Review of Night Shift

Introduction

If you look at the cover image, you`ll just be able to make out the blurb. "Extremely well-played…generates real terror" and "Powerful and disturbing" are the words that entice you to this movie. I would ignore them if I were you. After reading them, I found myself with certain preconceptions about what this movie would be, how it would play, and I found myself feeling a little hard done by when Night Shift didn`t live up to these expectations. Which is a real shame, as this film is exceptional in its own right and worth watching for the simple reason that it is a very well made film.

To re-iterate the plot, when Pierre finds that he needs to earn more money to cover the costs of his new house, he moves to the night shift of the bottle factory where he works. On that first night, he encounters Fred, and their disparate personalities clash. The overbearing Fred sees an easy target in Pierre and begins to torment him with practical jokes and little humiliations. Pierre, being a pacific and easy going chap, initially refuses to acknowledge the indignities, which only serves to infuriate Fred further. As the torment intensifies, the dynamic changes as Pierre`s son, Victor witnesses the humiliation of his father and in a twisted way, begins to look up to Fred as a dominant figure.

Video

This Region 0 presentation of Night Shift gets a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The image itself is a little soft and grainy throughout. The grain isn`t too problematic, but the image isn`t really crisp enough for the medium. It almost feels like the image ghosts when there is motion on screen. Made in 2000, it seems older and the feel is definitely that of a low budget feature. That isn`t really a criticism, but more of an observation. This type of realistic drama is very much suited to the gritty style in which it is filmed. The greys and dank colours prominent in this film are also symptomatic of the film`s style and the setting of a bottle factory is inspired given the subject matter. The constant noise and dangerous setting of the production line only serve to mirror the tension between the main characters.

Audio

Night Shift gets a DD 2.0 French soundtrack with the choice of English subtitles. This is a dialogue driven film and the stereo track is more than adequate. I`m hard pressed to think of where surrounds would be best used in this film anyway. What is it with French movies and accordion music?

Features

You get the trailer, filmographies, film notes from Trevor Johnston and a trailer reel for further Tartan Video releases.

Conclusion

As I mentioned in the intro, Night Shift certainly doesn`t do what it says on the tin. I think that a lot has been read into this film that doesn`t actually exist. That said, what is actually here is very good. The performances count for a large part of that accolade. The topic of bullying has been done before in many ways, but here it is seen in an extremely realistic way. A very simple tale of a gentle man tormented by a colleague at work is offset by a very complex dynamic between the characters. There motivations are intricately explored and the performances of Gerald La Roche and Marc Barbe as Pierre and Fred are central to realising these individuals. Their motivations are wonderfully implied through subtle nuances in their portrayals. You can see this especially as Pierre is uncomfortable in the group yet is desperate for their acceptance. He tries to make eye contact with everyone when he cracks a joke yet he keeps himself a little isolated from them at the same time. The contempt and jealousy that drives Fred`s attacks on Pierre are just as obvious in Barbe`s portrayal, yet you can also perceive a tinge of self-loathing. It`s when Pierre`s son Victor is thrown into the mix and finds his respect shifting from his father to his father`s tormentor that the film becomes riveting. In fact, this is hardly a film at all, but rather an uncomfortable glimpse into reality. You feel that these people are real and the events that are happening just as real.

So why the low mark? Well I do feel that this is a case of false advertising. The blurb on the case is selling a movie that just isn`t on this disc. There aren`t any moments of terror and the film isn`t that explosive. It`s actually a rather mundane tale about bullying. What makes it such compelling drama is the sheer realism of the film. I`m sure that this film will resonate with anyone who watches it, whether through personal or second hand experience. That coupled with powerful and stunning performances from the cast make this a worthwhile film. I`m afraid I don`t see much repeat viewing potential, but if you hunger for something intelligent and different, then Night Shift is a thought provoking rent. Give it a try.