| Posted by: Bullet Tooth Tony at April 4, 2004, 4:19 pm | | Topic: Reviews: 28 Days Later Forum: JoBlo | | 28 Days Later (Fox Searchlight 2002) Director: Danny Boyle Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns and Christopher Eccleston No this isn't a sequel to the Sandra Bullock vehicle '28 days' I hear you jest. This is Danny Boyle's homage to the greatness that is the zombie movie. We haven't had a decent zombie flick since the 1985 classic 'Day Of The Dead' and '28 Days Later' signals a fine return to form for one of my personal favourite director's Danny Boyle. A virus is created by British scientists called Rage, within seconds the infected are reduced to mindless zombies intent on destruction and violence, much like how I feel after another Tottenham defeat! It only takes you one scratch, bite or just a drop of blood in the eye to become infected into a permanent state of anger. The virus is unleashed when a group of animal rights activists attack the lab where Rage is being tested and doesn't take long before the whole of Britain is decimated into an apocalyptic landscape. 28 Days Later...courier Jim played by relative newcomer Cillian Murphy wakes up from a coma, the first ten minutes or so we follow Jim around as he try's to come to terms with what is going on. This sequence is worth the price of admission alone. The silence as Jim wonders around deserted London is truly awe inspiring as you see the famous landmarks of the great city completely deserted. Danny Boyle gives us long shots of London that really magnify the emptiness. Danny Boyle has always been a visionary director and he fills the screen here with symbolism up the ying yang. After Jim has encountered his first infected, he meets up with Selena played by the very impressive Naomie Harris and Mark. After an excellent sequence at Jim's home they set off somewhere, anywhere with no real direction until they meet a father and daughter Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and Hannah (Megan Burns). Frank becomes a father figure to Jim and after hearing a radio broadcast they decide to leave London and find salvation away from the madness and a promised cure in Manchester. This is the sequence that really bothered me, Manchester is roughly 4 hours or so from London but it still takes them a couple of days to get there. I know the M6 can be a nightmare most of the time but the roads are empty! The first 50 minutes or so of '28 Days Later' makes for truly amazing cinema but once we get to Manchester things tail off a tad. The second half of the film doesn't compare to the first. However it is the last half where we discover what is happening and the message Danny Boyle is trying to convey. In the second half the group meet up with a small cross-section of soldiers. Lead by Major Henry West, the always brilliant Chris Eccleston we learn what the radio message really is for. Its here that Jim meets another father figure in Major West. This relationship is really interesting, West is telling Jim all these things and Jim listens trying to take in what is happening. Selena is another interesting character, when we first meet her she is a emotionless and cold but towards the end changes dramatically and her relationship with Jim is very fascinating. Naomie Harris and Cillian Murphy are both awesome together, can't wait to see more of these two. Brendan Gleeson as Frank shines as the likeable cab driver but Megan Burns as Hannah isn't really convincing and at time sounds wooden. She isn't terrible but showed that she is a newcomer, she is only young and can only improve The soldiers, played by a rabble of ex-soap stars also disappoint in what is truly stereotypical writing by Alex Garland. Garland provides a brilliant script, his first. You may remember he wrote 'The Beach' which Danny Boyle himself made with differing results...not Danny's finest hour. Danny Boyle truly is a gem when he has a small budget to work with, you can add this to his other classics 'Trainspotting' and 'Shallow Grave'. I like the message implied, which I don't really want to spoil if you haven't already watched the movie. '28 Days Later' has gone down a storm in the US and deservedly so. This movie makes you think, is cool and has some great set pieces. The soundtrack by John Murphy is truly awesome, especially 'In The House - In A Heartbeat' which is superb. A truly visionary film, which I'm worried will be spoilt by the greed of Fox who own the rights to any sequels. Highly recommended. |
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