A few thoughts concerning this film as film. Firstly, the narrative is essentially a class allegory. Nasty posh boys pick up Northern lasses, mix gently and await combustion. This had a reassuringly dated feel, like something out of the fifties, or perhaps 'Thatcher's Britain'. Which is not to say that class is not still an issue that warrants attention, but the straightforwardness of the class equation seemed old-fashioned and unreflective of the UK's new complexities. Secondly, the placing of seven attractive young things in an enclosed space where they can do what they like, including drugs, felt like an Endemol wet dream. Big Brother with the gloves off, hidden cameras documenting their every move. In fact if the piece had sustained a sense of reality TV/Cinema more effectively it could have been powerful. As it is the narrative demands of cinema meant that credulity was fairly quickly stretched past breaking point, and once that moment was crossed, the suspense flagged, the film became an issue of joining the dots which would permit Nichola Burley to be the last woman standing. For all its attempts to shock with its references to violent sex, Donkey Punch is ultimately a safe, old fashioned kind of movie, which would only really upset the kind of people who wouldn't go near it in the first place.
Having said all of which, I recognise that I am not the target audience. Though it's unclear who the target cinema audience might be. Perhaps the 16-23 year old age group, some of whom would be excluded by the fact that the film has an 18 certificate, others by the fact that they're more likely to watch the new Batman movie. In a way, it's irrelevant, as the film will hope to make its money back from DVD sales.
The reason this is important, and the main reason the film is significant, is not so much because of the film itself, (a reasonably effective piece of genre film-making, which had it been full of young US stars and not loaded with the pretensions to seriousness of its class subtext, might have done better at the box office than it will), but the collective weight of influence which lead to this particular film being made. Important though Blackburn and Bloom are in this process, they are ultimately the beneficiaries of the funding bodies which chose to back the film. The production credits include the great and good of current British film-making, including players from Film 4 and the Film Council. It's not easy getting a first film made in this country, and whilst a million pounds might be peanuts in the land of the Dark Knight, it would be a reasonable budget in most countries, and for many of the films reviewed on these pages.
Consequently Donkey Punch is a reflection of the kind of cinema that those who are guarding the flame of British cinema want to see made. It sums up the petard we are hoisted on in this country. Our industry wants to make edgy creative cinema, (in line with our musical traditions), but it also wants a guarantee it's going to get its money back. Consequently it seeks to minimise risk, cross Ts and dot Is. This is evident in the script of Donkey Punch, which is so much more anodyne than the film's premise (just to make sure that people 'get it') but also in the film's formulaic resolution.
As a consequence it falls between two stools. It seems unlikely that Donkey Punch will make a killing at the box office. It will gradually recoup its revenue through DVD sales and shrewd accountancy. It also seems unlikely that Donkey Punch will come to be seen as any kind of a milestone in the development of British cinema. Maybe that will come. The one thing to emerge from the process is that Warp, the main producing house, appear to have funding resources and the ability to turn films round quickly. Donkey Punch is part of a learning curve, (we don't make enough films in this country for any production with a budget of a million or over not to be) and that might help to encourage the film's backers to realise that playing it safe rarely made anyone a fortune in the arts.
Having said all of which, I recognise that I am not the target audience. Though it's unclear who the target cinema audience might be. Perhaps the 16-23 year old age group, some of whom would be excluded by the fact that the film has an 18 certificate, others by the fact that they're more likely to watch the new Batman movie. In a way, it's irrelevant, as the film will hope to make its money back from DVD sales.
The reason this is important, and the main reason the film is significant, is not so much because of the film itself, (a reasonably effective piece of genre film-making, which had it been full of young US stars and not loaded with the pretensions to seriousness of its class subtext, might have done better at the box office than it will), but the collective weight of influence which lead to this particular film being made. Important though Blackburn and Bloom are in this process, they are ultimately the beneficiaries of the funding bodies which chose to back the film. The production credits include the great and good of current British film-making, including players from Film 4 and the Film Council. It's not easy getting a first film made in this country, and whilst a million pounds might be peanuts in the land of the Dark Knight, it would be a reasonable budget in most countries, and for many of the films reviewed on these pages.
Consequently Donkey Punch is a reflection of the kind of cinema that those who are guarding the flame of British cinema want to see made. It sums up the petard we are hoisted on in this country. Our industry wants to make edgy creative cinema, (in line with our musical traditions), but it also wants a guarantee it's going to get its money back. Consequently it seeks to minimise risk, cross Ts and dot Is. This is evident in the script of Donkey Punch, which is so much more anodyne than the film's premise (just to make sure that people 'get it') but also in the film's formulaic resolution.
As a consequence it falls between two stools. It seems unlikely that Donkey Punch will make a killing at the box office. It will gradually recoup its revenue through DVD sales and shrewd accountancy. It also seems unlikely that Donkey Punch will come to be seen as any kind of a milestone in the development of British cinema. Maybe that will come. The one thing to emerge from the process is that Warp, the main producing house, appear to have funding resources and the ability to turn films round quickly. Donkey Punch is part of a learning curve, (we don't make enough films in this country for any production with a budget of a million or over not to be) and that might help to encourage the film's backers to realise that playing it safe rarely made anyone a fortune in the arts.
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