Watch The Wackness

Even though it has got one of the worst titles I've seen, The Wackness is one of the best films I've seen all year. I wouldn't normally write about a film, but I haven't heard many people talk about this one so thought I should mention it.

Set in 1994, the story is about Luke Shapiro, a weed dealer with no mates who has just graduated from a high school for rich kids. Luke's dad's business has collapsed, so to get some money together before going to uni he knocks out bud all over New York from an ice cream cart. One of his customers is psychiatrist Dr Squires, played by Ben Kingsley, who gives Luke therapy in return for weed. An unlikely friendship forms between the pair, as they discuss Luke's anxiety and inability to get laid. The third main character is Dr Squires' step-daughter Steph, who hangs about with Shapiro as all her mates have left the city for the summer and she has nothing better to do. The film revolves around the development of these two relationships, and that's pretty much it.

Despite the fact that I'm not from New York, was 11 in 1994, never sold weed, didn't see a shrink, had friends and didn't go to private school, I still felt an affinity for the Luke character. Watching him gave me some weird kind of parallel universe Wonder Years connection feeling, which is definitely a good thing for a film to do! And it has a cracking soundtrack of early Nineties hip-hop with a lot of Biggie, some Tribe Called Quest and a Will Smith banger. It kind of went under the radar when it was released last September, so if you haven't seen or heard of it definitely track it down – or tap up Dave and he'll lend you his copy.