Human Traffic

Drawing on his experience of 'life in the bus lane', sticking dead end jobs for the promise of weekend clubbing, writer/director Kerrigan follows half a dozen Cardiff mates from the rush of Friday evening to the Sunday afternoon hangover. First up, there's Jip (Simm), party animal and bigtime romantic, temporarily handicapped by a case of Mr Floppy. Then there's vinyl pusher Coop (Parkes), his flirty girl Nina (Reynolds), her tough-talking pal Lulu (Pilkington) and wheeler dealer Moff (Dyer). There's not much you could call 'plot' here. Rather, the film proceeds through a kind of double-vision by which daily reality is warped, scratched and remixed in the fantasies of Jip and his friends. The film doesn't really come into its own until it hits the dancefloor. Put simply, the higher it gets, the funnier it is. The hyper, in-your-face style sometimes feels forced, and some gags fall crushingly flat, but I'd bet the chemical generation will embrace this movie, not only because it's wickedly good on the agony and the Ecstasy, but because Kerrigan's virtuosity is at the service of his honesty - you wouldn't be surprised to bump into any of these characters on a Friday night. The film emanates a bruvverly vibe that sends you out on a wave of euphoria.