“Committing
suicide isn’t as easy as
you might think — as Colin Frampton
finds out when he loses the will to live
following the tragic death of his wife;
Colin even resorts to paying somebody
to kill him in this dark, black comedy
set against the beautiful city of Prague...” DURING A ROMANTIC WEEKEND IN PRAGUE, a falling statue lands on Maggie
Frampton (Klára Low) in an accident waiting to happen, leaving obsessive husband
Colin (Andy Nyman) bereft and unable to face life without her. This tragi-comedy
incident begins a compulsive chain of events during which Colin's life
spirals hysterically out of control while he stays very much alive.
The distraught Colin tries to commit suicide, but after a failed attempt he
decides to use the remaining balance on his credit card to hire a hit man to
kill him. But unfortunately the man Colin has hired is hen-pecked Czech odd-job
man Pavel Zeman (Karel Roden: 15 Minutes, Blade II, Bulletproof
Monk, The Bourne Supremacy, Hellboy) who has zero experience
in the killing game — and it shows!
After dropping off his short-tempered, gold-digging wife Liba (Anna Geislerová)
at the beauty parlour, Pavel abandons Colin in the middle of a firing range.
Miraculously Colin survives but he is completely broke and unable to continue
to stay in the Hotel DUM (yes, it really exists) and therefore makes his way
to Pavel's flat, discovering later that Liba is having a passionate affair with
the man in the flat above (Matej Ruppert).
Carrying his dead wife's remains around in what looks like a tea caddy, the
hapless Colin reels from one hilarious disaster to another with Pavel trying
to orchestrate yet another hit on him — in the process, the body count
is going up; but Colin just won't die.
As Colin and Pavel begin to bond (recreating the natural chemistry that exists
between the two actors), Pavel spots an opportunity to steal a briefcase full
of money from a Hummer owned by top Prague gangster Karlovic (Robert Polo),
known as The Butcher of Prague and who lovingly carries his little dog Bibi
(played by Jackie) around with him. He ropes in Colin to help, but unfortunately
they have to deal with Karlovic's mistress Veronica (Denisa Knoblochová), who
is not going to give in easily.
Shut Up And Shoot Me exploits gags galore as this darker-than-black comedy
builds up to its ironic conclusion while reflecting on human behaviour. Unforgettable
lines such as Pavel's disappointment when he finds out that Colin doesn't have
access to hard cash: "If you screw me, I kill you." Um, wasn't that the point?
And, in exasperation: "If I kill you, will you leave me alone?" There are plenty
of these throwaway lines and great laugh out loud moments.
A little vicious in places, the film is generally funny and visual and it is
a shame that there are not subtitles for the altercations between Pavel and
Liba — but that's a minor quibble.
Shut Up And Shoot Me also features Petr Vanek as the Hotel DUM receptionist
and Františka Jandová as the old lady. The film is written and Directed by Steen
Agro (his first, very creditable, feature film); Produced by Paul Sherwood;
Director of Photography is Howard J Smith and the majority of the music is written
and performed by Frank Gough.
• Shut Up And Shoot Me comes to DVD
on 5 January 2009, courtesy of Stoney Road Films. Certificate: PG | RRP: Ł12.99.
Extras
Trailers | Photo Gallery.
"…a gem of a movie… absolutely beautifully done… remarkable cinematic eye…"
— Edinburgh International Film Festival (Nicole Osborne)
"…their spot-on timing is on a par with the interplay between Robert de Niro
and Charles Grodin in Midnight Run" — Variety (Eddie Cockrell)
"A wonderfully observant study of Czech and English character" — Prague
Post
"Shut Up And Shoot Me exploits gags galore as this darker-than-black
comedy builds up to its ironic conclusion while reflecting on human behaviour"
— Maggie Woods, MotorBar
About Shut Up And Shoot Me
Karel Roden is widely regarded as one of the top actors from the Czech Republic
and is known internationally for his roles in Hollywood blockbusters.
Andy Nyman first received critical acclaim for his performance as Keith Whitehead
in the controversial British movie Dead Babies. He has played major roles
in The Criminal and NBC's Uprising (with Jon Voigt and Donald
Sutherland) as well as new movies Coney IslandBaby, Zemanovaload
and Played (with Gabriel Byrne and Val Kilmer).
Anna Geislerová is a leading Czech actress and has starred in many popular Czech
films, including Requiem Pro Panenku, Jízda, Na´vrat Idiota
and the recent Oscar-nominated Želary.
Shut Up And Shoot Me Awards
Cardiff International Film Festival 2006: Audience Award | Edinburgh IFF 2006:
Rosebud Competition and Best Of The Fest Selection | Galway IFF 2006: Opening
Film Selection | Karlovy Vary IFF 2006: Variety Critics' Choice and Ten Films
To Watch In Europe | Cherbourg IFF 2006: Jury, Audience & Best Actor Prizes
| AFI Dallas IFF 2007: Winner, Best Feature Film.
“Committing
suicide isn’t as easy as