Shifty

Shifty is a young drug dealer living with his older brother and earning a couple of grand a week. When an old friend comes to stay with him and asks him to come back up to Manchester to a safer, cleaner life, it marks the start of a rough day for Shifty, as his normal drop-offs are complicated by one customer who goes off the rails, and a rumour that has made it back to Shifty's supplier that he is cutting the product and selling for himself on the side.

Made for as little as £100k (which would not even buy you a one-second Megan Fox pout) this film is to be admired for how good it looks considering the constraints of the budget. However if praise was given out to independent films made for no money then there would not be enough to go around as there are plenty of similar attempts – just many of them really do show the lack of resource in all areas. It is not the case with Shifty because the film is an effective and well made affair that engages by virtue of how it is put together. The story is reasonably straightforward but it is written with a wider story behind it – one that we perhaps don't get all of but one that impacts onto the characters and their relationships and makes for a stronger character set and a more interesting film. I was interested in both Shifty and Chris as people as well as the grubby little world they inhabit.

On top of this the day in question also has some violent risks for Shifty and these add a semi-thriller touch to the story. Again, this isn't totally fleshed out all for the viewer to see but it works as it goes. It isn't perfect as a story but it does well to juggle a couple of different characters to add to the flow of the narrative while also avoiding being judgemental about any of them – your conclusion may be "drugs are bad m'kay" but the film does not seem to have that as an agenda but is just focused on telling the story.

The cast deserve credit for working on such a low budget film; OK they are not Hollywood stars used to commanding millions but there are several faces that will be recognisable from big films. The star of the film is Riz Ahmed, who does well for once not playing someone associated with 9/11 films. He is a likable character but he also conveys that edge of toughness and threat that he needs. He does good work with his face and eyes to ensure the viewer can sort of appreciate his thoughts without them being rammed down your throat. Mays has less of a showy role but he does the same – hits the character well and makes him convincing from the start and throughout, only weakening a little bit towards the end when I expected him to convey the impact of events a little better. Flemyng is a solid presence and a good face to help the film, while Simpson's Trevor is a tragic figure and he plays it well, making him a real person rather than a simple plot device to be either pitied or hated.

Shifty is not a brilliant film to be sure, it is far to slight for that but it is a particularly good one. It isn't social realism but it has an authenticity to it that helps make it work, with the well written and performed characters providing a strong base for the narrative to be built on. If it had cost ten times as much to make I still would have liked it but that it was made for so little is an impressive thing of note.

I'm pretty bored of gritty drug dramas, but thankful that I didn't pass this one up.

In short the film follows the day in the life of a dealer: Shifty and his best friend Chris.

Chris left Shifty high and dry and made a break for Manchester after a tragic event. And the beginning of the film sees his return to make reparations with his old friend. Chris used to be a dealer but is slowly building a future for himself. Shifty sells drugs. He earns plenty of money and is a slave to the job - but he's not living a champagne lifestyle or snorting his wares. Instead he's living a meagre existence. Travelling by foot to do drops and living with his brother Rez - under the pretence that he's a little lost and hopeless - which is wearing a little thin on his close family.

In the following 24 hours, Chris tags alongside Shifty. Chris is witness to a pick up, some drops and the desperation of addiction while walking his old haunts. He advices Shifty to get out while he can. Both Chris and Shifty have some unresolved issues but their bondage triumphs. We see the scars, torment and betrayal wrought from both dealers and users, especially to those closest to them.

The film is neither overtly violent, nor does it glorify drug use, or drug careers. Quite the opposite. There's a few small laughs thrown in. It is not a laugh a minute like Adam and Paul, Trainspotting or Pulp Fiction. It is however a little uncomfortable to watch, mainly because it's depressingly familiar. I found myself wishing the characters out of their dead end and empty lives.

Sadly I couldn't find any love in my heart for Shifty, wanting to see some morsel of remorse for his crimes. On the other hand Chris I forgave early on. Both Chris and Rez were both likable.

I can't help but like Daniel Mays, his face is just fantastic. Nitin Ganatra is wonderful and Riz Ahmed is flawless. I'm not sure if the film could have worked without any of them. I'd like to see them all in something a little more jolly!

This can't have been the easiest script to act, but all parties do so with aplomb. Great pace, great cast, great shots - a cohesive love laboured piece of artistry.

Considering that this was the Writer / Director's (Eran Creevy) first feature film (previously he had made several music videos and adverts), and that it had been shot in 18 days on a budget of just £100K, this was a really rather good film.

The actors were very competent, especially Riz Ahmed (as Shifty), Daniel Mays (as Chris) and Jason Flemyng (as Glen) who were all very believable in their roles, the narrative moved along nicely, and there were enough twists and turns (especially at the end) to keep everyone interested in the plot – and to what was happening to the characters.

The action revolves around two school friends that had lost touch and had just met up again after four years … one of them becoming increasingly involved in drug dealing … much to his friends dismay.

Apparently the tale was based on the tale of a boyhood friend of the directors – which heavily influenced the writing and the ambiance of the film … this may well have had a bearing on the Director's feel for the story – and "getting it right" – this passion certainly shone through with regards to the subject matter – and the atmosphere of the finished film.

An added bonus (as this was an early preview screening) was that the Director (Eran Creevy) and one of the main cast members (Jason Flemyng – Snatch, Transporter 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, etc.) were on hand for a Q&A session with the audience after the film – which was most welcomed and went down very well.

It may have been the directors first film – but it certainly won't be his last

Shifty is a slow-burner that feels more like a play than an actual feature film. Made on a minute budge of £100,000, the film tells the story of Chris (Daniel Mays), a 20-something yr old who has returned to his old manor to see school mate ''Shifty'' (Riz Ahmed). Chris is now an adult with a responsible job, whereas Shifty has become a drug dealer, and still resents Chris for leaving the area in the first place. This film is remarkable for the chemistry formed between the two central characters, and the slow pace of the film adds a constant tension to proceedings, we know something ''shifty'' will happen, but where and when is anybody's guess. A brilliant and sophisticated drama, this added depth to the ''urban'' genre, also shout out to Masood from Eastenders, who gives an amazing performance in this as Shifty's older brother.

While a subject that is quite familiar to low budget UK films, 'Shifty' is better than most.

The tiny budget may have made too much flashiness impossible, the film is all the better for it. Since it gives a more realistic touch and lets the characters develop.

The film does was it sets out to do well, 24 hours in the life of a drug dealer (who unlike the usual stereotype had choices due to his good education and once supportive family). His limited world is upturned by an old friend returning to town after 4 years, after an event, not revealed until late in the film, though he has plenty of other problems looming.

Well shot, good characters, good script and it kept me interested from start to finish with some very good moments within a tight narrative.

Plenty of similar films in this genre deliver less than they promise, 'Shifty' on the other hand, to quote a well known advert in the UK 'Does What It Says On The Tin'. And does it very well. Recommended.