Rating: 
Summary: Another brilliant film by director Danny Boyle!
Review: A movie about three Scottish flatmates who find their roomie dead; with a suitcase full of money stuffed under his bed. Then they have to decide what to do with it-- and if they keep it, how do they hide the body? A gruesomely well-written script and extraordinary acting by Ewan McGregor, Kerry Fox, and Christopher Eccleson make this movie a definite must-see for psychotic thriller fans. Ewan McGregor stands out as Alex Law, the sarcastic and verbally abusive character who knows exactly how to get rid of a corpse. His dry sense of humor and bad timing will keep you laughing throughout the film.
Rating: 
Summary: You have to cover the trail!
Review: This little Scottish gem is worth watching more than once! I'll not bother recanting what it's about, you can read that above. This is a delightful example of how greed and peer pressure can twist and stain the human soul with ugliness. Most of the movie takes place in the three roommates' flat in Scotland so it has a real claustrophobic feel to it. The plot is simple, watch the three characters crumble as they're affected by their decision to keep the money and dispose of the body. Strongest scene: when David comments about the dinner after having to hack up the dead body "It tastes different." Possibly meaning both the dinner and everything else about his life. This film has a nice ending, not a phoney one just to keep everyone happy. Technically, the digital transfer is mediocre. The sound is quite low. I have to turn my TV up pretty high to hear it, but this could be due to poor production on the set. There are no extras included on this DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Cross That Threshold
Review: What will happen when three affluent and professional friends and flatmates,a journalist,a doctor and a chartered accountant,find a corpse and a suitcase full of money? What choices will confront these educated and intelligent people and what are the consequences of their choice?
This is the story of Shallow Grave, the debut long feature of Brit Danny Boyle, and the first of his many collaborations with writer Dr John Hodge (MD not PHD).
More specifically,it is the story of two men,Ewan McGregor and Chris Eccleston and a woman, Kerry Fox who share a flat and a friendship that is obviously harmonious.Deciding to let a fourth room in their large flat,they begin to interview likely candidates with an air of haughty antagonism and playful sarcasm,until Mr Keith Allen himself drops by, mysterious but with ready cash and moves in.
Yet their new roommate's life is quite short, and he is discovered dead, but with a lot of cash. The money of a man who came out of nowhere, had no visitors and apparently will not be missed too soon, is quite tempting to keep. This is the dilemma the three friends faced in a very tense moment that pierced right through their conscience.
In John Boorman's Excalibur, Merlin the magician, granting the wish of a knight to change his appearance into another for carnal reasons,says in a memorable quote ' The future has taken root in the present'.
This is exactly what happened in Shallow Grave the very second our heroes decided to keep the money, depose of the body (in parts, a task that traumatized them), and live happily ever after.So they thought!
How wrong they were, for crossing the threshold of their moral and ethical obligations towards their dead roommate,will forever change their lives and they will pay dearly for it.
Greed will inevitably be the driving force that will govern their lives and relationship from then on,pull them apart,reduce them from highly respectable members of the society to frightened and paranoid ,even pathetic creatures, that live mainly by their instincts.
Of course no one is truly mysterious and although we really do not know who really was the character of Keith Allen and where is the source of that money, we do get an idea that his line of work did not involve paying taxes, and two of his not so nice chums soon enough,looking desperately for him, find their way to the flat, obviously not thinking of tea and scones.But they are murdered and deposed of.
These bodies soon resurface (no crime is perfect as the cliche goes)and this will wet the appetite of the subtley clever police, with the chief inspector and his detective (played by John Hodge himself) who rightly suspect foul play.
All this lead to a tragic end, that was in a way inevitable the moment the lure of cash (even for people who really do not need it) turned into a possessive demon. It is a frightening thought of course, because no matter how much we claim superior moral ground and are indignant, we can never anticipate the choice we will make, facing a similar situation.
This makes Shallow Grave a little gem of a movie, a product of talented group of friends (and not of the studio machine)who contributed their effort to give us a film that is quite original and with a message that is as old but poignant as life itself. It is about the consequence of our choices, and the path it will take us once we cross that threshold.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest
Review: "How would you react if I told you I was an antichrist?" - mocks David the prospective roommate during one of the fun interviews in the beginning of the movie. Well, what do you know? A little further into the plot and that question doesn't sound so comical anymore.
This film is not a simple betrayal and greed story, but rather deep exploration of the darker side of human nature, terrifying journey into the anti-world where love becomes hate, generosity turns into greed, friendship into betrayal, and even light comes from beneath.
Thus, it is no accident that Alex, who places less emphasis on moral issues than his roommates, is least affected by that transformation, and I would argue that his initial motive for replacing the contents of the suitcase was just a practical joke. And David's reason for taking control of the money and his later attempt to have it all is not really greed, but rather some warped sense of justice, the revenge on his former friends for pushing him into the abyss of inhumanity. And Juliet, also, can not escape destruction, although she realizes it at a later stage. Then, she does want the money badly, as the only possible compensation for the lost soul.
I saw this film first time few years ago on late night TV, starting about one-fifth into the feature, missing the title and credits. The story, the atmosphere, the detachment and subtle irony of the presentation, which made it even more powerful, its momentum and unflagging rhythm, the acting, - it was like a kick in the head. Next morning, I was calling my friends, describing the plot and asking for the title, until someone gave me the answer. "What an amazing film!" - my reply was.
Five stars are not enough to rate this film's virtues. IMHO, it is one of the greatest achievements in the history of cinema, a must for a serious viewer. "Black comedy"? Give me a break!
Rating:
Summary: Ewan McGregor's first major role is a definite winner!
Review: I'm a major Ewan McGregor fan, and that's how I first came to see this movie. It's the first of three movie he would make with the now-famous Scottish film makers Danny Boyle, John Hodge, and Andrew MacDonald. This is the best out of the three in my point of view. It's about three flatmates who finally find a fourth. But when he ends up dead, and the three break into his room only to find a bag of money. First they must dispose of the body, second they must decide how to use the money. But the effects of money on three good friends comes to suspenseful and tragic ends. This is a phenomenal movie even if you don't like suspense (I don't). It's also great for anyone who wants to see Ewan McGregor with long hair that is dripping with sweat. This is a wonderful psychological thriller for even the very squeamish.
Rating:
Summary: do the wrong thing
Review: Three obnoxious flatmates put scores of potential tenants through their paces before selecting a fourth resident for their humble hipster abode. Soon he is dead from a (self-inflicted) drug overdose but he left behind wads of cash that they want. Now to dispose of him and carry on!!!They draw straws of who will actually dismember and bury him. It is gross!!! This division plus the knowledge of their horrifying secret slowly tears the flatmates apart. It is an interesting process to watch -- particularly when one moves into the attic and drills holes into the ceiling to spy on the two he left downstairs (shudder!!!!)
Rating:
Summary: what can I say, just a great movie
Review: its British and its awesome. Ewen McGregor is the best in this and he offers a character that is fun to watch. Christopher Eccelston's nose is the gem also, and he has a slight resemblense to my friend Marcus, sorry MArcus but its true and Kerry Fox is hot, hot, hot.a great paranoia film with a lot of body cutting up and Danny Boyle( A Life Less Ordinary, 28 Days Later, The Beach adn Trainspotting) is a great director. the end where Eccelston gets the nife in the neck and McGRegor tricks Fox into thinking she has the money, just great
Rating: 
Summary: Passafist Reviews Shallow Grave
Review: SHALLOW GRAVE is the kind of movie you really want to love. I think I would have if I had never seen FARGO. There is this sub-genre called the revenge film, some of them are really good, like the aforementioned FARGO, or bad, like the long an incredibly slow moving A SIMPLE PLAN. SHALLOW GRAVE is right in the middle of those two. There are three friends. Alex (Ewan McGregor, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones) the loud funny one, David (Christopher Eccleston, The Others) the serious one, and Juliet (Kerry Fox, Welcome to Sarajevo) the sexy one. They share a flat, and as the film opens they a looking for a new roommate. Enter Hugo (Keith Allen, 24-Hour Party People) the charming yet rough guy who needs a room. They let him move in. The movie then asks the question what if your new roommate died? What if you found a suitcase full of money? Would you call the police? Would you keep the money? Would it tear you up inside? The films early moments are really good. Especially as they interview prospective roommates. But, when the film plunges into the dark stuff, you begin to doubt character motivations. You can suspend disbelief for a few moments, but there is a nagging feeling that something isn't quite working. I couldn't put my finger on why. Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) paces the film just a little on the long side. I spent 90 minutes with these characters but I felt like I needed to know more about them. I wanted to see there descent into darkness a little clearer, unfortunately I didn't. But for what it's worth Ewan steals the show. He has such a good time with his part. I felt bad for him especially since he's the only one who's continually being maimed throughout the film. He's smarter than the other characters, but he hides it so well you begin to doubt if he really is that smart. Kerry Fox's Juliet is too subtle for my taste. You can see what she's doing. The screenplay knows what's she's going to do and I've seen enough movies to know what she's going to happen to her, still her character on a whole is to subdued, and little unbelievable. Eccleston's character David seemed more flawed than the other two. His paranoia is drawn so big, that it fights with David's soft character from the beginning of the film. The screenplay motivates him to act this way. By not revealing enough of David character in the beginning, his motivations throughout the film feel like contrivances of the screenplay and not like true characterization. Shallow Grave is not a bad movie. It's not a great movie. It's an okay movie with a nice twist ending. At least this one doesn't come from a mile away. If you have a few hours, you might just want to dig up a copy of A SHALLOW GRAVE.
Rating:
Summary: A very good movie.
Review: Nice film here. Not for the main stream but... A well set up story thats fun to watch,it features great character development combined with a really good ending. Yes Ewan McGregor is quite fun in this part but so is the rest of the cast, Nice sound track as well.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!!!!
Review: This was my third Ewan experience, and I must say, the most satisfying. Watch this with "Trainspotting" and "Moulin Rouge" and discover what all true Ewan Mcgregor fans already know....He is a most wonderfully versatile and brilliant actor(Not to mentioin absolutley adorable).
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