Loading ...Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee review
You would think after the critical success that was This Is England, Shane Meadows would be working on another ambitious project. Instead he decided to follow this film with the shoe-string Somer’s Town – and Le Donk and Scor-zay-zee is very much the maniacal, free-form brother of that film.
Le Donk is a mockumentary that bears a resemblance to Meadows’ shorter film works, like Northern Soul and the internet series Macca’s Men. So, to draw a comparison to This Is England or Dead Man’s Shoes would not only be unfair, but would also completely miss the point of this film. To wit: compare the credit sequences of England and Le Donk. The former is a quilt of 80’s politics, Thatcher and Falklands, the latter a series of crude cartoons (a woman’s dangling ‘bollocks’ being a highlight) accompanied by the titular rapper’s wisdom.
So Meadows isn’t ramming social commentary down our throats – who cares? Le Donk is certainly a breath of fresh air for a director that, for all his talent, isn’t exactly the most versatile. Le Donk, roadie and failed musician is played by Paddy Considine, a role that is at once funny whilst being utterly fearless. He manages to add depth to a character without losing the humour – and it is surely one of his best roles to date.
Considine’s performance is buoyed by the Nottingham rap prodigy, Scor-zay-zee, in what is essentially a show-off role for his talents. Olivia Colman (of Peepshow fame), the Arctic Monkeys and Shane Meadows ably support the two main roles. The improvisational nature of the film gifts the performances with an unpolished awkwardness which is a joy to watch.
At 71 minutes long, the film doesn’t outstay its welcome, either. It’s hardly ambitious, but had it stepped over the 90 minute mark, it would’ve started to feel like a drawn-out comedy sketch. As it is, the film is the perfect length, providing belly-laughs and plenty of heart. A ridiculous, playful and ballsy little film, made in just 5 days, Meadows himself said this was a Spinal Tap on the road. He’s right – and it’s definitely not a shit sandwich.
