Auditory and visual review of 'Human Traffic' (Justin Kerrigan, 1999) UNFINISHED

Listening to a film feels unsurprisingly similar to reading a screenplay. In the case of Human Traffic, it felt like listening to a brighter episode of Eastenders. I was amazed to find that the film neither seems to depict drug abuse as a rip-roaring adventure or as a down-trodden form of escapism - although when I was listening to all the club music I’ve never had any real hard-hitting experiences to compare to so everything felt tame. However, when I finally got around to watching the film it seemed like I wasn’t missing out on much in this respect.

Human Traffic is the story of a group of friends gearing up for a night out on the town. It's a classic group of five, and each are struggling with their own relationships and sexual frustrations. Jip, played by John Simm and the film's narrator, is battling with erectile disfunction presumably brought on by drugs. His best friend, Koop, is incredibly jealous of his girlfriend, Nina, to the point of objectification. Moff, a small-time drug dealer with a superintendent father, has no prospects and struggles with his own tardiness throughout. Then there is the two women of the gang, the aforementioned Nina and Lulu who respectively have men lusting after them who just don't seem to make the cut. 

I was genuinely surprised how well done and seamless the fantasy elements of this film were presented. From Danny Dyer floating on a couch in space to John Simm being literally bent over by his bureaucratic boss, director Justin Kerrigan manages to elevate the daily grind and angst into an absurd caricature of itself, with nothing ever being taken seriously. A great example of what sounded like an intense argument between Koop and Moff over Koop’s ‘friendly’ girlfriend was brilliantly realised on screen with the two being on opposite sides of a noisy club.

Listening to human traffic there was obviously paranoia floating around the air but in retrospect I barely noticed the drugs were having this effect on the characters - Jip is always aware of his lack on a conscious level but the man simply takes this in his stride. Koop, on the other hand, sounds like a tough man. Moff, I have no clue about and I don’t know whether its Dyer’s poor acting or if the character is just completely unfocused. I mean, his last appearance is him almost tripping over after a long tracking shot from a crane. It's funny while it lasts but I couldn't see the appeal in a lot of Dyer's rants where he tries to pick life apart but comes off as narrow-minded. Again, I think Kerrigan's directing and cinematic techniques brings a lot of the screenplay and what would otherwise be very simple sets and locations are captured in interesting ways (crane and tracking shots, slow motion, colourful work establishments).

So it was an interesting experience and perhaps with some deeper material this experiment will reveal a lot more to me than how cinematic technique can elevate the written material. Human Traffic is certainly not style over substance but the film greatly benefits in its casting of recognisable and beloved British stars, intriguing set design that pulls inspiration from films like Beautiful Laudrette and Trainspotting, and its bizarre selection of family situations (Jipp’s mother a budding prostitute, really?)