Joe works on a coal barge working Clyde the shortly after WW2 when he finds the near naked body of a girl floating in the river. What we learn thereafter is the depths to which human life will descend in order to gain pleasure at the expense of everyone and everything else. Judging from the title we can only surmise that he represents the temptation of man to taste the fruits of selfishness and human degradation for there is no actual character named Adam in the entire plot. His ultimate fate is perhaps the point of the whole film for with him rides the future of all those who succumb to base temptation.
It's a good subject and a well made film but the screenplay cannot overcome the basic weakness of the original novel in so far there is very little dialogue of any interest and the drama moves at a pace similar to the barge on which it is set. Young Adam may well make you think about fundamental issues but it won't provide any answers and the entertainment value is certainly for the eclectic few.
Ewan McGregor acts superbly and drops his underwear as usual in graphic fashion. Devotees of his genitals will find superb screen grabs available when Tilda Swinton whips the sheets off him. As usual with such British drama all the cast give splendid performances and young Jack McElhone as the Bargeman's boy seems to show good promise for the future.
I don't regret spending the time watching it but at the same time I don't think I would bother to see it twice - and to me that is the acid test of a good film. Hence I must rate it below the basic benchmark of 5 that I give to films worthy of a second viewing.
It's a good subject and a well made film but the screenplay cannot overcome the basic weakness of the original novel in so far there is very little dialogue of any interest and the drama moves at a pace similar to the barge on which it is set. Young Adam may well make you think about fundamental issues but it won't provide any answers and the entertainment value is certainly for the eclectic few.
Ewan McGregor acts superbly and drops his underwear as usual in graphic fashion. Devotees of his genitals will find superb screen grabs available when Tilda Swinton whips the sheets off him. As usual with such British drama all the cast give splendid performances and young Jack McElhone as the Bargeman's boy seems to show good promise for the future.
I don't regret spending the time watching it but at the same time I don't think I would bother to see it twice - and to me that is the acid test of a good film. Hence I must rate it below the basic benchmark of 5 that I give to films worthy of a second viewing.