There are two kinds of movies in this world: ones that stink and ones that don’t. Well, that’s not entirely true, but it is one of the quirky dialogue inclusions, amongst others, in low-budget, ambition driven Gettin’ Some.
Directed by Luther Bhogal-Jones, this inspired feature took an unbelievable 14 years to make. What adds even more to the work’s character, as well as its ongoing production time, is the fact that it was made on nearly no budget. What originally started as a short Bhogal-Jones’ compares with 1996 comedy Swingers, turned into a series of clips in aim to prove that a film without funds could be done capably.
The history of the making and Bhogal-Jones’ continuing motivation is nothing short of admirable, but it also pushes the bar higher than most independently funded movies. However, this could lead to disappointment so what’s important to remember when watching this film is that it was not solely made to stand out as a cinematic masterpiece. Instead, Bhogal-Jones wanted to make a light-hearted comedy with a well-written plot without all of the money that is usually put into production. In correlation with this, Bhogal-Jones was disappointed with Shane Meadows release of Smalltime, under the same premise and he wanted to do it better. And with this idea in mind he has fulfilled his criteria and created an entertaining full-length feature.
There’s no denying that the film itself is a tad stuck in its era. The cinematic quality alone is definitely true to the 90s and the whole sequence looks as if it was filmed on a home camcorder. In addition, during a beginning scene one of the characters is shown seeking out a VHS porno from a dealer, the woes of man pre-Internet.
The rawness of the filming may be a little shoddy, however the movie itself proved an amusing watch and Bhogal-Jones interlocked the characters and their lives well. The plot follows various groups of twenty-somethings, in their love and lives, including a young guy and his break-up, an infidelity and a woman who is constantly on the dating battlefield in relation to her shortened name ‘Alex’. There are some clever little traits incorporated into the storyline, with the film occasionally sidelining with intermissions such as the video shop owner’s rant on house music, reminiscent of scenes such as ‘spliff politics’ in Human Traffic. Another of these idiosyncrasies involves a puppet used as a character, which I am almost completely sure is nothing to do with the low budget, and some shrewd dialogue repetitions.
Although Gettin’ Some may never make it to the DVD shelves, I think it stands as a triumph and an example of what can be done with a lot of clout and ongoing motivation. As Bhogal-Jones says, “what does remain is a dream of ambition, a fast paced entertaining film with a large ensemble cast filmed over a variety of locations, a film to hopefully inspire a next generation of film makers at what can be achieved with no money but energy and endless determination.” Whether you enjoy the film or think it’s a waste of time, you can’t help but admire Bhogal-Jones for his ultimate drive and if you yourself are a struggling filmmaker then a little sympathy is in order. Check out the film on www.vimeo.com/fasterproductions.
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