Friends Juliet, David and Alex are looking for a flatmate to share their Edinburgh home; after interviewing several people they give the room to Hugo. Soon there is no sign of him; at first they think he just left but his car is still parked outside and his room is locked from the inside. They force their way in and discover Hugo's dead body along with a suitcase full of money. It doesn't take them long to decide to keep the money and dispose of the body.Things soon start to go wrong; they draw lots to decide who should remove the body's identifying features and David loses… after this deed the shy character starts to become unhinged. In order to stop the others spending the money he hides it in the water tank in the flat's loft then sits up there guarding it. The money is not unmissed; a couple of murderous thugs are looking for it and they are using extreme methods to question anybody who might know where it is; inevitably they finally discover where Hugo was living. At this point Juliet and Alex discover just how dangerous David has become. By now each of them has determined to take the money and leave… that will be far from easy.This is a great little film populated by surprisingly unlikeable characters. From the opening scene, where the trio belittle most of those applying to become their flat mate. Some people may be but off by these characters but I found they made the film more interesting. The story is fairly simple but still gripping; it is also quite disturbing at times; especially towards the end when there are some wince inducing moments. The small cast did a fine job; Kerry Fox and Ewan McGregor impress as Juliet and Alex but it is Christopher Eccleston who really shines as David as he becomes more and more unhinged. While these three dominate the film they are ably supported by Ken Stott, as DI McCall and Keith Allen as Hugo. Overall I'd certainly recommend this but it certainly isn't for younger viewers or those who think a film should feature at least one likable main character.

First of all, I'll address what seems to be the primary criticism about 'Shallow Grave,' i.e. the three main characters are as shallow as the graves they dig for their victims. Even the usually charming Ewan McGregor is as nasty and spiteful as his two flatmates, played by Christopher Ecleston and Kerry Fox.So, if you're looking for a film where you can truly identify with a bunch of nice, loyal, brave heroes, then Danny Boyle's first film probably isn't for you.But, if you can put up with the deliberately dark tones of the film, you should enjoy it. The three stuck-up friends come into possession of a suitcase-load of money (courtesy of a forth flatmate - now deceased). They - naturally - think they're entitled to it and set about having a jolly good time.If the film really did contain such unlikeable characters as some people seem to hate it for, then I doubt it would ever have been considered the classic that it is. I think we tolerate these selfish individuals because we know that, once they've decided not to turn the money over to the proper authorities, then retribution is never far from their door.It's not as stylish as Trainspotting, as Hollywood as A Life Less Ordinary, as action-packed as 28 Days Later, or deep and aspiring as Slumdog Millionaire, but it is a great and raw flick from undoubtedly one of Britain's finest modern film-makers. Definitely worth a watch.

At his best, Danny Boyle is one of our finest living filmmakers. And if this 1st feature isn't quite up to the level of the best of his work, it still shows one heck of a lot of talent.That said, while enjoyable and full of energy and solid performances, this didn't hold up as well on 2nd viewing as I'd hoped. This caper drama about 3 self obsessed, comically awful 20 somethings who fall into a bag of money and slowly turn on each other has a lot of dark cynical fun in it, but there are just too many logic holes and too many character leaps to be fully satisfying. A lot of the twists are clever (although some are predictable) but rather than characters evolving, they seem to lurch suddenly on their way down the rat hole to beyond forgivable. You accept the sudden transformations because they're there, but it did leave me wondering 'when did THAT suddenly happen to the character'. In turn, that underlines the film's somewhat cartoony nature, which makes sure it's never too disturbing to enjoy no matter how awfully everyone behaves, but that also robs it of the chance of being a deeper film than just a fun, smart genre exercise.With "Trainspotting" Boyle went on to find that perfect balance of surface fun, and deeper meanings, but this is a good first step.

"Shallow Grave" is a film by Danny Boyle from 1994, starring Kerry Fox, Ewan McGregor, and Christopher Eccleston. The three stars play roommates looking for a fourth, who put applicants through a bizarre series of questions and then laugh themselves sick afterward. They're three crazy, silly kids, McGregor is Alex, a reporter, Eccleston is David, an accountant, and Fox is Juliet, a doctor.Finally, with Fox's encouragement, they choose a fourth roommate, Hugo (Keith Allen), who is found dead in his bed. Underneath the bed is his suitcase, filled with more money than any of them have ever seen. Unbenownst to them, two men are torturing a third asking where Hugo is, and it's clear they'll stop at nothing until they find Hugo and the money.Alex decides it's best if they chop the body up and bury it sans hands, feet, and teeth. David gets the short straw and has to do the chopping, and Juliet brings the hands and feet to the hospital and disposes of them there. They roll the car into the river.At that point, the friendships begin to change, and most of all, David begins to change, and the story takes on much darker elements.Absolutely bizarre film, definitely not my type of thing, so I may not be the best person to comment on it. Boyle does a fabulous job, as do the actors, of depicting a life-changing, friendship-changing moment and the danger and terror that follows, not to mention the lack of trust and strange behavior.Extremely interesting film if you can stand all the violence. It doesn't all make sense but boy, it keeps you engrossed. I saw Danny Boyle's Frankenstein on the stage. He's a master with a fresh point of view.