PUSHER
UK, 2012, 89 minutes, Colour.
Richard Coyle, Bronson Web, Zlatko Buric.
Directed by Luis Prieto.
This film is of remake of the original Danish film, Pusher, released in 1996, followed some years later by two sequels. The original film made a mark for its director, Nicholas Winding Refn, who is one of the executive producers of this film.
The plotline is virtually the same as that of the original with a setting now in London (and a shorter running time than the original). Richard Coyle plays Frank, London dealer, confident himself, moving around a seedy London, especially the clubs and various venues for clients and dealers. When pursued by the police, he empties his drugs into the river and, while they interrogate him, they cannot keep him.
As at the first film, he has a friend called Tony (Bronson Web), a motormouth with an excess of sexual fixation. The police say that he informed on Frank and Frank bashes him. Fred is also in debt to an Eastern European dealer, Milo, played by Zlatko Buric who play the same role in the first film, a smiling dealer but ruthless.
This film emulates the visual style of the first film, dark, an ugly picture of London, with a driving score.
Fans of the original film were not the least impressed by this version.
1. The reputation of the original film? Cult film? The beginning of the director’s successful career? The need for and quality of this remake?
2. The London settings, the seedy aspects, the drug world, prostitution, violence, Eastern European criminals, local criminals?
3. The tough style of filmmaking, the story, performances, issues? Visual and forceful? The choice of musical score, music, aggressive?
4. The time span, action over one week, each day specified, the intensity, Frank’s character, situation, his being pursued by criminals demanding money, police investigation, trying to raise money for his debts?
5. Frank, a sociopath, his character? In the world of drugs? His personality, prone to violence? Friendship with Tony? The relationship with Flo? The difficulties of intimacy? Love? His experience in the drug world? Dealing? The stock, on credit? The amount of cash? The police, the investigation? Getting rid of the drugs in the water? Milo and his demands? The police and their not having enough evidence to keep Frank? The ruthlessness of his attempts to raise money?
6. The range of characters, Tony, weak, sex obsession, Flo, her dancing, love for Frank, yet taking the money, criminal friends, the drug bosses, from Eastern Europe? People caught up in this drug world?
7. The character of Flo, as a dancer, sex, personality, the reason for being with Frank? His dealings with her, her love, his lack of emotion in his relationship?
8. Tony, friend, associate, the drugs, sex talk, Frank thinking he had informed to the police, bashing him?
9. Indebted to Milo, the drug lord, his henchmen, standover tactics, electric torture, the types, the brutal stances? Frank getting the gun, getting away? Milo and his smiles and smooth talk, relentless?
10. The end, unfinished, Frank and a future?
11. An ugly world, presented enthusiastically with cinematic verve?
