Bluff

Directed by Sheikh Shahnawaz

2022

Catharsis Films

Bluff is a new feature from Midlands filmmaker Sheikh Shahnawaz which delves deep into crime, addiction and conflicting loyalties in a neo-noir thriller.

The audience are first introduced to Danny (Gurj Gill) who is shown as a heroin addict who purchases drugs from a very seedy crew in a run-down tower block.

But it is revealed that this dishevelled man is in fact a police officer going undercover to apprehend the boss of a drug-dealing ring in Birmingham.

A voiceover and intertwining stories harks to Shahnawaz’s influences from films like Memento and despite these complex elements, the film is edited well and has a great pace to draw you immediately into the story.

As Danny ingrains himself in the murky drug-dealing world, he is shown to work his way up before coming across head honcho Imran played by an intimidating Nisaro Karim. Imran controls the supply of crack and heroin and deals out violent retribution to anyone who stands in his way.

Imran sees beatings over small £10 debts as a merciless way of maintaining order and eventually Danny is drawn into his inner circle forcing the officer to commit crime to maintain his identity.

Off the bat, the director uses flashbacks to give a great sense of time and space, which slowly reveals hidden parts of the story often wrongfooting the audience. James Jaysen Bryhan as Police Chief Collins warns Danny of the dangers of his heavy drinking, as well as the blurred lines between his role as a policeman versus his criminal activity.

Danny then manipulates a junkie (Jason Adam as Cooks) into working with him to get the big time dealers.

Shahnawaz also uses Birmingham well for the location of his story. From the bustling train station to graffiti strewn underpasses, they show the two sides of the city akin to Danny's predicament. You could argue that it’s quite unfortunate there are easily accessible rundown areas in the city - but if it’s good enough for Steven Spielberg who made Ready Player One in the same area, then the director is in great company!

There’s both local (Dead Man’s Shoes) and Hollywood influences (The Departed) which shows the director’s high ambitions too. One area of improvement would be to avoid some of those genre clichés though. We have the “getting lost in the underworld” trope (see Donnie Brasco) where a clandestine cop gets too close to the lifestyle he is working to bring down.

You also get the burly bouncers of a Guy Ritchie flick, and Danny almost outs himself as a snitch which bears the hallmark of Reservoir Dogs. A “I moved on to harder drugs” speech is also stereotypical but despite these familiar elements, the general tone and technical elements are superbly handled.

As the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, a few life-threatening situations increase the tension as to whether Danny’s cover will get blown. And a number of quieter moments attempt to add depth by exploring the reasons behind this lifestyle as they discuss issues of racism and job opportunities.

The director throws in a bit of a twist at the end which was a surprise and although the film is slightly too long, the mix of timelines, locations and drama between the different competing groups helps maintain interest.

And so despite Bluff’s sometimes overfamiliar moments, this is a great big step forward for the West Midlands director. Understandably made on a tiny self-funded budget, the film has cinematic scenes and certainly has the image and technical quality of any police drama you see on TV these days.

With terrific performances from all the lead and support cast, Bluff is a cleverly constructed flick with plenty to recommend. And it shows that with the determination of a passionate director, who has studied and learnt his craft through many short films, the hard work has paid off with an involving and entertaining crime feature.

★★★★☆

Michael Sales