - inside. Dad Savage is a cantankerous old man as easily capable of sticking a shotgun in the face of someone who betrayed him, as he is of dressing in country and western clothes and going line-dancing with the other local senior citizens.

I've tried - unsuccessfully - to convince my friends to see this, I hope many more people will though...

Last evening I watched this movie, and I think that is a great story,and great acting. Some scenes,especially those in the forest are original, hard and powerful, so my opinion about director of this movie - really nice work. One interesting thing for me,well,all the time I thought that the film from the 80's,instead of 1998! photography of the reason for this, and it's even better. Cold, ruthless and cruel is the best description of this film that keeps you awake all the time. I do not type comments clear, Stuart Patrick is known... So what? Did a great job in this film, as well as others, then not so well-known actors. The camera is very good, picture us all positive and negative features of character, with a gloomy atmosphere in the forest only help in conjuring it.

Dad Savage held all the cards for a classic movie, but threw them away too quickly.

The cast was strong, the script was tight, the flashbacks were clever, and the atmosphere was gritty. There were some chilling moments, and it's a movie I'd like to see a second time because it was quite complicated and intricate too.

But the element of surprise was lost, because it ran out of plot twists too soon and left us watching the rest of the film unfold in a predictable way.

If you enjoy raw and rough films, or if you want to see Patrick Stewart in an uglier role than the shining captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Dad Savage will hold entertainment value for you.

But it's not quite up to par with the likes of "Shallow Grave".