The Big Issue - UK (2020-08-24)

FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 33

CULTURE |

FILM

Get Duked!

On Amazon Prime from August 28

There’s always a sensible one in a

film like Get Duked! There’s always the

not-interested one. There’s always the

savvier one. And there tends to be rich

people doing bad things to those less well

off. On paper it’s a pretty standard story of

four people left in the middle of nowhere,

as threats close in on them. In this case, still

leaning close to formula, you also get the

sensible Ian (Samuel Bottomley) brought

together with a trio of urban teenagers –

Dean (Rian Gordon), ‘DJ Beatroot’

(the superb Viraj Juneja) and Duncan

(Lewis Gribben) – among which group he’s

the nerdy outsider.

They are transported in a spluttering

minibus by Jonathan Aris’ Mr Carlyle, and

dropped in the middle of the Highlands.

The simple task at hand is to complete a trek

as part of their Duke Of Edinburgh Award

assessment. Naturally, Ian doesn’t quite fit

in with the rest of the group, and you can

rummage around in the bowl of fish-out-of-

water conventions and pull out with ease a

few that the film relies on.

What’s tougher to see coming is Ninian

Doff’s absolutely sparkling script, which

once it’s comfortably set everything up,

subsequently begins to rip up a few rules and

have a whole lot of fun with it all. Trouble

arises when the four find themselves hunted

by a mysterious figure in a flat cap, and at

first I thought the film was going to point its

compass in the direction of The Hunt, which

landed earlier this year. Or at the very least,

some kind of slasher movie. But this is not

that film. Instead, with an undercurrent of

class warfare, Get Duked! turns out to be one

of the funniest movies of the year. It helps

that Doff – who also makes his directorial

debut – has penned four such likeable,

stuck-in-their-own-world characters to

front his film, and then cast each role

spectacularly well.

The four leads are hugely entertaining,

and gifted comic actors. Furthermore,

Doff also brings in some excellent, more

established support in cameo roles, not least

Alice Lowe and Kate Dickie on the side of law

enforcement, prioritising the local crimes

they need to solve, no matter how trivial they

may seem. Then there’s Eddie Izzard, also

one of the film’s  producers, looking to get the

riff-raff off the land (with the aid of a

sizeable gun).

Surprisingly, there’s an element of spoof

movie at times, given just how deadpan

some of the comedy moments in the film

are, as the bickering teenagers ignore clues

deliberately posited in plain sight. They also

fail to prioritise common sense, without ever

coming across as unintelligent. That’s some

balance that Doff manages – and then he

dabs in liberal doses of substances and

hip-hop too.

For the first two thirds of the film –

and it comes with an economic 87 - minute

running time – this is simply enormous

fun. It’s skilfully edited (by Doff and Ross

Hallard), and the sense of threat is allowed

to grow in the background of the punchy,

likeable humour. Still, I got to a point

where, as the curtain was pulled back a

little, I wondered whether Get Duked! could

compellingly finish what it started. Just

when those doubts arose though, Doff’s

commitment to doing things properly really

pays off.

No spoilers, short of saying that there’s a

moment in the last act of the film that ranks

as one of my favourite movie moments of

the year.

Originally set to be released under the

name Boyz In The Wood but changed very

late in the day,  Get Duked! now heads to

Amazon’s Prime Video service. I can’t help

but feel it deserves a cinema screen really,

not least for some gorgeous photography

of the Scottish landscapes. But most of all,

it deserves to be seen. It’s a scrappy, hugely

impressive and wildly entertaining way to

spend an hour and a half. And the less you

know about it going in the better.

Simon Brew is the editor and publisher of

independent film magazines Film Stories

and Film Stories Junior @simonbrew

Urban kids in the wild may be a hackneyed plot – but

a brilliant script saves this caper, says Simon Brew

Going native

It’s all fun and games

until the landowner

appears with a gun

Photo:

GetDuked/IMDb

Dukes of hazard

TRIP ADVISOR

Heading into cinemas this week

is the acclaimed animated movie

Away. It’s a beautifully realised

picture about a boy travelling

across an island on his motorbike,

connecting with many animals

he meets on his travels. Visually

striking and very family- friendly,

it’s well worth seeking out.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 33

CULTURE |

FILM

GetDuked!

OnAmazonPrimefromAugust 28

There’salwaysasensibleoneina

filmlikeGetDuked!There’salwaysthe

not-interestedone.There’salwaysthe

savvierone.And theretendstoberich

peopledoingbadthingstothoselesswell

off. Onpaperit’saprettystandardstory of

four peopleleftinthemiddleofnowhere,

asthreatscloseinonthem.In thiscase,still

leaningclosetoformula,you alsogetthe

sensibleIan (SamuelBottomley)brought

togetherwithatrioofurbanteenagers–

Dean(Rian Gordon),‘DJBeatroot’

(thesuperbViraj Juneja)andDuncan

(LewisGribben)–amongwhichgrouphe’s

thenerdy outsider.

Theyaretransportedinaspluttering

minibusby JonathanAris’ Mr Carlyle,and

droppedinthemiddleoftheHighlands.

Thesimpletaskathandistocompleteatrek

aspartoftheirDukeOfEdinburghAward

assessment.Naturally,Ian doesn’t quitefit

inwiththerestofthegroup,andyou can

rummagearoundinthebowl offish-out-of-

waterconventionsandpulloutwitheasea

fewthatthefilmrelieson.

What’stoughertoseecomingisNinian

Doff’sabsolutelysparklingscript,which

onceit’scomfortablyseteverythingup,

subsequentlybeginstoripupafewrulesand

haveawholelotoffunwithitall.Trouble

ariseswhenthefour findthemselveshunted

by amysteriousfigureinaflatcap, andat

firstIthoughtthefilmwas goingtopointits

compassinthedirectionofTheHunt,which

landedearlierthisyear. Oratthevery least,

somekindofslashermovie.Butthisisnot

thatfilm.Instead,withanundercurrentof

classwarfare,GetDuked!turnsouttobeone

ofthefunniestmoviesoftheyear. Ithelps

thatDoff–whoalsomakeshisdirectorial

debut–haspennedfour suchlikeable,

stuck-in-their-own-world charactersto

front hisfilm,andthencasteachrole

spectacularlywell.

Thefour leadsarehugelyentertaining,

andgiftedcomicactors.Furthermore,

Doffalsobringsinsomeexcellent,more

establishedsupportincameoroles, notleast

AliceLoweandKateDickieonthesideoflaw

enforcement,prioritisingthelocal crimes

theyneedtosolve,nomatterhow trivialthey

may seem.Thenthere’sEddieIzzard,also

oneofthefilm’s producers, lookingtogetthe

riff-raff offtheland(withtheaidofa

sizeablegun).

Surprisingly,there’sanelementofspoof

movieattimes, givenjusthow deadpan

someofthecomedymomentsinthefilm

are,asthebickeringteenagersignoreclues

deliberatelypositedinplainsight.Theyalso

fail toprioritisecommonsense,withoutever

comingacrossasunintelligent.That’ssome

balancethatDoffmanages–andthenhe

dabsinliberal dosesofsubstancesand

hip-hoptoo.

For thefirsttwo thirdsofthefilm–

anditcomeswithaneconomic 87 - minute

runningtime–thisissimplyenormous

fun.It’sskilfullyedited(by DoffandRoss

Hallard),andthesenseofthreatisallowed

togrow inthebackgroundofthepunchy,

likeablehumour.Still,Igottoapoint

where,asthecurtainwas pulledbacka

little,IwonderedwhetherGetDuked!could

compellinglyfinishwhatitstarted.Just

whenthosedoubtsarosethough,Doff’s

commitmenttodoingthingsproperlyreally

pays off.

No spoilers, shortofsayingthatthere’sa

momentinthelastactofthefilmthatranks

asoneofmy favouritemoviemomentsof

theyear.

Originallysettobereleasedunderthe

nameBoyzInTheWoodbutchangedvery

lateintheday,GetDuked!now headsto

Amazon’sPrimeVideoservice.Ican’t help

butfeelitdeservesacinemascreenreally,

notleastfor somegorgeousphotography

oftheScottishlandscapes. Butmostofall,

itdeservestobeseen.It’sascrappy,hugely

impressiveandwildlyentertainingway to

spendanhourandahalf. And thelessyou

know aboutitgoinginthebetter.

SimonBrewistheeditorandpublisherof

independentfilmmagazinesFilmStories

andFilmStoriesJunior@simonbrew

Urbankidsin thewildmaybea hackneyedplot– but

a brilliantscriptsavesthiscaper,saysSimonBrew

Going native

It’s all fun and games

until the landowner

appears with a gun

Photo:

GetDuked/IMDb

Dukes of hazard

TRIPADVISOR

Heading into cinemas this week

is the acclaimed animated movie

Away. It’s a beautifully realised

picture about a boy travelling

across an island on his motorbike,

connecting with many animals

he meets on his travels. Visually

striking and very family- friendly,

it’s well worth seeking out.

COMING ATTRACTIONS