Disc Release Date: 30/07/2018
Director: Paddy Considine
Screenplay: Paddy Considine
Starring: Paddy Considine, Jodie Whittaker
Watching Journeyman at times reminded what a joy I find in
watching British features, and how disappointed I am with production companies
and distributors with their marketing and releasing of British films on their
own soil. 16 years ago, I remember sitting in my (then) only local cinema being
able to catch at least one screening of Shane Meadows, Once Upon a Time in the
Midlands (2002). In the present day, in the same town, now equipped with two
cinemas, it’s doubtful that a film like Journeyman would even get a sniff. The
variables are many, yet it’s troubling to see that a film like this, despite
its flaws, can seemingly disappear even easier in an age where so much social
media mutterings relate to which begone property will be sequeled or rebooted.
Journeyman is not for all tastes, but it’s existence gently reminds me of when
that seemed to matter less, and a net would be cast further to see who would
get caught.
The reference to Shane Meadows in the previous paragraph
seems necessary when mentioning Paddy Considine as it was the casting choice of
the director which brought Considine to prominence with head-turning displays
in films such as A Room for Romeo Brass (1999) and Dead Man’s Shoes. (2004). It
was around the time of Dead Man’s Shoes that the outlet placed consideration
into the idea that the duo could be an English Scorsese and De Niro. The films they worked on together often dealt
with themes not too dissimilar from Scorsese, often centering around troubled
males wracked with mental ambiguity constantly verging on the psychotic.
Meadows already dabbled in pugilism with Twenty-Four Seven (1997), but it does
feel somewhat surprising that the two hadn’t looked to create their own Raging
Bull (1980).
Considine’s Journeyman, much like his feature debut
Tyrannosaur (2011), carries Meadows DNA within it in many areas, not only with
the similar direction of montages driven by melodic acoustic guitar artists.
Journeyman not only utilises the sport of boxing to tell its story but again
deals with mental health as well as questioning ideas of masculinity. Like
Raging Bull, the boxing ring is a place where a toll is taken. Unlike the
histrionics that fill many popular American fight features, the film holds a
far more sobering tone.
Starting with Considine’s character Matty Burton looking to
defend his recently won title against a cocky young fighter (Anthony Welsh).
The boxing quickly moves to the background as Burton is found unconscious in
his family home by his wife; Emma (Jodie Whittaker) after the title defence.
What occurs afterward is a “fight” for Matty to find himself again as the
delayed trauma obtained through the fight has resulted in memory loss and a profound
alteration to his personality. The most challenging aspects of the film lie
with how the dynamic changes between the previously warm, likable Matty and his
family.
Journeyman’s effectiveness lies in its interest in what
happens after the fight as opposed to a more typical build towards a final
fight for glory, with the films most painful sequences being struggles between
Matty and Emma. The most successful aspects of the film lie in the subtle
manner Considine makes even the most mundane exercise a minefield of precarious
hazard. Making a cup of tea. Dealing with a crying child. Many of the sequences
feel reminiscent of dealing with someone with dementia. Whittaker excels here,
and we can see all the patience of the character in her eyes and vocal cadence.
Considine provides a great foil. Matty is told at the beginning of the film
that the fight - in which his abilities are questioned from the off – will be a
life changer and Considine’s performance pulls off the overwhelming effect of
Matty’s head injury without leaning into I Am Sam (2001) territory. This is
bread and butter to Considine of course with the punctuated outbursts of
emotion and violence, having that same unpredictable feeling that was felt in
his early work with Meadows. Despite this, it is the new Doctor Who who brings
the deeper resonance, simply by not having the more “showy” verbal tics.
The film is neatly captured by regular Ben Wheatley
cinematographer Laurie Rose. The crisp visuals once again become yet another
showcase for Rose, with a wonderful mirrored shot of Matty reflected within a
picture of himself in his glory days being a highlight. The muted, chilly tones
shown here are also a refreshing change from the larger trend of warm yet
strangely flat palettes that have inflated many films and shows as of late.
With all that Journeyman has going for it, there is
frustration with the film’s relative neatness in its narrative. Considine poses
a compelling question about what happens to Sportsmen who must hang up their
gear by force. The film doesn’t shy away from having its lead character – whose
job is led by intense and controlled aggression – be exposed by moments of
vulnerability and uninhibited emotion. However, the film’s latter stages begin
to knit things up in a way that feels more akin to the sports features of
America, than finding its own path. It’s also unfortunate does this with what
appears to be a sprinkling of unintended vanity. This perhaps won’t be a
negative to sports fans who are happy with Journeyman’s “one man’s struggle”
narrative. However, for those who may be looking for something that lingers in
the mind a bit longer, may do well with heading back to Considine’s first
feature. Either way, Journeyman is a film that highlights Paddy Considine’s
considerable talents both in front of and behind the camera and reminds us of
what often gets lost amongst the fight for filmgoers attentions.
