Baseline

Directed by: Brendon O'Loughlin

Starring: Freddy Connor, Dexter Fletcher, Jamie Foreman, Gordon Alexander, Zoe Tapper

Synopsis:

The Baseline is an East London nightclub where the queue runs round the block. Running security is Danny, an ex-soldier with dreams of owning his own club. One night after work he saves the life of his boss, Terry, from a hitman. Danny is rewarded with the chance to run The Baseline, but with it comes a huge cost, as Danny is sucked deeper into a world of crime, drugs, and violent retribution.

Review:

Baseline is a gritty, violent thriller with a compelling story and decent characters. Although not given top billing, the story centres on Danny, played by Freddy Connor. Thanks to some deft storytelling, we learn quite a lot about Danny without a word of exposition – his army background, his meticulous home routines and his dreams of owning his own club. You also can conclude that, with his honest savings, it’s likely to remain a dream.

Running security on a busy nightclub isn’t easy, and an early scene portrays an all too common reality – gang members confronting each other in the club, suddenly spilling into bloody violence. Even though Danny and his men are able to quell things quickly, Danny’s boss, Terry isn’t best pleased.

After Danny saves Terry’s life from a gunman though, gang scuffles on the dance floor seem like a piece of heaven. Danny’s immediate reward is to watch the hapless hitman being tortured to find out who sent him, and then executed.

If this were some other gangster movie, especially one set in Hong Kong, the character of Danny would be someone trying to break into the upper reaches of the criminal organisation, trying to catch the eye of his boss for the chance to prove his worth. Suddenly Terry is giving Danny that opportunity and you get the impression that Terry feels he’s doing Danny a favour. The trouble is, Danny isn’t that guy. He’s a tough guy who can handle himself in a fight, but he’s not looking for a fight.

Danny is pretty naïve – he’s sent with some of Terry’s men, including right-hand-man Joe (Dexter Fletcher) and Paul (Gordon Alexander), who is Danny’s best friend, to force the gangster responsible for the hit to work for Terry. Danny thinks things can be sorted with words, but things have escalated way past that point and Danny finds he’s not singing from the same hymn sheet as everyone else.

Things do improve – for a while. Danny is given control of The Baseline, and some neat editing sees him swap his bomber jacket for a snappy suit. Danny also meets Jessica, a sassy, outspoken woman who impresses him with her smart mouth and curves. But nothing good lasts forever, and various plot strands come together to form a tense and tragic-filled conclusion.

Overall Baseline is a taut thriller with a realistic setting. There are times when the club feels too small and under-populated for a venue which attracts such large queues of people, but the music is authentic and the various goings-on inside have a realistic edge.

The visual style of the film is pretty straightforward, although there are some nice touches to look out for – the aforementioned Danny the doorman/cut to Danny the manager is one (NB: I've since learnt that this scene was actually all one shot which is a nice bit of technical skill.), and the portrayal of a kid OD’ing on a dodgy pill is very unique.

The cast is very solid. Freddy Connor plays Danny with the vocal styling of Clive Owen, giving him a kind of thuggish charm. I was quite surprised – and impressed - when checking out the extras that he has a more posh, softer voice in real life. Dexter Fletcher is given a much meatier role than usual. Joe is Terry’s right hand man and responsible for ensuring all debts are paid on time, and can be quite volatile and ruthless. Gordon Alexander is also good as Danny’s best friend Paul, has his own story arc which runs parallel to Danny’s.

Verdict:

Although the lack of budget shows through at times, Baseline is a solid thriller told from a unique angle, and Freddy Connor could be the next Clive Owen.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)