Mat's kickin' in flid flick

Mat Fraser is powerful and ultimately empowered in his latest movie role, pitting his martial arts skill against gangland’s worst

Kung Fu Flid, directed by Xavier Leret, is described in the blurb as an “ultra-violent contemplation on the meaning of life”. In reality it falls somewhere between the torture movie genre of films such as Saw and Hostel and an underground cockney gangster flick, with a dash of cheeky chappie humour chucked in for good measure.

Starring Mat Fraser, along with gangster movie stalwart Frank Harper and Faye Tozer (formerly of Steps), Kung Fu Flid centres around the story of Jimmy Loveit (Fraser), who has to try and rescue his wife and daughter from the clutches of a people trafficking gang led by underworld boss Barry (Harper) after a bungled revenge attack.

Kung Fu Flid is at times a difficult film to watch, on a number of levels. Firstly, it is in parts extremely violent.

Having said that, there are also moments that are genuinely laugh out loud funny, and the more wince-inducing elements are cleverly intercut with some light-hearted joviality which helps to ease the visual trauma.

Secondly, there are issues raised on a deeper, more semiotic level. Even as a disabled person, there were occasions where I felt uncomfortable with how the lead character was being portrayed on screen, and it took me quite a while to get past the idea that the whole point of the main character was for nothing deeper than visual comedy. However, this in itself raises some very interesting points – for instance, who am I to question how another disabled person chooses or allows themselves to be represented? I eventually came round to the view that Jimmy is actually a more positive representation of a disabled person than is initially apparent, and carries subtexts of real empowerment. After all, he comes out on top against the bigger, stronger, non-disabled characters, albeit against a backdrop of considerable violence. If the humour came out of the slapstick of him being the victim, I may well have felt differently.

Media theories aside, as a film in its own right it stands up pretty well. The script is at times a little flaky, as are one or two of the acting performances, but that has to be set against the knowledge that the film was made on a shoestring budget, and that very few of the actors or crew were even paid for appearing.

With that in mind, it’s an enjoyable hour-and-a-half, that although certainly won’t be troubling the Oscars, is a steadily made, well-presented and fun film. There will no doubt be sections of the disability community that will be up in arms about it. (Pun intended.) However if it gets people talking, and connecting with the issues, I suspect it will have succeeded at doing more than it set out to do. Two thumbs up.