Sex and drugs and rock the boat (Donkey Punch (DVD))

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Donkey Punch (DVD)
Date:	04/09/09 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The cast

Disadvantages: Drags a bit and goes a bit OTT at times

I caught this film the other night on Film4. I had heard a lot about it, how it was a hard hitting British film that wasn' for the faint hearted, and I suppose in a way this is right. However, aside from a couple of scenes, there's nothing major here to put you off.

Essentially, it tells the tale of a group of girls who go on holiday after one of them is cheated on by her boyfriend. They hook up with some guys and take a yacht out onto the ocean, bathing and basking in the glorious sunshine. All young (late teens, early twenties) and with seemingly no cares in the world, the sexual tension fizzles as drugs and sex stories come into things, and before long they're taking things downstairs for a bit more action. However, when disaster strikes, tensions fray and violence erupts, leaving the film as much in the balance as everyone's lives!

It's a very well made film, with a bunch of virtually unknown Brits doing surprisingly well. I didn't find the film particularly amazing, but the situational tension is quite impressive, as is the boldness not only of the characters, but also the cast, amidst the sex scenes and the ability to portray true emotions and outward feelings such as attraction, nervousness, bravado, ego and anger. The cast do a very good job, all things considered.

For me, though, the film just didn't quite completely click. I found it a bit slow going to start with, and although this did add somewhat to the tension, it didn't really make more of an impact later on in the film when things started happening. The film's title relates to a particular 'move' when havign sex, and this is integral to the film's plot and how it unfolds, and there is a certain amount of horrific detail explored at points, but while the adult theme is a constant throughout, it's not so harsh that makes it only for the brave.

The film goes a little bit overboard at times towards the end, but a cast seemingly mature beyond their years manage to maintain the element of believability throughout. A lesser cast would have resulted in a worse and less believable film that was just like some trashy late night American film. As it stands, it's a well enough made Brit flick for the older viewer only. I doubt I'll watch it again, but it's one I'm glad I have seen.

Although this is a film review, and I didn't actually buy the DVD, and the price is all around the review in the various boxes from amazon.co.uk at the top and the side of this page, I'll let you know that you can pick up Donkeyh Punch on DVD for around £4.98 at the moment.....

Summary: Well enough made British film about a tragedy of sorts at sea