re:mote voices

Title: Principles Of Lust
Cast: Alec Newman, Sienna Guillory, Marc Warren, Lara Clifton, Julian Barratt
Director: Penny Woolcock

Principles Of Lust is a British Indy film, which is described in some places as pushing the limits of its certification – which with the explicit sex and violence is a pretty fair comment. Recently a friend was talking about the humour to be had from Britifying Hollywood films, which is to take these glossy big budget items, and make them grim and gritty and typically British. On that theory Principles Of Lust is a British Fight Club, and that theory goes past the tenuousness of the comparison of bare knuckle fighting. Though in this case, the fighting has to be that much grittier and grimmer – the combatants being 10-11 year old boys, track suited neds from council estates. On top of that the principle of lust bears similarities to the propositions put forward by Tyler Durden, the descent to the bottom, the degradation of spirit by releasing it in the most carnal/cathartic fashion.

The main character is Paul, who is on the dole, though claims to be writing a novel. In one day he meets the two people who will change his life, and give him so many ups and downs in such a short period of time. On the way to a friends opening at an art gallery his car is hit by Billy. Billy straight from the start is a wild and in your face proposition, and before Paul knows what is happening he is in a pub watching Billy’s girlfriend “Hole” strip for money, snorting coke the toilets, and recognising Billy as a photographer responsible for a controversial book about bare knuckle fighting. Finally managing to make his excuses and leave he makes it to the gallery showing, where he meets Juliet, a friend of a friend. Before the night is through the two are having wild sex in a friends bedroom.

From that point he forms quick relationships with both these characters. Moving in with Juliet, looking after her young son while she works, and working on his novel. While ending up at wild weekends in the country, filled with raves, illegal fighting and drugs. On the one hand Juliet seems to offer a certain stability and happiness, but on the other she seems to represent a trap, so that he could get caught up in the domestic, the domain. With Billy representing a care free and nihilistic freedom that contradicts those stifling trappings.

Many of the ideas that come through do have that same feeling as Fight Club, even the way that Billy seduces and serves propaganda to Paul having parallels. But this is a grimmer feeling film, the characters having more of a tendency to look there worst. The bloody children tearing chunks out of each other while debauched celebrants look on creating an entirely different sensation to that of the celebration through participation. Joy riders, bruisers with protection rackets, council estates, and social workers – steeped in that grey reek of Britishness.

The result however doesn’t really pack a punch, perhaps thankfully too many of the things which are thrown in, in an attempt to assault the viewer are transitory and fleeting. For all the graphic sequences, the film is really comprised of people sitting around and whining about their lot in life, about how they’ve worked themselves into traps, feeling sorry for themselves. Arguing and fighting against each other, so that the film starts to stretch out, into a kind of emptiness. Based on a book, one has to wonder how true this adaptation is, or what detail that could have actually made the piece worthwhile was sacrificed. With an explicitness which is more common in French cinema, Principles Of Lust is probably more comparable to the controversial, yet disappointing, Baise Moi, than the thematically comparable Fight Club. Though with the threaded suggestions of greater literary reference Principles Of Lust would probably like to think it was better than either of those pieces – which it certainly isn’t.