Alain E
An impressive first film for a director that had subsequent great success shooting fantasy action flicks in Hollywood. The story is kind of blah, but the visuals outstanding given that this was shot on a budget of just two million. It doesn’t hurt that the protagonists are very strong including Jude Law in his first appearance.
Watched on Plex with a generous side dish of election commercials.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
10/25/24
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Audience Member
Excellent flick. Great cast. Sadie Frost is such a babe. Lots of speed and British attitude. Loved it. Very dystopian.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
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Audience Member
One of the films opening lines ‘What has prison taught you Billy?' ‘Don't get caught' replies Billy (played by Jude Law)
That simple exchange sums up the feeling of Paul WS Andersons directorial debut Shopping, which I remember blasting onto the screens in 1994 from Film Four International and Polygram. Whilst the film does have a great mix of cast and characters, our main stars are Jo, played by Sadie Frost and Billy, played by Jude Law in his cinema debut. as a couple of hang out together, get drunk together, and steal cards together.
Its never clear what year this film is set, it feels near future, but doesn't feel the need to use a title card to let us know what time period we are in. Shot with what seems like a small budget but using some neat tricks to make it look more expensive (a burning Porsche logo for one) Shopping was a cracking film on its release and is still a cracking film now. With a ear bleeding soundtrack featuring artists such as Utah Saints, Orbital, and EMF, as well as an orchestral score by Barrington Pheloung , its definitely a film to watch in the dark and with the speaker loud!
Along for the ride with Sadie Frost and Jude Law are Sean Bean, Sean Pertwee,,in one of my favourite roles of his, Jonathan Pryce, Marianne Faithfull, Eamonn Walker, and Jason Isaacs (Hello!!) Taking us into the world of street crime, joyriding, and general anarchy on the streets, Shopping is a film that I have revisited many times over the years and Id I let you know how many times I watched this film between my first cinema trip to see if in 1994,and perhaps the year 2000. It would rack up around 40 viewings (I had the movie poster on my wall for several years) Part of that Im sure was due to the reception the film got from the UK media who were worried that viewers of this troublesome film would someone decide to become joyriders and take over the world (for the record I never did, and never have) . To this day I still periodically pop on the CD soundtrack just to shake the dust from my brain.
Of course we all know the name Paul WS Anderson from the Resident Evil films, but if you haven't seen his cinema directing debut. then do check it out! Head out for a little Crash and Carry!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/15/23
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Audience Member
A nihilistic little rebel without a cause film, where a baby-faced Jude Law loots and pillage big box stores for kicks in bleak near future. It's a cool little film with a sobering ending.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
04/11/18
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Audience Member
When the bored adolescent and adrenalin junkie Billy McKenzie (Jude Law) gets released from prison for joyriding and ram-raiding, his rival and petty criminal Tommy (Sean Pertwee) has taken over the streets of the gritty post-industrial city they live in. Billy hooks up with his usual partner in crime and platonic girlfriend, Jo (Sadie Frost) and they get back to joyriding and ram-raiding as soon as they can. They´re not in it for the money, but to entertain and support themselves with worldly things. A fight for power commences as Billy starts hitting shops before Tommy had planned to. Jo wants Billy to change his lifestyle and move away, instead of fighting Tommy, a fight which will hurt them both in the end. He agrees, but he wants to take on a big shopping mall on a final hit. Something that has never been done before, which will make him a hero among the other joyriders. A plan that ultimately has tragic consequences...
Paul W.S. Anderson gained a fair bit of notoriety in his native England when he directed "Shopping" (1994) (which he also wrote). The film was banned in some cinemas in England, and became a direct-to-video slightly edited release in the United States. The anarchic and slightly nihilistic view of the main characters makes them hardly likeable as they do as they please in their own little world within the society. Jude Law´s Billy just wants to be someone and by doing greater and greater hits he can become king in this group of joyriders. Jo is more balanced and knows that their kicks will eventually hurt them, but yet she continues with the joyriding and ram-raiding. The kicks and the fuck you to society attitude is her petrol. But, to me there´s important layers in "Shopping" pointing out the problem with the youth for not being able to become part of society. They can´t get a job, they are on a collision course with parents, the search for kicks, the lost faith in themselves, the lost faith in society etc. The same issues we continue to have and we seem to struggle to solve these global problems. Something we truly need to take care of. I don´t think that "Shopping" is glamourising joyriding and ram-raiding as the consequences are quite clear in the film and I reckon that was hardly the main point from Paul W.S. Anderson. "Shopping" has something unique that makes it stand out. The plot line, the pulsating soundtrack (excellent theme song from The Sabres of Paradise), the visual elements and the great cast in Jude Law, Sadie Frost (lovely actress), Sean Pertwee, Jonathan Pryce and Sean Bean. Yes, it´s not spot on acting wise or direction wise all they way through. But, the unbalanced indie feeling of it only enhances the film and fits the film as well in my mind. I enjoyed re-seeing this one.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/21/23
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Audience Member
Group of youth go on 'shopping' sprees for a local fence by running automobiles through department store windows and looting. Possibly more style than substance. Relative newcomer Jude Law is easy to identify as a rising star.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
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