Look What I've Got in My Shopping Bag!

Look What I've Got in My Shopping Bag! - The Birth of a New Talent

 Don't ever be fooled by the apparent sloppiness of amateur films and never underestimate their capacity of telling a good story. Certainly, don't underestimate this gem of amateur filmmaking. Matthew Reynolds, who directed and wrote this British short, introduces his talent to us with an amazingly energetic, crazy and entertaining story of a young police sergeant who finds himself in the midst of the corrupt world of arms dealing. Keep in mind that this film was made on a zero budget, so don't expect any high-grade sound and visual effects and design. Once you get past that, it's clear that this is the first sign of one of the talents in the cinema world of the near future.

 We follow Sergeant Ian Lynch - played by Conor O'Neill - and his story. We are introduced to his story with a jab at the "true story" cliché that we have seen so many times - obviously a reference to Fargo, by the Coen Brothers. This isn't the only instance where you can see an influence from these filmmakers. All throughout the film, there is a certain feel or style that is reminiscent of the Coen Brothers (but this is the Reynolds Brothers). Ian Lynch has testified against the leader of a violent street gang and, because of that, he has received threats from the leader's associates against him and his family. In fear for the safety of his family, he plans to escape and hide in a town in North Wales and illegally purchases a gun from a notorious private arms dealer, The Landlord - played by Matthew's brother, John Reynolds. He does this with the money he inherits from his uncle, or at least that's what he says to his friend, Bobby Angel - played by Tom Ford. The Landlord puts the gun in a shopping bag and specifies a location for Lynch to pick it up. However, the shopping bag is found by a man called Paul Simpson - played by Harry Privett. Just like in Fargo, nothing goes according to plan, and the life of Sergeant Ian Lynch starts to spiral out of control. The Landlord tries to find and kill Paul; however, he escapes, and Lynch is forced to flee to Wales. And so the fate of these characters lies on the hands of Justice. What will be the outcome of this story?

 I was very impressed with the rapid and energetic editing in this short film, this is what probably is its best feature. The pace of the film is perfectly set by the dynamic soundtrack by Benji Holmes. Because of this, the film also has a Tarantino-esque feel to it. Despite all these influences and references to other filmmakers, Matthew Reynolds gives a very peculiar and original style to this odd crime story, I am looking forward to seeing what he and his brother make next and how his style evolves. This is a great start for a very unique eye that is the eye of Matthew Reynolds.

 Overall, this is a very solid short film, with good performances, great editing and very unique directing. I would criticize some of the sound effects, as I thought that some of them were somewhat unnecessary and felt goofily out of place, slightly breaking the atmosphere of the film. Maybe I am being too harsh on this point since this is an amateur film, but still, I felt that there was a failed attempt of bringing a certain kind of goofy humor into the story. However, these flaws aren't enough to bring this film down. Other flaws are related to the lack of good equipment, especially related to sound, since there are some scenes where it's more difficult to hear what the actors are saying. However, these are just minor details.

 The performance of John Reynolds is one of the highlights of this short, with a very cool performance that makes the character of The Landlord stand out in the film and brings a different vibe to the film. Conor O'Neill also does a good job in bringing depth to the character of Ian Lynch, a flawed and corrupt man that is just trying to protect his family. Just a heads up: be prepared for a heavy British accent. 

 It's very clear that these guys had an amazing time making this short, and these are amazing 10 minutes of entertainment. You won't be disappointed!

 Look What I've Got in My Shopping Bag premiers on the 22^nd of June on Youtube. Make sure to check it out on the channel of Some Guys With a Camera. You have nothing to lose, support amateur filmmakers.