I have never liked Richard Jobson.
I have never liked Richard Jobson. He always struck me as a Scottish version of Tony Wilson, though without Wilson’s luck of occasionally helping create something great. Ego is a useful thing, it can get you through an awful lot of self-doubt. But 16 Years Of Alcohol, Jobson’s first film as writer/director, coasts on ego alone. Strip away Jobson’s stab at doing something important, and there is not much here except a cannibalisation of many much better films. Most notable is for a film called 16 Years Of Alcohol, we barely get to see those years. Instead we watch about two years of sobriety, and the piety of ex-alcoholics is not much fun.
It is a good film for the Edinburgh tourist, or at least it would it was not for the incessant violence outside every tourist attraction on show. Self-conscious writing remind you of a sixteen year olds school play, and of course the psychological angle dumps it all on the parents again. I am beginning to think that film studies should start thinking more about Larkin than Lacan: since the subtext of most films these days is “they fuck you up your Mum and Dad”. This is a tragic story for all the wrong reasons, a film which discards redemption for a nice cyclical ending and fundamentally has the wrong target. This film is not about 16 Years Of Alcohol, but rather 16 Years Of Violence. And there is little attractive about that.
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richard jobson on September 20th, 2006
Thanks for that Pete, full of the milk of human kindness - any chance of looking at or listening to what you’ve done in recent years.
regards
rj
FT's Tom on September 20th, 2006
Sadly, Pete has spent the last two years doing little but googling his own name.
FT's CarsmileSteve on September 20th, 2006
does NOBODY look at the dates these things are written? do they assume that because something is on the fifth page of google it must be new…
…what has old jobby being doing for the 18 months then? oh i see, writing a blog like the rest of us ;) might want to get someone to actually design his website too, what a shocker…
anon YSIer on September 20th, 2006
larkin than lacan = tick vg! googling his own name and then http://freakytrigger.co.uk/author/pete/
imagine if critics could leave comments on the end of the films they’ve reviewed, that are on display for everyone subsequently watching. corr
Marcello Carlin on September 20th, 2006
It definitely needs a design overhaul, but some of these articles are pretty good actually.
The Skids were great! “Iona” is the post-punk “Mull Of Kintyre”! I didn’t mind him on 01 For London either!
But then I grew up in Central Scotland in the late ’70s so obviously I’m biased…
suzi on September 30th, 2006
hmmmmmmmmm Richard is very very talented and a great shag in 84 give praise when due
stevem on October 1st, 2006
hmmmmmmmmm
jimcrowe on September 25th, 2007
Knowing Richard Jobson there is one certainty and that is that he will learn and improve - I wish I could get a bet on that!
FT's Tom on September 25th, 2007
Maybe suzi can adjudicate.
Robin Brunskill on September 26th, 2007
Maybe Pete Baran doesn’t understand that often alchohol and violence are related…maybe he STILL didn’t understand that after watching Jobson’s film..
Maybe somebody should sit Baran down very gently and explain a few things to him…slowly…and don’t use any long words.
FT's Alan on September 26th, 2007
Certainly it is a very complicated idea to really understand. Do any of us really understand it? I don’t think I do. Try asking me if I think alcohol and violence are related, and I bet i might think about it for ages and still guess wrongly that it isn’t. And i’m really clever!
Pete on September 27th, 2007
I drink a fair bit of alochol. My last violent episode was when I was 16, before I drank alcohol.
That wouldn’t be a causal link then.
If the film had been 16 Years Of Alcohol Related Violence I would have been happier (my other criticism still hold).
berard mathews on October 7th, 2007
Jobson is a twat, full of his own talentless hype, he was fortunate to be involved with stuart adamson, but lets face it he cant carry a tune in a bucket, anyone can make films music etc, just to do it doesnt mean you are good, jobson will soon be on his arse when his films finaly go down the pan, lets hope its sooner than later so we dont have to suffer his drivel any more.
Marcello Carlin on October 8th, 2007
constructive
FT's Lena on October 8th, 2007
illuminating
Davie Johnman on February 7th, 2008
Richard Jobson’s career fits perfectly into the old saying
‘Why dazzle with brilliance when you can baffle with bullshit’.
The Skids were a fine live band, but when Adamson left
they finished up sounding like the Proclaimers on methadone.
Meanwhile Jobson’s journey up his own arse continues,
all style no substance