Review of Sugar Rush

Introduction

This adaptation of Julie Birchill`s teen novel of the same name is hot stuff indeed and not really at all suitable for the teen audience that the author originally intended. But then the book was a bit like that too and didn`t stop it becoming one of Ms. Birchill`s most successful publications to date.

Both the book and the 10 episode TV adaptation feature a 15-year-old girl whose life seems to be melodramatically falling apart piece by piece. Kim is from a trendy middle-class family who have relocated from London to Brighton in an effort to improve the quality of their family life. But all goes anything but well. Her father (Nathan) is a well-meaning, warm-hearted wimp who is obsessive about the housework and is too naïve to notice that his world is falling apart around him. Her mother, Stella, is a vivacious party animal who smokes and drinks her way through most days and who is completely devoid of maternal instinct or moral fibre. Her younger brother is a freak too - so disturbed that his alienation manifests in a string of increasingly disturbed guises, from bubble-wearing alien, to misogynistic devil-child. All very odd.

Things go from bad to worse when her mum Stella has a steamy affair with a builder recommended by her Gay neighbours (both of whom are called Dave/David and who are both `Dad` to an adopted son). All at a time when Kim needs all the support she can get as she has become completely infatuated with a girl from school, the street-wise, loose and wild Maria Sweet or `Sugar`.

The programme is comprised of ten fast-moving `30 minute` slots (minus the ad breaks) and features Olivia Hallinan, previously seen in another teen book adaptation, the somewhat tamer Jacqueline Wilson`s `Girls in Love`, in the principal role. Lenora Critchlow (The Bill etc) is perfectly cast as `Sugar`, a likable but shallow girl living out the most extreme hedonistic teen lifestyle to the full.

`Sugar Rush` deals with a lot of tough issues head on, though never in a humourless way. Occasionally the humour misses - like the running joke of the brothers increasing weirdness which is frankly too far-gone to ring true. But on the whole the mix of high drama with offbeat humour works for the most part.
The programme uses a well-trodden stylistic approach that mixes wobble-cam with extreme close-ups of facial expressions, as well as the most back-light that I`ve ever seen thrown at a programme or movie (watch those hair highlights glow!). Any `provocative` shots tend to be from Kim`s POV using hand-held DV-Cam.

It`s worth mentioning the fabulous score, which has enough really interesting tracks to make you consider buying the OST. I understand that some tracks had to be cut for this DVD release due to copyright problems, though it really doesn`t show.

Video

Looks like it`s shot on 35mm, though this is HDTV (not as easy to spot the difference as you might imagine anymore), and/or DV-Cam. The 16:9 transfer is flawless. There are many `dark` shots here (Brighton at night) and the definition throughout remains first-class, helped as it is with the lighting cameraman`s wonderful use of backlight. It`s worth checking out the deleted scenes to see what the raw materials looked like pre-post production. It`s remarkable the difference that the colour grading has made, turning this from very ordinary looking video to a very colourful filmic look. I`d also like to add that the lively title sequence was pulled together by someone that I`ve worked with (Roger Kennedy) and you couldn`t meet a nicer guy. So buy it just for that!

Audio

Dolby Digital stereo, which works surprisingly well. Whilst we`ve been spoilt of late with all the possibilities that 5.1 offers, here we get Stereo only though used to great effect. Outdoor scenes where the full atmosphere of the beach can be enjoyed - with waves panning gently from left to right and seagulls passing from one side to the other for example. The audio throughout is first class (again check the pre-post stuff on the deleted scenes to see how much work has been done post) and the already mentioned score is good enough to check out the OST CD.

Features

Well - be fair. 10 episodes that include some scenes cut for broadcast all on a double disc set at single disc cost. What more do you want? Well, you get a fistful of deleted scenes which are fascinating in so much as they show just how raw the original rushes and early cuts of the programme were. This whole programme is a testament to the power of post! There are also some out takes (about 2 minutes worth cut to music), and an interesting audio commentary on the first and last episodes with the Producer (Johnny Capps) and the respective episode Directors (Sean Grundy and Harry Brambett). These are insightful enough but tend to fall into the trap of those involved just sounding a little bit too pleased with themselves and the ingenuity of their work. They are not devoid of humour though so some of this may have been intended as irony.

Conclusion

`Sugar Rush` is a likable, fun and funky drama that has all the right pieces in all the right places. It deals with `same sex lust` in an upfront and non-judgemental way that might prove to be of some support for isolated teens coming to terms with their own similar feelings.

Where it partially fails, however, is that it struggles to fully get the book onto screen, often resorting to `voice-off` narration telling us about Kim`s feelings and moving the narrative along in a slightly clumsy way that gets in the way of any real suspension of disbelief.

There are also one or two moments of unnecessary cruelty that seem to add little to the plot and which, in that light, just seem plain nasty (like the running over of Kim`s next door neighbour`s dog, or the Dad accidentally punching his little boy`s lights out). Of course this could just be humour that`s misfired.

Those gripes set aside, what does work, work`s very well indeed. The performances are, in general, very good and the programme is nicely crafted, exuding some high production value. The clever hand-held POV work is very engaging too.

I guess the acid test is how compelled you are to watch the next episode and I found myself devouring all 10 in just a couple of sittings.