"Rough Around The Edges" is one of those low budget kitchen sink comedies, revealing the simmering underbelly of the working class. There isn't one leading character or villain, but a group of them. The line between who is decent, and who is anything but decent, is blurred. The film frequently switches into faux documentary mode.
It has clearly been shot on digital video, with basic production values and locations, and there's not much to write home about in terms of wonderful camera work. Its strengths are its story telling, a diverse cast, and the humour, and to the film's credit I was totally transfixed for the duration. It doesn't need special effects or a love interest (plenty of "lust" interests), and there is an authenticity to the story lines that compliments the documentary style.
So what's it about ? There's a number of plots that keep the ensemble cast, and viewer, busy. The characters all have clearly defined goals, most of which are dubious, and the film follows each strand as they culminate on a weekend. Students, a toilet salesman, some taxi drivers, an appallingly unfit (morally not physically) single mother, and most effectively of all, a male stripper called Jeff – the best character in the film in my opinion.
In the film's first scene, stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror, plotting revenge on somebody who's cheated him at poker, Jeff lays down his marker – vain, confident, prejudiced and brazen. No ambiguity at all about this fella, he just doesn't give a stuff. The role has been well cast – the actor's physical suitability for the part of a male stripper is as obvious as his dancing/performance skills. There are two stripper routines in "Rough Around The Edges" and both appear to have been shot in authentic locations with real life audiences.
Jeff is a womanising layabout who enjoys a self-created comfort zone - claiming the dole, picking up "cash only" work when he can, enjoying casual flings, and shirking any kind of responsibility for his actions.
The talented actor plays him with relish, showing brilliant comic timing, and I followed his exploits through the film with delight. In one scene, his mates bring round a dead body that they've having to dispose of, on the quiet. Jeff's best lines of the film come in this scene. The corpse is laid on the living room floor, and they're all stood over it, debating their next move. Jeff will only help them get rid of the body if they agree to a game of poker, which he aims to rig, so he can get his revenge as referred to in the film's opening scene; his sole motivation for helping to dispose of the corpse is the fear of the poker game being cancelled. "That WOULD be an emergency" he quips, delivering one of the film's best lines.
Being a self centred vagabond who spends the entire film rubbing everyones noise in it, Jeff must naturally get his comeuppance at the film's climax. The manner in which this is done is laugh out loud funny and original and I salute the actor for his bravery in taking the scene to the limit.
The film's humour is blunt, crude and coarse. There is strong language throughout, and some nudity. On reflection I am full of good words for this movie, and I recommend it if you want something non-commercial, raw and authentic. It is not flawless but it is very funny.
It has clearly been shot on digital video, with basic production values and locations, and there's not much to write home about in terms of wonderful camera work. Its strengths are its story telling, a diverse cast, and the humour, and to the film's credit I was totally transfixed for the duration. It doesn't need special effects or a love interest (plenty of "lust" interests), and there is an authenticity to the story lines that compliments the documentary style.
So what's it about ? There's a number of plots that keep the ensemble cast, and viewer, busy. The characters all have clearly defined goals, most of which are dubious, and the film follows each strand as they culminate on a weekend. Students, a toilet salesman, some taxi drivers, an appallingly unfit (morally not physically) single mother, and most effectively of all, a male stripper called Jeff – the best character in the film in my opinion.
In the film's first scene, stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror, plotting revenge on somebody who's cheated him at poker, Jeff lays down his marker – vain, confident, prejudiced and brazen. No ambiguity at all about this fella, he just doesn't give a stuff. The role has been well cast – the actor's physical suitability for the part of a male stripper is as obvious as his dancing/performance skills. There are two stripper routines in "Rough Around The Edges" and both appear to have been shot in authentic locations with real life audiences.
Jeff is a womanising layabout who enjoys a self-created comfort zone - claiming the dole, picking up "cash only" work when he can, enjoying casual flings, and shirking any kind of responsibility for his actions.
The talented actor plays him with relish, showing brilliant comic timing, and I followed his exploits through the film with delight. In one scene, his mates bring round a dead body that they've having to dispose of, on the quiet. Jeff's best lines of the film come in this scene. The corpse is laid on the living room floor, and they're all stood over it, debating their next move. Jeff will only help them get rid of the body if they agree to a game of poker, which he aims to rig, so he can get his revenge as referred to in the film's opening scene; his sole motivation for helping to dispose of the corpse is the fear of the poker game being cancelled. "That WOULD be an emergency" he quips, delivering one of the film's best lines.
Being a self centred vagabond who spends the entire film rubbing everyones noise in it, Jeff must naturally get his comeuppance at the film's climax. The manner in which this is done is laugh out loud funny and original and I salute the actor for his bravery in taking the scene to the limit.
The film's humour is blunt, crude and coarse. There is strong language throughout, and some nudity. On reflection I am full of good words for this movie, and I recommend it if you want something non-commercial, raw and authentic. It is not flawless but it is very funny.