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| Crying With Laughter - a film by Justin Molotnikov |
Comedy is a strange thing in that it’s there to make people laugh but the irony is that a lot of comedians aren’t exactly what you’d describe as the happiest people in the world. Locally produced film Crying with Laughter acknowledges this as it delves into the dark life of Edinburgh stand-up comedian Joey Frisk in what can only be described as a black comedy thriller.
The debut film from writer and director Justin Molotnikov, the protagonist is Joey (Stephen McCole); an obnoxious man with a cocaine habit, a young daughter from a failed relationship and a past that had him in a borstal as a youngster. He seems to be a stay fast addition to the Edinburgh comedy scene but not necessarily a happy man and the already precarious position he has in life is knocked off kilter by a chance meeting with an old school friend, Frank (Malcolm Shields). Sinister from his first appearance on the screen, he takes disturbed to a whole new level as he first invites the reluctant Joey to a school reunion and then impregnates himself into Joey’s life so that he has no choice but to trust him and go along with his unrevealed plans.
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| Stephen McCole as Joey Frisk |
The beauty of this film is that it is very British and the characters are ultimately believable, never quite slipping into caricatures which could easily have happened with a lesser script. The thriller element has a slow build up that isn’t disguised, leaving the audience in a position where they are able to relish in their pondering of what on earth Frank is going to do next. The fact that people are unpredictable under high levels of stress is used to it’s full in the story and you aren’t ever quite sure how the fraught relationship between Joey and Frank will conclude. With themes of drug use, child molestation and the perils of living life on the edge, it’s not a family film but definitely one to catch.
Crying with Laughter, although set and filmed in Edinburgh, is a first in that it is financed, produced and distributed by the ever growing East Midlands film scene. Produced by Nottingham- based Wellington Films, it was also co-funded by EM Media and distributed by BritFilms. A low-budget release by normal standards, the look and feel of the film is not cheap and the talent used to put it together is obvious.
Crying with Laughter, although set and filmed in Edinburgh, is a first in that it is financed, produced and distributed by the ever growing East Midlands film scene. Produced by Nottingham- based Wellington Films, it was also co-funded by EM Media and distributed by BritFilms. A low-budget release by normal standards, the look and feel of the film is not cheap and the talent used to put it together is obvious.
An excellent cast, including a perfectly balanced supporting role from British actress Jo Hartley as the mother of Joey’s daughter, and an articulate script bring us a great, if very dark, film. I’ve yet to see anything more eerie than Frank dancing like a pro to a Northern Soul track whilst coming apart at the seams. All in all, Crying with Laughter demonstrates that maybe laughter is the best medicine, even if it is the cynical, hard laughs you’re going for.
Crying with Laughter will be showing at Broadway from Friday 14 May until Sunday 16 May.
