Treacle Junior

Treacle Junior 15 – 2011 (82 minutes)

Stuck in a sticky rut

“Most men lead quiet lives of desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them”. The American philosopher, Henry James Thoreau could easily have been talking about the three protagonists of Treacle Junior, the latest offering from British, writer-director, Jamie Thraves.

Nominally, it tells the story of Tom (Tom Fisher) who inexplicably and recklessly abandons his comfortable, middle class existence for a homeless life on the streets of South East London.
Tom stumbles upon Aidan, (Aidan Gillen) a kind-hearted but over-exuberant misfit, whose outlook on life is as impossibly hopeful as Tom’s is dark. The uneasy alliance between two fundamentally incompatible souls is explored with both humour and sensitivity, their relationship made more complex by the introduction of Aidan's promiscuous and violent girlfriend, Linda (Riann Steele). The three cautiously rub along while running parallel lives; she turning tricks, Aidan with small odd-jobs and Tom a spectator looking on, too self-absorbed to help.

On a more subliminal level however, Treacle is an amusing but moving commentary on aspiration, our protagonists each on different points of the spectrum. Tom is at one end - a Doctor, married with a child, a house, a home, and yet dissatisfied with his lot – while Linda is at the other, hopeless and alone, aimlessly drifting from her violent boyfriend to Aidan whom she despises, her moment of self-loathing following her meaningless sexual encounter with Tom, particularly poignant. Aidan sits in the middle, aspiring to something more, something better although economically shackled, a set of drums, which he will never afford, the symbol of his hope. But at least Tom is free to choose, the discovery of a credit card his passport to freedom.

With its touching script, sharp dialogue and outstanding acting, Thraves was convinced of the movie’s success even re-mortgaging his home to raise the finance. Gillen, while unsympathetic, is outstanding, from his curious mannerisms to his spittle-covered beard, his energy almost physically tiring to behold. Fisher, while less loquacious, also convinces, distraught, upset and lost within himself and Steele's interplay with both shows great promise for the future. If Treacle has its limitations – it fails to explore the feelings of Tom’s wife or even the reasons for his departure - it is good to have Thraves back (after his ten year absence from the screen) ,and to hear the characters at least try to “sing their songs”.

A compelling if less-than-uplifting tale. 7/10

DM
August 2011