South West 9 (2001)
No ordinary day trip
Starring: Wil Johnson, Stuart Laing, Mark Letheren, Amelia Curtis, Orlessa Edwards, Nicola Stapleton, Frank Harper, Zebida Gardener-Sharper, Jenny Jules, Kika Mirylees, Jay Simpson, Stephen Lord, Leon Herbert, Robbie Gee, Ellen Thomas, Brock Chisolm
Director: Richard Parry
Running Time: 90 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 18
Crime, Drama
On DVD If your only perception of London was borne of watching self-important rot like this, you'd probably think that EVERYONE in the place was a drug dealer. Or, worse still, a DJ. Dear God, am I FED UP of the glamorisation of nightclub DJs. It's really not that impressive. It's just playing music. Going to a nightclub because of a specific DJ is the intellectual equivalent of heading for the cinema because you've heard they've got a cracking projectionist. There - I've said it.
Brixton-based 'South West 9' takes us through a day in the life of five people: Freddy (Wil Johnson), who's a drug-dealing DJ; Jake (Stuart Laing), who's a drug dealer; Mitch (Mark Letheren), who deals drugs; Kat (Amelia Curtis), who drug deals; and Helen (Orlessa Edwards), who neither DJs nor deals drugs, but is hoping to destroy the company she works for so that she can devote her time to learning a new trade. Might I suggest drug dealing? Or how about becoming a DJ?
From the opening aerial view of London that looks like it was nicked from the start of 'EastEnders', we're pulled deeper and deeper into the not-even-slightly fascinating world of - erm - DJ-ing and drug-dealing. The whole tiresome affair is accompanied for the duration by quite possibly the most inane narration in cinematic history, with Freddy interrupting the tedium every few minutes or so with gems like "every note has a voice, every tune has a story", or some guff about setting rats' tails on fire. In short, stuff that DOESN'T EVEN MEAN ANYTHING.
Director Richard Parry teeters perennially on the verge of addressing such issues as corporate swindling, anti-capitalism, class rivalry, rape, politics, and religion. But in the end he deals adequately with none of them, wisely choosing instead to show us some more footage of DJs, drug-dealing, and various pill-popping glostick-waving oxygen-wasters.
The story itself is pretty basic, but can be tough to follow if only because it's so mind-sappingly dull that you'll find your mind wandering on to far more taxing issues. Such as what's for tea. Or whether it's possible to actually witness the process of paint drying. Or just how DO you go about becoming a DJ?
DVD Extras: A trailer, deleted scenes, image gallery, music videos, and a featurette in which director Parry, with his grossly-misplaced enthusiasm, mistakenly assumes anyone will be even remotely interested in his 'war stories'.
It's Got: Nicola Stapleton (who's really come down in the world since those heady days as the girl in 'Simon and the Witch'), and that bloke who plays Finchy in 'The Office'.
It Needs: To stop ramming its manufactured brand of yoof culture down our throats.
Alternatives: Trainspotting, Human Traffic, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Summary: This will appeal to you only if you've had your brain surgically replaced with a small squishy piece of fruit.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 28th October 2003
External Links
South West 9 at the IMDB
Comments6 Comments |
| shud the reviewer get out of his hole and appreciate other pastimes/cultures??? of course its ok to see drugs etc in a tarantino film! a well made film about clubbing culture in my opinion! p.s. i am neither a DJ or a drug dealer!! |
| Comment by:- phil | | 19 May 2004 | ip: logged |
| So, Gary, how do you spend your weekends fella?? Sipping the finest chateau de blurgh round a large dining table, while quipping with your fellow cigar smoking mates?? This may not be your ideal view of society... I agree, Jeeves and worcester it aint... but it is one point of view of how certain aspects of "yoof" (very well put sir) culture should be pertrayed...... Perhaps we should open our eyes to the world a little... yes...?? |
| Comment by:- Jay | www.faceparty.com/Geordie_boiN... | 19 May 2004 | ip: logged |
| erm... basically, the reviewer is a ****head and needs to die because it's a kick ass film and enjoyed every bit of it. I only bought it because i loved human traffic and because it had the same style cover as afformentioned film. I'm a DJ and he's wrong. in a sense, buy this film because it's funny and cool and i like it and that means its good. there. said. oh and sod off to the reviewer. did i mention he was an ass? |
| Comment by:- Matt Liley | www.faceparty.com/buttcrackbre... | 24 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| >Going to a nightclub because of a specific DJ is the intellectual equivalent of heading for >the cinema because you've heard they've got a cracking projectionist. That is like saying "Going to to see an orchestra is like going to the cinema blah blah blah..." A DJ is to dance music what the conductor is to the orchestra. Sure, it's music that was written by someone else, but the skill is in creating a piece (or DJ set) that is greater than the sum of all its parts. A good DJ can craft the individual pieces of music to create a soundscape that stimulates the mind and senses. To scoff at that would be to scoff at the great composers. More fool you. |
| Comment by:- Chewy | | 24 September 2004 | ip: logged |
| Clearly Gary Panton is a wanker who doesn't have the slightest interest in clubbing, drugs or music. Maybe they should have got a reviewer who could remove his head from his arse before watching the film. |
| Comment by:- James B | | 02 November 2004 | ip: logged |
| Can I ask what land do you live in you muppet. Top Dj's spend most of their time perfecting matching beats, records that sound well together and their djing skills eg. Scratching, spin backs, beat cutting, melody paralleling and other various skills you obviously cannot comprehend. Learn more about a culture before dissing it so badly you fool. If you were an expert on dance music, a producer or a dj I may have had respect for what you have to say but you are obviously an opinionated closed minded wanker who cannot open up to the wide variety of music that is popular in the world today. Your opinion is obtuse unwanted and really boring to listen to so if you ever think about writing again please cover your arse and give your brain a chance to think before you write a totally uneducated review like the one I saw on your website today. |
| Comment by:- Paul Tutill | | 17 May 2005 | ip: logged |
