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Released by: BFI
Released on: April 21st, 2014.
Director: Bill Forsyth
Cast: Robert Buchanan, Drew Burns, John Hughes, Billy Greenless
Year: 1979
The Movie:
Directed by Bill Forsyth in 1979, That Sinking Feeling is set in the heart of urban Glasgow where we are introduced to a quartet of teenage boys: Ronnie (Robert Buchanan), Wal (Billy Greenless), Andy (John Gordon Sinclair) and Vic (John Hughes). These guys are bored, they're broke and they don't really have much going in the way of job prospects. Things are grim. So grim, in fact, that Ronnie - the impromptu leader of this makeshift gang - tries to drown himself in his bowl of milk and cornflakes. This ridiculous suicide attempt does at least accomplish one thing, and that's to cause an awakening of sorts in Ronnie. He figures there's got to be more to life than this and soon enough he and his pals decide they are going to break into a local warehouse and relive it of its contents: a whole bunch of stainless steel sinks. These have got to be worth some money, right? Even on the black market?
This isn't going to be easy though. There's the matter of the security guard (Gerry Clark) who patrols the area all night long, but then, Vic and Wal can just dress up in drag to distract him, much to the dismay of Vic's girlfriend Mary (Janette Rankin). Bobby comes up with a sleeping potion that they give to the driver of a bakery truck (Eddie Burt) so that they can steal his wheels to transport the goods with some help from a little black kid known only as The Wee Man (Eric Joseph - long before Jackass stole the name!). Of course, all of this can only lead to trouble for the boys…
That Sinking Feeling is, for lack of a better word, charming. The characters, like the movie itself, are all quite rough around the edges. They've got bad skin, greasy hair, they look a little haggard - but it all fits, we completely believe them as teenagers growing up in an industrial town, one that's seen better days. The sense of teenage boredom is easy to relate to as is the want for something more, something exciting, anything to break up the monotony of life, even if that something is a crime.
Peppered with all manner of quirky characters that appear throughout the movie, Forsyth's low budget 16mm production uses a few of the same cast members that would appear later in Gregory's Girl (the movie that put the Scottish director on the map, really) and most of the principals do fine work here. The important part of the collaborative efforts of those appearing in front of the camera is that we like the four boys, and we do. Ronnie in particular is affable and witty and Buchanan plays him well. John Hughes steals most of the scenes he's in thanks to his unusual affinity for borrowing Mary's clothes and makeup while Eric Joseph is quite memorable as the weird little kid who seems to be tagging along for whatever reason, kicks being the most likely.
The Glasgow location footage is another important aspect of the movie. Though a humorous disclaimer at the beginning of the movie assures us that any coincidence between the city we see in the movie and the real Glasgow is purely coincidental, it's obvious that the grubby, dirty, rundown town captured by Forsyth's camera is very much the real thing. This gives the story a welcome authenticity, the grim surroundings making the boys' collective efforts all the more understandable. All of this is set to a quirky but wholly appropriate jazzy score that compliments the action and effective comedy rather well. What the movie lacks in technical polish it more than makes up for in laughs, memorable characters and enjoyable performances.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The BFI's Blu-ray release presents That Sinking Feeling in 1.33.1 fullframe in AVC encoded 1080p high definition taken from the film's original negative and generally speaking the transfer is excellent. There's a very obvious coat of natural looking film grain present throughout (to be expected from a 16mm film made on a modest budget) but no serious print damage to note. Color reproduction is very strong and natural looking, without ever looking artificially pumped up. Skin tones also fare quite well and look nice and detailed and lifelike, not pink or waxy at all and there's no evidence of any DNR having been applied in anywhere. Shadow detail is also strong, with nice inky black levels staying strong and consistent without smearing the backgrounds or hiding anything from the camera. Close up shots of the actors are very crisp and the transfer features some impressive and strong black levels.
The English language 48 kHz/24 bit PCM 2.0 Mono track, which comes with optional closed captioning in English only, doesn't have a ton of range and shows the limitations of its source but is otherwise fine and it properly represents the original Glaswegian mix that was missing from the past DVD release. There are no problems with major hiss or distortion to complain about nor are there any issues with the levels. The film's soundtrack sounds quite good while the dialogue is always crisp and clear and perfectly balanced. Those who have an affinity for the dubbed version (which was recorded for the film's international release) will find that option included here as well but those experiencing the film for the first time will find that the original mix is far superior.
Extras are extensive, starting with an audio commentary featuring director Bill Forsyth and moderated by film critic Mark Kermode that really does a fine job of detailing this history of this quirky little movie. Forsyth discusses his intentions behind the origins of the picture, noting that he wanted something grittier and more realistic in its depictions of the film's characters and settings than what most might have expected. He also shares some interesting stories about how he and the cast and crew tried to compensate for the fact that they really didn't have a whole lot of money backing them on this project. It's a well-paced and interesting track, both easy to listen to and quite informative.
The disc also includes a new fourteen minute interview with actor Robert Buchanan recorded especially for this release. Here the leading man talks about working with Forsyth, about his character in the picture and what it was like on set. He also notes that there was quite a bit of improvisation on the set among other things.
Forsyth is further represented in a series of short films. KH-4, directed by John Schorstein in 1969 and running thirteen minutes tells the story of a young artist played by Forsyth who becomes upset when his inspiration flees as he tries to find it in the increasingly dire situations he sees in the city around him. In John Schorstein's 1970 picture Mirror, which clocks in at thirty-three minutes, Forsyth plays a writer who heads out into some of the tougher parts of Glasgow to find his girlfriend who has disappeared under strange circumstances. Forsyth also served as editor on Oscar Marzaroli's half hour documentary Glasgow made in 1971 and also included here. It's basically a promotional piece that was made to promote some proposed business developments that were to take place in the city. Forsyth the director spearheads a half hour long 1972 piece called Islands Of The West which was made to promoting the Scottish Hebrides.
If that weren't enough, we also get a seven minute piece from 2009 where Bill Forsyth delivers a speech for the that year's BAFTA proceedings and a nine minute interview with Mark Kermode entitled Kermode Uncut made in 2012 where the film critic talks about the low budget filmmaking style behind the feature with Forsyth. Menus and chapter stops are also included on the disc and inside the case is a full color illustrated booklet with essays from David Archibald, Colin Tully, Douglas Weir, Martin Tierney, and an archival piece written by Forsyth in 1981 alongside some credits for the feature, the supplements and the disc itself.
The Final Word:
The BFI's Blu-ray release of That Sinking Feeling really does justice not only to the film itself but to Forsyth's contributions to Scottish cinema. It offers up the movie with its proper sound mix in fantastic shape and with a really impressive array of supplements that detail the history of the picture and compliment it nicely. A very thorough and well-rounded release for a truly deserving film.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
