Shallow Grave
What’s a little murder among friends?
Ewan McGregor as Alex Law
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Written by: John Hodge
Starring: Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston
Released: 06 January 1995 [UK], 10 February 1995 [USA]
Genre: Thriller / Crime
Budget: $2,500,000 (estimated)
More Information: Internet Movie Database
Synopsis
Three flatmates take on a fourth who unexpectedly dies, leaving a mountain of cash behind. Who are your friends? Who can you trust? How far would you go for money? These are the questions facing Juliet, David and Alex as the scenario spirals out of control around them. Somehow no matter what they do, the decisions seem to lead to one gruesome event after another.
Images
Trivia
Ewan McGregor’s mother, Carol McGregor, has a cameo in the film as one of the prospective flatmates.
Shot in 30 days.
Shallow Grave marked the feature debut for a number of its creators. It was the first feature that Danny Boyle directed, the debut for screenwriter John Hodge, and the first feature starring role for Ewan McGregor.
Quotes
Alex Law: And if you see I’m dying up there you’ll call the police and tell them everything, right?
Juliet Miller: Everything.
Alex Law: Except that maybe it was his idea in the first place. Now that’s important to me. I need to die misunderstood.
Alex Law: When was the last time you heard these exact words: “You are the sunshine of my life”?
Alex Law: [to the Goth girl] When you get up in the morning, how do you decide what shade of black to wear?
Alex Law: So tell me, Cameron, just tell me because I’d like to know, what on earth could make you think that we would want to share a flat like this with someone like you? I mean, my first impression, and they’re rarely wrong, is that you have none of the qualities that we normally seek in a prospective flatmate. I’m talking here about things like presence, charisma, style and charm, and I don’t think we’re asking too much, I don’t think we’re being unreasonable. Take David here, for instance: a chartered accountant he may be, but at least he tries hard. The point is I don’t think you’re trying.
Alex Law: They went up there alive and came back down dead! Did you notice that? The difference, I mean: alive, dead, dead, alive, that sort of thing? It wasn’t difficult to spot. He killed them both.
Juliet Miller: I can’t do it.
Alex Law: But Juliet, you’re a doctor. You kill people every day.
Alex Law: God, you two are sensitive! All I’m doing is implying some kind of ugly sordid sexual liaison. I’d be proud of that sort of thing.
Alex Law: I’d like to ask you about your hobbies… Now when you sacrifice a goat and you rip its heart out with your bare hands, do you then summon hellfire? Or do you just send out for a pizza?
Awards & Nominations
Won – Empire Award for Best British Actor
Perfect Sense (2011)
Haywire (2011)
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)
The Impossible (2011)
Jack the Giant Killer (2013)
