28/01/2009

Thatcher-era youths get in a lot of trouble in Awaydays [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a Bright Future entry at the Rotterdam Film Festival . Director Pat Holden’s adaptation of the cult novel by Kevin Sampson is an unflinching look at northern England football hooligans and male friendship that will be released in Britain this spring through Optimum Releasing.

The adaptation had been in development since the book came out 11 years ago. After the success of Trainspotting, another gritty tale of English misery that was a cult novel and then a hit film, it seemed likely that Awaydays would be made quickly, though Sampson had to wait for over a decade to see his baby onscreen.

Awaydays centres on two boys seemingly at odds: Carty (Nicky Bell) is an outsider who would love to join The Pack, a group of football supporters whose main purpose in life is getting into fights with supporters of other teams. His entry ticket is Elvis (Liam Boyle), a fringe member of The Pack. A special bond grows between the two even as the impact of their rowdy lifestyles takes its toll on their constitution.

Working in a grey-green palette and with superb costume and production design that are as spot-on as the thick local accents, Holden and Sampson believably recreate the backdrop for this tale of pointless violence and friendship set in Thatcherite Britain. The soundtrack pulsates with Ultravox and Joy Division.

Boyle and Bell make for a great duo, with Bell especially giving a multi-layered performance.

David Hughes produced the feature through Red Union Films.