Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise

TIFF [2001]

Timothy Spall & Michael Begley

(United Kingdom 2001, 72 minutes)
Directed by Danny Boyle
Written by James Cartwright
Cast: Timothy Spall, Michael Begley, Caroline Ashley, James Cartwright

Movie Review

The Contemporary World Cinema programme brought back the double-bill with two new short films (although technically feature length, according to MPAA guidelines) from "Shallow Grave" and "Trainspotting" director Danny Boyle, produced for British television: "Strumpet" and "Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise".

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"Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise" is the better of the two, if for no other reason than it delivered some much needed yucks after a week of malaise -- as daft as this might sound, it was good to hear a packed audience laughing again. Aspiring DJ Pete (Michael Begley) - -who spends his days making mix tapes for the local teens -- accepts an apprentice sales job with JAC Vacuum Cleaners, and is partnered with maniacal imp/salesman Tommy Rag (Timothy Spall). Whereas Pete dreams of opening a dance club called "The Ark", Tommy lives very much in the present, speeding through the city on a self-described "kamikaze commission" (and accompanied by his homemade motivation tape "F**kin' Sell!") to force vacuum cleaners on anyone who makes the mistake of letting him in through the front door. With JAC having embraced e-commerce, the door-to-door shills are on the verge of extinction, and it's the sound of the death rattle that ignites Rag's frenzy to win top sales prize. Pete unwillingly costs Rag the title when he refunds a destitute customer's money, and as Rag's dreams die in public, Pete's are realized when the banquet DJ invites him onstage to play one of his own tapes.

"Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise" offers dance music as a new religion -- but even those of you not moved to spiritual heights by techno will not help but be affected by the clash of Pete's wide-eyed innocence and Rag's bluster that compensates for a deep self-loathing. Think of it as Arthur Miller "sampled" by Irvine Welsh.

[Strumpet review]

- Robert L

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