Canadian director Rob Heydon’s new film an unexpected love story
On Sunday evening I attended the opening to Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy at the AFF. Now, before I disclose too much about the film itself, I feel I must stress how truly wonderful of an event this was. In what I can only assume was a tireless effort on behalf of festival staff and volunteers, Park Lane Theatre was transformed into a miniature red carpet.
Of course, no movie premiere would be complete without the presence of the cast and crew, and this night was no exception; in attendance were stars Adam Sinclair, Billy Boyd and Kristin Kreuk, and director Rob Heydon. Not only did they join audiences for the screening, they also stuck around for a low-key Q & A session after the show.
The film is a feature-length adaptation of The Undefeated, a short story by Trainspotting author, Irvine Welsh. But for those of you who, like me, felt queasy watching Trainspotting, you’ll be happy to know Ecstasy is substantially more tame.
The film follows the lives of three friends as they navigate the drug scene of Edinburgh. Lloyd (Sinclair) spends his days working as a drug mule for menacing club-owner, Solo (played impeccably by Carlo Rota). But in his downtime, we’re shown a softer side of Lloyd as he interacts with his widowed father (Nova Scotian Stephen McHattie), who is trying desperately to fill the void of his late wife with alcohol. Lloyd is joined by Woodsy (Boyd), a paranoid schizophrenic, and Ally, who we never learn much about, other than the fact he wants to open an organic café.
The guys, though growing older, are fairly content with their clubbing lifestyle. That is, until Lloyd meets the straight-laced Heather (Kreuk), who, ironically, works for an agency tasked with eliminating drug use in Scotland.
What emerges is an unexpected love story between two people who couldn’t be more different.
While the film was slow at times, it always managed to draw me back in—whether through Boyd’s comedic outbursts, a genuine moment between Lloyd and Heather, or any number of the intensely captivating club scenes. (I honestly can’t stress enough how well those scenes were filmed.)
In the Q & A following the screening, director Rob Heydon summed up the storyline perfectly when he said, “I thought it was a really good transition, going from the love of ecstasy to the ecstasy of love.”
Video: Kristen Kreuk and Adam Sinclair on watching their film for the first at the AFF.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeRySIppDxk
**Editor’s note: In an earlier version of this article, actress Kristin Kreuk’s name was spelled incorrectly. It has now been changed to the correct spelling.
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