‘Just an ordinary woman…’
Usually, the words ‘erotic thriller’ are certainly not enough to secure a place on my hallowed watchlist. In reality, I’d probably like my thrillers to be utterly free of eroticism thank you very much. But Young Adam has the added incentive of a cast featuring Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton and Peter Mullan. Not to be sniffed at…
Joe Taylor (McGregor) is a handsome drifter who earns the trust of several potential father figures before inevitably sleeping with their wives. The Scottish actor also gets his old fella out in this film. Now, that wouldn’t normally be worthy of comment, but I think it’s important to note that old Ewan seems to love exposing himself on camera. Fair play to the lad. Anyway. I digress. Woven into this sordid tale is the seemingly more wholesome love story between Joe and Cathie (Emily Mortimer) – a young couple in love whose tale is told in flashback as the action unfolds.
While the performances are solid throughout, particularly McGregor who is electric throughout, Young Adam doesn’t really hit its stride until the incendiary third act. The tragic conclusion grants the rest of the film a profundity that it perhaps doesn’t fully deserve. The early charged sex scenes are artfully shot, but don’t really add much to the story in terms of depth.
Young Adam is definitely a curio, but it’s also worth sticking with until the end. Not least for the fantastic David Byrne song that plays over the end credits. An odd but somewhat rewarding cinematic experience.