GFF 2010: Savage

Savage is a SERIOUS film about VIOLENCE and MASCULINITY and all of the BIG ISSUES that are IMPORTANT in TODAY’S SOCIETY! Paul (Darren Healey) is a po-faced press photographer (this should be crucial, but isn’t) who mopes around Dublin worried about his sick father, though he’s clearly more concerned with all the horrible binge-drinkers, stags and hens and vile hoodies who populate his streets. How dare they! One night, two thugs attack the living hell out of him, leaving Paul a shadow of the blandly characterised man he once was, forcing him to redefine his maleness, his sanity and his thirst for justice. What could have been a cathartic, nihilistic rush of frontier-style vengeance à la Dead Man’s Shoes (or a subversive take on gender politics) instead attempts a 'state of the nation' address: director Muldowney clearly sees this as his Taxi Driver, but has none of the psychological insight or fiery intelligence to make this anything more than a STYLISHLY SHOT but NEAR-RISIBLE tabloid angst-fest.