Shopping Bag 2

Shopping Bag 2: Back in Business - Back and Better than Ever!

 "Our least worst film yet!", the tagline boldly states, preparing us for the wild ride that we are about to embark - a truly dementedly self-aware and entertaining one. Matthew Reynolds truly shows his directorial capacity in this corrosive crime comedy that has all the right amount of quirkiness and over-the-topness to make a perfect storm of entertainment and witty commentary that will leave you out of breath from laughter, all brilliantly condensed into a 40-minute short. If the two previous films of Some Guys with a Camera that I reviewed were outstanding achievements of zero-budget cinema, this is the crowning jewel of the incredible efforts by these young filmmakers from Liverpool. It's sleazy and absurd cinematic exploitation at its best, and it's such a joy to watch.

 After spending 10 years in jail, Sergeant Ian Lynch finds that the world has changed a lot - new technology, Brexit, Climate Change, rampant corruption - and he finds that his house has been "legally" purchased by railway tycoon Mickey Shark. This is where this crazy journey starts. Together with Roy, a goofy assassin with an uncanny resemblance with The Landlord (the mysterious dealer who is the reason why Lynch spent 10 years in prison), the ex-police sergeant goes on a mission to take Shark down and recover his house before it's bulldozed.

 It's hard to put down into words the absolutely exhilarating lunacy that is presented to us in this film that makes it such an incredible experience. Reynolds truly dominates his medium and perfectly crafts a story that is as absurdly Tarantino-esque as it is surrealistically Lynchian, with a sprinkle of a caustic wit, all mixed together into a gloriously entertaining soup of nonsensical humour and unique visuals with a clear voice of his very own. Perfectly balanced in its over-the-topness, wit, and delicious self-awareness, it also possesses an accelerated and over-dramatic editing that sets the right pace to this darkly comic film. With a witty use of classical music, scenes are heightened to a whole different level of humour that is delightfully British and found me genuinely laughing out loud all throughout.

 The brilliance of this film also lies in the brilliant performances present in it. Conor O'Neill truly steals the show with a triumphantly funny performance that holds a brilliant and exquisite humour, embodying perfectly the mood of the film. Ian Lynch is an awful bastard of a character, but, with O'Neill's charisma, it's impossible not to love him and all the quirkiness in his character. Portraying the goofy Elton John-like Roy, John Reynolds also shines in a genuine and humorous performance. The incredibly funny chemistry between these two actors elevates the humour in each scene they are together. Matthew Reynolds also has a hilarious acting turn as the greedy Mickey Shark, being such a hateable villain that you can't help but love his performance. All the performances perfectly embody the exaggerated tone of the film, being true highlights in it.

 There are so many moments that I just couldn't hold my laughter with how hilariously insane and nonsensical they were. The humour in Shopping Bag 2 is effortlessly achieved, making it one of the purest comedies I have seen, with hilarious overlong fight scenes that you won't be able to hold yourself together while watching and many other incredible moments of comedy. There's an ever-present caustic, ironic and very modern humour that pokes fun at current events and popular culture that is truly outstanding. There is really no flaw that I can point out in this brilliant short film, and I have to commend these extremely talented filmmakers for making such a brilliantly effortless comedy that is both entertaining and cinematically impressive with almost no budget. This is a perfect storm of humour and exploitation with a masterful handling of its sleazy and corrosive content by Matthew Reynolds that further proves his talent as a filmmaker. It's truly the least worst film from Some Guys with a  Camera. As the original song by Benji Holmes goes, "the king is coming home", and we really do need to vacate the throne.