R2 DVD Release
Woody, a street-level pimp and all-around hustler, is the subject of this faux documentary as it focuses on the day-to-day operations of the prostitution business, underground porn and a turf war with the local Chinese tong. Not only must Woody face the usual setbacks of a recession-driven sex trade downturn but his boss Stanley is putting pressure on him to step up his discipline game to keep the girls in line as well, especially their top earner Petra. Nothing can prepare this struggling pimp though when a mysterious tape shows up featuring the rape and murder of one of his girls! If its not one thing, its another. Now he must find Petra before she ends up the next victim of the “snuff gorilla.”
Robert Cavanah’s Pimp was a gripping, grimy week long glimpse into the seedy character of Woody (Cavanah himself) and his tumultuous life and I loved every sleazy second of it. He perfectly nailed the criminal vibe, kept the tension high and violence startlingly brutal. I do wish he’d been a bit more of a stickler when it came to things like scoring (which was present) and hidden camera footage (which looked unconvincing) but the truly great thing about Pimp was Cavanah’s fearless approach to this film’s subject matter, when adult material, black comedy and hardcore irony needed to be thrown in, he went for it. It did feel like he pulled a few punches, especially during the finale, but that’s just my opinion. While he was trying to keep things as realistic as possible, he was also looking to entertain, which I do believe he accomplished quite nicely. Thanks for the lesbians mate!
Danny Dyer as the head honcho Stanley was a real treat, you just gotta love Dyer no matter what film or role the guy is in, right? I always want to laugh when he delivers his lines, even when he’s dead serious, anybody else have that issue while watching him? Yeah he definitely did a great job but Pimp is all about the rise, fall and resurrection of Woody and the director gives it his all, he should be applauded for his determination to write, direct and star in his own film. While some might have screwed that up, Cavanah seemed to balance it all toward success. The film isn’t perfect but not many are these days and when an impressive little crime drama like this rolls around, you should do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s not in the states yet but I’m sure it will be soon enough.
After seeing Pimp, I’ll make it a point of seeing Cavanah’s next project, a horror film called The Cellar, starring the positively adorable Lucy Davis (The Office, Shaun of the Dead).
I guess this is just R2 right now? Looks like something I will need to see though
It is indeed brother. I’m sure Dyer’s name attached will score it some distro in the coming months but R2 is currently the only way to see it. Worth checking out once. I doubt I’ll own it though, good but not good enough, ya know?