Dir. Olly
Blackburn, UK, 2008, 95 mins
Cast: Robert Boulter, Sian Breckin, Tom Burke, Nichola
Burley, Julian Morris, Jay Taylor, Jaime Winstone
Review by Kevin Gill
The makers of this low budget British shocker
have chosen a title that is guaranteed to create buzz, as
social decorum dictates that it resists thorough elucidation
both in the media and in all but the most casual conversations.
Let's just say here then, that the eponymous blow is dealt
with fatal consequences during group sex between drug-hazed
twentysomethings on a luxury yacht, sparking a series of
grisly events as the six assembled revellers disagree about
what to do next.
First-time director Olly Blackburn sets up this pivotal moment
with a confident first act in which three friends from Leeds
on a girls' weekend in Mallorca meet three smooth-talking
Londoners who invite them to their yacht for a private party.
The holiday atmosphere of carefree abandon, recalling early
scenes in Greg McLean's outback slasher Wolf Creek, is tempered
by introspective Tammi (Nichola Burley), whose hesitation
in getting on board primes the viewer for a cautionary tale
of 18-30s excess. Indeed, Blackburn and co-writer David Bloom
build the sense of impending doom expertly, breaking off
from sun-drenched Balearic montages and turning down the
Ibiza Anthems to mine tension from looks and words between
members of an all-too provisional group. There is something
sinister about the shifty Josh (Robert Boulter), while aspiring
DJ Bluey (Tom Burke), with his rude-boy talk and endless
supply of drugs, is clearly singled out as a wrong 'un. By
the time the boat leaves shore and sex stories are exchanged
during a sunset dip in open blue waters, the sense of calm
before the storm is palpable.
The writers would no doubt like to claim that the action
that follows is a study of human beings acting realistically
in extreme circumstances, but their characters are too crudely
sketched to elevate Donkey Punch to a work of sustained psychological
drama in the manner of, say, Shallow Grave. Its more modest
success is to mix a dangerous cocktail of elements that promises
a gruesome battle for survival: intoxicated, fear-stricken
protagonists, a plethora of makeshift weapons, and the handy
McGuffin of video-taped evidence. On this score Donkey Punch
delivers with wince-inducing immediacy. The shocks come thick
and fast and one blood-spattered set piece follows the next,
but crucially the action remains plausible and never descends
into farce. The effect on the viewer is hardly emotional,
but it's certainly exhausting.
Strong performances and intelligent direction are integral
to these visceral thrills. The young cast does a terrific
job, each actor taking to physically demanding roles with
great energy and enthusiasm. Burke is particularly imposing
as shady geezer Bluey, while Jaime Winstone brings steely-eyed
conviction to her role as feisty brunette Kim.
Commercials director Blackburn, meanwhile, aided by cinematographer
Nanu Segal, conjures an intensely disquieting, claustrophobic
atmosphere that's easily the equal of Phillip Noyce's nautical
thriller Dead Calm. He is in no way out of his depth with
this slick, but ultimately hollow chamber piece – indeed,
there is plenty about Donkey Punch to suggest that Blackburn,
armed with a better script, is one to keep an eye on.
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