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	16 Years Of Alcohol
	Richard Jobson Kevin McKidd, Laura Fraser, Susan Lynch, Jim Carter, Ewen Bremner 2003 Widescreen; closed caption; Spanish subtitles; audio commentary by writer/director Richard Jobson; behind-the-scenes featurette; storyboards; Alan Morrison's filmnotes.		Richard Jobson, a former member of the Scottish punk-rock band The Skids, wrote and directed "16 Years of Alcohol," a tragic, engrossing drama about an angry young man who succumbs to alcoholism and violence in Edinburgh, Scotland. Frankie is a nice working-class kid undermined by family strife. When his parents' seemingly idyllic marriage proves illusory, Frankie looks elsewhere for comfort. By the time that he's out of his teens, he's in a gang of thuggish skinheads dedicated to boozing and destruction. Kevin McKidd ("Nicholas Nickleby," "Trainspotting") plays Frankie, whose loyalty to his indolent pals threatens his romantic relationship with a smart, artistic girl (Laura Fraser) that he meets at a local record store. The structure of the film is fluid, with time flashing forward and back. Its more violent moments are disturbingly graphic, although in the service of the story and Frankie's psychological profile. McKidd and the supporting cast, which includes Susan Lynch ("Enduring Love"), Jim Carter ("Shakespeare in Love"), and Ewen Bremner ("Black Hawk Down," "Trainspotting"), show the proper level of commitment to the material. Regardless of Frankie's sins and shortcomings, the film generates legitimate sympathy for his plight. And the technical aspects of "16 Years of Alcohol" are impressive, with evocative cinematrography and notable Edinburgh settings that vary from stark to lovely.


	Wednesday, December 18, 2024





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