Tonight You’re Mine (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

You just don’t see films (non-documentary) shot during an actual major music festival like “Tonight You’re Mine” and because filmmaker David Mackenzie and his crew were ambitious enough to try, it made the film feel exciting and fresh!  So,  if you are a person who wants to see a film full of energy, cool music and with a very simple, predictable “sex, alcohol and rock n’ roll” driven plot, then definitely give “Tonight You’re Mine” a chance!

Images courtesy of © 2011 Sigma Films Limited and BBC. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Tonight You’re Mine (a.k.a. “You Instead” and “Rock n’ Love”)

DURATION: 80 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH

COMPANY: BBC Films/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Language and Some Sexual Material)

RELEASE DATE: August 14, 2012

Directed by David Mackenzie

Screenplay by Thomas Leveritt

Produced by Gillian Berrie

Executive Producer: Phil Hunt, Compton Ross

Associate Producer: Brian Coffey

Line Producer: Wendy Griffin

Music by Brian McAlpine

Cinematography by Giles Nuttgens

Edited by Jake Roberts

Casting by Kahleen Crawford

Costume Design by Kelly Cooper Barr

Starring:

Luke Treadaway as Adam

Natalia Tena as Morello

Mathew Baynton as Tyko

Alastair Mackenzie as Mark

Ruta Gedmintas as Lake

Kari Corbett as Kirsty

Sophie Wu as Kim

Rebecca Bengson as Lucie

Clare Kelly as Justine

Joseph Mydell as The Prophet

Two feuding rock stars, American pop star Adam and minor British rock chick Morello, are scheduled to perform at the same music festival. As their sarcastic banter escalates, a mischievous preacher handcuffs them together and disappears into the crowd. All attempts to break free are thwarted, and eventually Adam and Morello realize there is no escape from each other.

How would it be to film an actual romantic comedy during a major music festival?

That’s what British filmmaker David Mackenzie (“Young Adam”, “Mister Foe”, “Perfect Sense”) and Thomas Leveritt along with their Scottish crew including producer Gillian Berrie (“Dogville”, “After the Wedding”, “Dear Frank”) wanted to find out.

So, in 2010, the crew filmed during the 5 days of the 2010 “T in the Park Festival” in Kinross Scotland and in order to make this film work, the film was edited daily as there would be no re-takes after the film was finished.  So, the crew faced major challenges in planning of this film around the music festival and making sure the talent seemed realistic.

To achieve realism, they needed talent that can act and sing.  So, hired were Luke Treadaway (“Attack of the Block”, “Clash of the Titans”, “Heartless”) and Natalie Tena (“Harry Potter” films, “Game of Thrones”, “About the Boy”).  Both talents had music experience and Natalia is a member of the band, Molotov Jukebox.

While the film received lukewarm reviews from film critics, audiences and music fans enjoyed the film for its music festival setting and energy.  And now “Tonight You’re Mine” will be released on DVD in the U.S. in August 2012.

“Tonight You’re Mine” begins at the T in the Park music festival in Scotland and Adam (as portrayed by Luke Treadaway) of the rock band, The Make has arrived with his keyboardist Tyko (as portrayed by Mathew Baynton).  The two run into Morello (as portrayed by Natalie Tena) and members of her rock band, The Dirty Pink’s.

Both Adam and Morello do not get along with each other and when Morello takes Adam’s acoustic guitar, he takes her jacket and both get into an argument and Morello acts as if she is going to smash Adam’s guitar.

But out of nowhere, a man comes by and tells them that he wants to show them a trick and handcuffs both Adam and Morello’s wrist and takes off.

Both Adam and Morello begin to stress out because they are to perform at the music festival and no one has the tools to get them out of the handcuffs.  To make things worse, Adam’s girlfriend dislikes the fact that he is handcuffed to another woman and is very jealous, meanwhile Morello’s boyfriend is suspicious of her and Adam

With both handcuffed, despite how they may feel towards each other, they have no choice but face the reality that they are going to be handcuffed throughout the day and also be handcuffed during their live concert performance at the music festival.

But can they stand each other for that long?

 

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Tonight You’re Mine” is presented in 1:78:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 Dolby Digital with subtitles in English and English SDH.

I enjoyed the cinematography by Giles Nuttgens (“Perfect Sense”, “Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000”, “Water”), capturing the energy and excitement at the “T in the Park” music festival in Scotland .  Loved the editing by Jake Roberts of showcasing many elements of the music festival especially key scenes through the performances of Adam and Morello.  And as a person who enjoys music and music festivals, I enjoyed the balance of having a feature film and a music festival going on at the same time.

From the shot of Adam and Morello with a backdrop of everyone in their tents and both getting muddy, to the scenes of the two greeting a large audience.  The film crew manage to pull this all off without alienating the festival’s audience and capture their excitement.  And to think they did this all in five days, a days worth of editing and that was it…  Impressive guerrilla filmmaking!

And as the film does look good on DVD, it’s still DVD and I would have loved to see this film on Blu-ray for the better visuals (especially for better clarity and sharper colors) and also to capture the music, audience and the overall feel of the festival through a lossless HD soundtrack would have been great.  But the visuals and overall soundtrack for “Tonight You’re Mine” are still good on DVD.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Tonight You’re Mine” comes with the following special features:

David Mackenzie and Thomas Leveritt’s film “Tonight You’re Mine” is a type of film that may not be for everyone.  A low-budget independent film shot during a music festival with thousands of people, there is only so much you can do without obstructing and angering fans.  Also, you’re limited on time because you’re shooting within the time frame of a music festival.

With that being said, “Tonight You’re Mine” is a fresh film that is not meant to be deep.  It’s a film that literally exudes sex, drugs and rock n’ roll and while drugs have been replaced by alcohol, it’s still a wild and crazy comedy that I enjoyed for its energy, its music and for its accessibility.   But also, the fact that this was shot at a music festival with no one making funny faces in the background and everything blending in, I was quite impressed by the film’s synergy, its scenery and excitement.

And the fact that I was not expecting anything too deep in storyline, I was quite accepting by its overall simplicity.

Guy from rock band meets young woman from another rock band, both don’t get along and they are handcuffed throughout the the day.   Two completely opposites who can’t stand each other but to make things work, they have to put up with each other throughout the day.

But it helps that you have people who know music and make the film feel real.  From the opening sequence featuring Luke Treadaway (Adam) and Mathew Baynton (Tyko) singing together, to watching both Luke and Natalia Tena performing onstage.  Loved the transition from The Dirty Pink’s performance to Adam butting in and the performance transitioning to a cover of Softcell’s “Tainted Love”.

And while the overall storyline may seem farfetched, from the supporting characters really not having that much of an impact on the film otherwise to screw each other, get drunk with each other or for the sake of increasing the duration of the film, the film does revolve primarily on Adam and Morello most of the time.  There are scenes with their significant others, but as much as I enjoy this fresh take of finding love to a person you are handcuffed to, is it plausible that two long relationships with their significant others are doomed to end because Adam and Morello are handcuffed to each other?

Well, for anyone who has attended a music festival, strange things can happen and Adam and Morello, two individuals who couldn’t stand each other because they are handcuffed, finding love is quite plausible.   Although, it’s hard to believe that no one can cut the handcuff chains off and separate the two before their performance later in the night.  But this is not a film to psychoanalyze or try to make something deep out of it.  It’s not that type of film.

If anything, as action films can be popcorn action films, this romantic comedy is about rock n’ roll.  From the different performances by the musical guests featured in the film to Adam and Morello rockin’ out!   Sure, it’s fascinating to see how these two deal with each other or how they can go to the bathroom when they are handcuffed but for me, it was more about the energy of the “T in the Park” music festival that added to the enjoyment of the film.

The DVD looks good on DVD but I’m quite surprised that it never received a Blu-ray release here in America.  I would have loved to watch this film but also hear the music and the film festival audience in lossless HD. But as for special features, there are quite a bit of special features that show the challenges the cast and crew had in creating a film during a film festival and only five days to shoot it.  I wish they did include the music video by Luke Treadaway (which you can find on YouTube) but instead, you do get the behind-the-scenes featurette of that scene and information of Treadaway writing the song.

Overall, you just don’t see films (non-documentary) shot during an actual major music festival like “Tonight You’re Mine” and because filmmaker David Mackenzie and his crew were ambitious enough to try, it made the film feel exciting and fresh!  So,  if you are a person who wants to see a film full of energy, cool music and with a very simple, predictable “sex, alcohol and rock n’ roll” driven plot, then definitely give “Tonight You’re Mine” a chance!