LE DONK AND SCOR-ZAY-ZEE
UK, 2009, 71 minutes, Colour.
Paddy Considine, Dean Palinczuk, Olivia Coleman, Richard Graham, Seamus O’ Neill.
Directed by Shane Meadows.
The title doesn't really give the plot away!
Shane Meadows has built a reputation for small-budget slices of British life, sometimes documentary-like (24/7, Somers Town and This is England), sometimes melodramatic (Once Upon a Time in the Midlands, Dead Man's Shoes). Paddy Considine appeared in his A Room for Romeo Brass and several films since. Now they have 'devised' a miniscule budget 70 minutes feature, filmed in five days, that works very well and shows the potential for this kind of film-making.
The title? Le Donk is the adopted name of a British roadie, whose real name is the disliked Nicholas (Considine). Scor- Zay- Zee is the stage name of a largish, young rapper (Dean Palinczuk). This is three days in their lives.
While the mockumentary format has been widely used, it still works entertainingly and has considerable potential. We see director, Shane Meadows, himself, and his sound engineer arriving at Le Donk's flat to start filming him at home. Le Donk has the gift of the gab (only more so), so there is rarely a quiet moment. But Paddy Considine invests him with a blend of likeable larrikinism, a large dollop of insensitivity, a zest for life with ego, a laddish response to what work, friends and life in general have to offer. This means we are laughing with him and at him, but not in a supercilious way. It's a fine line but, while you wouldn't want to spend a great deal of time with him in real life, he is entertaining enough company for the 70 minutes.
A sub-plot involves the pregnancy of his ex-girlfriend (Olivia Coleman) who is about to give birth and does. She plays it nicely and humanely as does Richard Graham as her boyfriend. Le Donk reflects on all of this and realises he can keep in touch with his child through email and be a cyberspace dad.
Scor- Zay- Zee, on the other hand, is overshadowed as a personality by Le Donk and his ego. He writes lyrics, tries hard to find a power source for his keyboard and doesn't exhibit much personality until the final performance with Le Donk at an Arctic Monkeys concert at Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester.
Perhaps you wouldn't miss much if you never saw the film, but there is much to enjoy with Paddy Considine's rough and ready (rough language) and surprisingly engaging performance.
1.A mockumentary, the sense of realism, that style of humour? Character and situations? Clever language?
2.The small budget, filming in five days, improvised?
3.The work of Shane Meadows, his films, documentary style, thrillers? Collaboration with Paddy Considine? Paddy Considine creating the character of Le Donk? Shane Meadows and his camerawork, as part of the plot? Talking with Le Donk? The producer appearing in the film, the editor as Richard, the other contributors?
4.The concert situation, the opening, the introduction to Le Donk and Scor- Zay -Zee? Recapped at the end? Audience expectations for the finale?
5.Nottingham, the flats and streets, the houses, the back entries? Authentic feel?
6.The contrast with Manchester, on the highways, Old Trafford, the hotels, the parking area, the stage, behind the sets? And authentic feel?
7.The music, the Arctic Monkeys, the rap music of Scor- Zay- Zee, the lyrics, popular, performance, the audience response? The style?
8.Paddy Considine creating Le Donk, real name Nicholas? The background of the story with Olivia, the relationship, her pregnancy? Going to talk with her? His attitude towards the pregnancy, the change of heart? His antagonism towards Richard? At home, welcoming Shane Meadows, the centre of the show, the reality of renting out his apartment, the lodger and his being immovable? The situation as a roadie, the background in New York? (And the end credits story and its turn?) Scor- Zay- Zee and the camera interest in him and putting Scor- Zay- Zee down? Managing Scor- Zay- Zee, his hopes? Olivia, the talk about the birth, his not being welcome, his argument, his talk about contact with the child through email? A cyber-parent? His cup of tea? Confronting Richard upstairs? Shane Meadows and his advice to be calm, his being pleased with himself? Driving to Manchester? His reflections?
9.The issue of the hotel, staying one night, his carry-on about his room, the arrival, meeting Mark, the producer, the other members of the team? The hotel itself, his wanting his privacy? Scor- Zay- Zee carrying the luggage?
10.At the concert site, the meeting with Nige? The set-up, Scor- Zay- Zee and the keyboard, looking for a power point? Le Donk not helping? The plan for Scor- Zay- Zee to perform, the discussions with Mark, this being accepted by the Arctic Monkeys? The Arctic Monkeys and their band, characters?
11.The parties, talk, the girls, Le Donk and his assertion, manner, the girls’ reaction? Their interest in Scor- Zay -Zee? Le Donk being upset? Going out, returning?
12.The phone call from Olivia, the birth of the child, his decision to return? Meeting Richard, with Olivia, with the baby? Saying he was transformed? Olivia persuading him to go back to the concert?
13.The performance, with Scor -Zay- Zee, introducing him, their singing, the lyric from Scor- Zay- Zee, the list of names from Le Donk? The success? The aftermath?
14.Le Donk as generally good-natured, the audience laughing at him, laughing with him? Le Donk as a rounded character? Believable with flaws? Scor- Zay- Zee as less of a character? Less rounded personality? Coming to life in the performance?
15.The effect of this kind of rapid but well-planned and small-budget film-making?
