To my surprise this film was a murder mystery. I really liked the way it manages to disguise this fact for most of the movie. A slow beginning sets the plot in motion and introduces some great characters (Tommy was excellent)who you want to see more of. There are some excellent steadicam shots that add immense energy to key scenes and some nicely executed externals that stop the film becoming claustrophobic. Steering a refreshingly reckless course from drama, through comedy, to farce, and back again it's a film that couldn't be made by a studio with an eye on distribution. Some highly offensive one-liners and great background gags (the firemen in particular are genius)keep you unsure of what you're watching until the final act, where the two leads act their socks off and leave you with a lump in your throat where previously you were suppressing a laugh. Excellent.
Review of Randall's Flat
