| YOUNG POISONER'S HANDBOOK, THE (1995) |
| CAST: Hugh O'Conor, Antony Sher, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Charlotte Coleman, Ruth Sheen DIRECTOR: Benjamin Ross SCREENPLAY: Jeff Rawle and Benjamin Ross Running Time: 99 Mins. Rated R |
| "I want to be the greatest poisoner the world has ever seen" Have you ever see a film that haunted you long after you watched it and couldn't shake it off your mind? That's exactly what co-writer/director Benjamin Ross' "Young Poisoner's Handbook" did to me, despite that it's not without some elements of black comedy and parody thrown into the mix. Loosely based on an infamous crime that took place in London during the early '60s, this film boosts similar echoes to "Clockwork Orange" and delivers a mesmerizing performance by Hugh O'Conor, whose intensity and expressive face immediately draw you into the madness of his character. I know after watching it, I felt a bit of paranoia hit me when I found myself analyzing over served foods and drinks. 14 year old Graham Young (O'Conor) is a lonely teenager who is incredibly gifted, yet doesn't find himself very interested in a social life. He is often neglected and looked down upon by his father (Roger Lloyd-Pack) and religious stepmother (Ruth Sheen). His older sister (the late Charlotte Coleman) isn't much better and often teases him when she gets the chance. The only thing he can really depend on is a nude picture he carries around with him and last but certainly not least, his chemistry set. He likes to tamper around with different experiments and chemicals to try and make some kind of breakthrough mix. With a handbook to copy down his equations, he immediately finds himself obsessed on trying out his chemicals with his family to see the results. Ultimately, this starts to take a dark turn when we soon start to discover the repellent side effects of his poisonous mixtures. As Graham becomes deeply involved in his experiments, we learn more about the psychotic young man and how his obsessions start slowly affecting his unsuspecting family. What makes this film so scary is, even with some fictionalization, that the events actually happened. Ross triggers a voyeuristic feel as we're immediately thrusted right in Graham's point of view. He drops the nazi obsessions of Graham, but keeps true to the person himself. Not only is his direction superb, but Ross has a very close eye for detail, which makes the film all the more effective. Its also obvious watching the film that he has a liking for "Clockwork Orange," using an orchestrated version of Kubrick's theme throughout and even plot developments that slightly resembles that movie. It may come off a bit of a distraction for some, but I found it to be a unique homage thrown into the film for effective results. One element Ross deserves praise for is casting mostly unknowns in the roles. O'Conor is a true find in a haunting performance as Graham. His calm, wide-eyed expressions show enough character that he doesn't even need dialogue to reveal Graham's dark personality. O'Conor, at twenty here, proves himself to be a multi layered talent that deserves to be recognized. Its a shame that his acting here was overlooked for a nomination. In support, the cast seem so natural that they don't appear to be acting. Sheen has the toughest part to handle here and gives her religious bitch character a bit of humanity. Watching her physical transformation from Graham's experiment in the first half of the film is downright unsettling. This may not be everyones cup of tea and the squeamish will want to avoid this, but I feel Ross here has pulled off a fascinating and near flawless look at one of the most intelligent and sadistic killers from London. Although the film received some praise by critics on its release, this film didn't make much noise in its limited release. However, on video, this film should find an audience that will highly respect this film. Dark comedies just don't often come along as grueling, gutsy or mean-spiritedly funny as this one does. Rating: **** 1/2 out of ***** Review by Adam Eshack - (c) 7/8/02 |
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