In this new feature for EatSleepLiveFilm where we’ll be looking at the first films of the directors we love I start off the with the now genre hopping Academy Award winning Danny Boyle.

Shallow Grave (1994)

Having worked primarily in television up until the year 1994, Danny Boyle announced his arrival on the big-screen with Shallow Grave, a quintessentially British flic starring Ewan McGregor, Kerry Fox and Christopher Eccleston.

The film was a precursor to Trainspotting, which he released two years later. The two movies shared certain characteristics: both featured Ewan McGregor in the lead, had British (Scottish) settings and were made on modest budgets (Shallow Grave £2.5million, Trainspotting £3.5million). They were also both set in Edinburgh yet filmed largely in Glasgow; the reason for this being funding, Boyle received money from the Glasgow Film Fund on both occasions, as an incentive to send the productions westwards.

Despite being a very morbid film, Shallow Grave is upbeat and energetic throughout. This is a trademark of Danny Boyle; in a way his films personifying the man himself, who is constantly buzzing on set. I recall reading an interview with the cast of Slumdog Millionaire within which one of the film’s stars talked about how Boyle seemed to never sleep, and apparently his energy and enthusiasm were thoroughly infectious.

One consistency within Shallow Grave and numerous others of Boyle’s films is the recurrence of certain actors. Ewan McGregor played the lead in his first three features, though unfortunately their relationship soured when Boyle made The Beach in 2000 (more on that in a moment). Keith Allen appears, albeit briefly, as a drug dealer in Shallow Grave, and also in Trainspotting; according to Boyle, the two characters are actually the same, with Trainspotting occurring in the same reality as Shallow Grave, but a decade earlier. Robert Carlyle, who was originally lined up for Allen’s part in Shallow Grave, plays Begbie in Trainspotting as well as Daffy in The Beach – funnily enough, he doesn’t make an appearance in 28 Days Later, however he plays the lead in the sequel, of which Boyle only played the part of an Executive Producer, a title that often means next to nothing.

Regarding the aforementioned relationship between McGregor and Boyle, it’s unfortunate that it ended on the terms reported. If you believe the rumours, Boyle automatically lined up McGregor for the lead in The Beach, but because DiCaprio was available, the producers cast him instead, without even consulting Boyle. Even though McGregor blames the producers rather than Boyle (rightly so it would seem), apparently the pair have not spoken since this incident. Seems like a big shame to me – he would’ve made an excellent Jamal in Slumdog.

Back on topic… Shallow Grave is not just a good precursor to much of Boyle’s later work, it is also a terrific film in its own right. I always hold films in high regard when they manage to be slick and coherent despite budget limitations, and Shallow Grave slots right into this bracket. It’s a relatively simple premise but the plot’s exploration of themes such as friendship, murder and guilt give it added depth. The cast are all terrific too, and while a couple of scenes feel a bit dated and clunky now, with the lack of money shining through, overall it’s an accomplished package. It’s funny to note now that at the end of shooting Boyle and co had to auction off all the props used in the movie, just to be able to purchase enough film stock to get it released; this kind of occurrence seems unlikely now, with Boyle’s Oscar-phenomenon Slumdog Millionaire making him one of the most sought after directors on the planet.

Looking at Shallow Grave, along with Trainspotting, and to some extent 28 Days Later, it’s hard not to think that Boyle is at his best when working on a low-budget, primarily British production. Gaze over his CV though and you could say that Boyle has not made a bad film, with The Beach potentially being an exception (though I quite like it). When Shallow Grave was first shown at Cannes the festival’s organisers had to arrange for extra screenings just to satisfy demand, it was at this moment that Danny Boyle had truly appeared on the scene – from then on the only way was up.