Riot Club – A Short Film Review
Riot Club is a thoroughly enjoyable short with a superb cast that play to their strengths. One or two slight plot issues do not stop this short from being entertaining and fun to watch.
What’s It All About?
Riot Club is an urban-comedy based around lead character Eddie Belmont, a former boxer who now manages a boxing club for teenagers with his colleague Barry Rig.
My Opinion
Riot Club immediately appealed to me when I saw that Alan Ford and Adam Fogerty were the stars. Being a huge fan of Snatch, which both men starred in, I had high expectations and overall I wasn’t disappointed.
Veteran actor Alan Ford brings a wealth of experience and expertise with him. His intensity and charisma shines as he delivers a performance that only he is capable of doing. He seems to be enjoying every minute of screen-time in this short and as the audience I did too. He is equally matched by his partner in crime, Adam Fogerty. I loved the chemistry between Ford and Fogerty. Both men have worked together in the past in the Guy Ritchie hit ‘Snatch’. This double act was brilliant, it was superb to watch. The dialogue between the two had a natural flow to it which was a pleasure to watch and left me wanting to see more.
Not to be left out, some of the younger faces put in great performances too. Baxter Willoughby in particular put in a performance that defied his years. Although this is not his first time out in front of the camera by any means, he delivers a mature performance, showing he has an eye for comedy timing and a natural acting ability.
The comedy and profanity come in equal portions. The are some excellent scenes involving Ford, a treadmill and some skipping ropes which left me laughing out loud. There is also some sharp, witty dialogue that has precision delivery and killer timing.
The cinematography is solid. The story is framed very well and visually it was very pleasing. The setting of the boxing gym is interesting and there is some excellent use of the camera, particularly when showing Ford on the treadmill as his pace increases. The editing was clean and crisp and overall was a very high quality shoot. The film had an excellent pace to it, increasing as we got to the climax of the film.
The story is where I felt this short was at its weakest. The introduction of Chewit at the start of the film was a good way to introduce all of the characters and get to know them, this seemingly being the first time they have all met. When Chewit’s mother turns up at the club she seems to know all about Belmont, Rig and the boxing club. She then goes on to say that Chewit has been having four fights in a week which seems to contradict the fact that the pair did not know Chewit.
Another issue that I had was with Mosh and Skog, when they tied Belmont to the treadmill. There seemed to be no reasoning to this. We don’t really see anything from these two characters until the incident and no explanation is given as to why they did it. It led to the climax of the short which was great fun to watch but there was no explanation as to why they tied him up in the first place.
I feel as though these two issues are only very minor ones and wouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying what is a very entertaining short. Other than that, I thought this short film has a lot of potential. In less than eight minutes it has won me over. The likable cast and the great comedy make this extremely easy to watch.
Notable Performances
Alan Ford played Eddie Belmont. Ford brings all the charisma and intensity you would expect from him. His standout performance is only elevated with the chemistry he has with Fogerty. He immediately grabs your attention whenever he is on camera.
Adam Fogerty plays Barry Rig. Fogerty also puts in a fantastic performance. He has an imposing presence and a brash delivery that commands attention. However, what should not be underestimated is his ability to act and an excellent comedic timing. Again his performance is excelled by his partnership with Ford.
Baxter Willoughby plays Chewit. I was immediately impressed with Baxter. He has a certain confidence and swagger that comes across very well on screen. He put in a mature performance and displayed a great level of talent. I feel like Willoughby will be one to watch for the future.
The Verdict
I think this short has massive potential to be something more. The combination of Fogerty and Ford was inspiring. They have a natural chemistry together that works so well onscreen. Given a longer runtime and a great story this could be something truly special. As it is in its current form, it was a very enjoyable and entertaining watch. One or two plot issues do not stop this from being an excellent watch. Viewing is highly recommended.
