16 Years of Alcohol (2003)

16 Years of Alcohol is a 2003 drama film written and directed by Richard Jobson, based on his semi-autobiographical 1987 novel. Kevin McKidd plays the central character Frankie, a violent alcoholic who is partially based on Jobson and his brother. The cover of the DVD describes the film as influenced by A Clockwork Orange and Trainspotting.

The film is Jobson's first directorial effort, following a career as a television presenter on BSkyB and VH-1, and as the vocalist for the 1970s punk rock band The Skids. At the 2003 British Independent Film Awards, the film was nominated for best independent film, and Susan Lynch won the best supporting actor/actress category.

The movie was set and filmed in Edinburgh and Aberdour. The soundtrack features 1960s ska and skinhead reggae acts such as Desmond Dekker and Claudette and the Corporation, as well as 1970s rock bands such as Roxy Music, Velvet Underground, Iggy & The Stooges and The Skids.

Synopsis

The opening scene shows Frankie being beaten by a small group of men, and the rest of the film is shown as a flashback leading up to that point. The film is split into three sections: Frankie's troubled childhood, his violent adolescence as a ska-loving skinhead who commands a small gang, and a period of change, in which Frankie tries to believe in hope and love.

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