2011-08-24
N/A
25 min
Brothers Nick and Elliot are small-time thieves on the run, living a life of excess. However, as Nick's manic behaviour becomes increasingly frenzied, Elliot struggles to reign him in. Strays is a thrilling drama about two brothers who belong together, but for their own good need to be apart.
This reminded me a little of “Shooting Fish” (1997) only here we have siblings “Nick” (Andrew Hawley) and “Elliot” (Richard Madden) who live their lives on the wrong side of the law. They are quite effective at petty thievery and gatecrashing parties but it’s fairly clear that the former brother is a becoming a bit of a liability as he drinks and snorts his way into trouble from which “Elliot” has to regularly retrieve him. Things come to an head when a stunt to relieve a travel agency of it’s takings goes all a-flutter and with the police now in charge, it might just be that “Elliot” needs to rethink his priorities. A couple of their scenarios are quite entertaining; there’s certainly an understated chemistry between the two men as their escapades vacillate from the silly to the more serious, and I thought Hawley quite charismatic as his excesses gradually got the better of his judgement. The conclusion is a little rushed, but it’s still an enjoyable watch.
