Dangerous Parking

In some ways Peter Howitt's work of (undiluted) genius is a counterpart to Truffaut's "La Nuit Américaine", although it's kind of an updated version. Following the other reviewer's suggestion I would say it's the "Trainspotting" version of it. If there ever was a portrait of a filmmaker on film, this is it. This film should be required watching for everybody who loves films and who wants to know how it is to make one. And yet it's so much more. It's a huge portion of life squeezed into 110 minutes of yours. It's amazing, it's f.....g brilliant (as a German I'm hesitant to use swearwords, but hey) it's a ride-of-a-lifetime it's so much more than in my humble words I would ever be able to describe. I watched it in Tokyo on the film festival and one hour after I left the screening I started to cry, in the middle of a crowded street. Or no, I laughed and cried at the same time. Actually I thought they might arrest me, but nothing happened. Maybe they felt pity for me, or thought people do that in Europe - but what they didn't notice was, it was a GLORIOUS crying, because I realized, in an instant, how wonderful it is to be alive. What a film.

I was vaguely aware of this film before it was released, and I must admit, there was little about it that was compelling me to see it. But I watched it on DVD the other night, and thought it was easily one of the best British pictures of the last few years. It's a compelling story, and in spite of all the profanity, the vomiting and the many puerile outbursts, we really do engage with Noah, performed brilliantly by Peter Howitt. It's a gem of a film, and how it bypassed cinemas when so many truly appalling films find their way to multiplexes up and down the country is a mystery to me. Find it on DVD. And I defy anyone not to enjoy it.

The opening five minutes or so of this film sit so uneasily with the rest of it that I'm inclined to wonder if they were a veiled satire of the state of most modern British cinema with it's desperate eagerness to please and self conscious coolness. Lets just say these initial scenes almost made me switch off. I'm glad I didn't.

What follows is a glorious mess of a film. A tumble of ideas and emotion mixed up and thrown at the screen. 'Dangerous Parking' is worthy to be included with Nic Roeg's most frustrating, delirious and brilliant output. It's rare to see a film that doesn't compromise or treat it's audience like a tested demographic. This film deserves to be seen and felt by people who love cinema. Watching Peter Howitt's performance is like watching a drowning man. Uncomfortable but compelling.

I must say that coming out of the screening for Dangerous Parking is one of the rare occasions where I have genuinely been 'moved' by a film, so I think that coming out saying "I really enjoyed it....It was a great movie....What a great performance etc etc" now seem like stock and clichéd responses to a film that deserves so much more.

I find it hard for anybody who has lived, loved and lost, not to be profoundly moved and affected by Dangerous Parking. It is one of the most honest, real, raw and beautiful films that I have ever seen about the human condition, warts and all. Peter Howitt gave a performance that was, to most Oscar nominated male leads, what junior school nativities are to RSC performances. He gave a blistering, acerbic, and - in more ways than the literal - naked, performance. It demands to be noticed and acclaimed.

All the other comments have said everything I wanted to say about this seminal piece of work.

I only watched it yesterday and have already forced two other people to watch it and they also loved it and thanked me for the nudge. I'm dying to see it again already. Best film I've seen in a long time. Wish I'd discovered it 2 years ago! I'd love to work on a film with Peter Howitt, with him in either a directing, acting or writing role, as I think the guy is amazing (if you are listening, please let me edit something for you - haha).

Not sure if this film won any awards, but if not, that is a crying shame.

I have met David Barrett, the film's editor and must congratulate him on a great job also.

WATCH THIS FILM!