 Danny Boyle was born on 20 October 1956 in Radcliffe, Bury, Lancashire. After theatre work for the Joint Stock Company and Royal Court (where he was artistic director between 1982-7), Boyle moved into television, directing feature-length episodes of the popular detective series Inspector Morse (ITV, 1987-2000) and the well-received drama series Mr Wroe's Virgins (BBC, 1993). In 1993, he teamed up with producer Andrew Macdonald (grandson of screenwriter Emeric Pressburger) and doctor-turned-writer John Hodge, to direct his first feature film, Shallow Grave.
This low-budget (£1.5 million), mordant and cynical thriller, laced with elements of black humour, was an instant success. Yet despite the film's visual accomplishment and assured pacing, some commentators expressed reservations regarding Boyle's handling of character. Ronan Bennett spoke of "the freezing and cruel emptiness at the film's heart. The absence of any character to sympathise or engage with made it hard to find an emotional response as the unpleasant, greedy trio destroyed themselves and each other." Boyle, however, remained unconcerned: "I've spent a lot of my career building up plausible characters, which intellectuals find rewarding and interesting. But the public doesn't give a fuck."
The Boyle/Macdonald/Hodge team's next venture was an adaptation of Irvine Welsh's cult novel Trainspotting (1996). Supported by innovative marketing, the film was a smash hit. Visually imaginative and assured, the film also made excellent use of a contemporary pop soundtrack, but was again populated by largely unsympathetic characters.
A Life Less Ordinary (1997) was the team's first American venture. Boyle's observation that "It's about time we got some flak... Everyone has been too fair to us up till now" proved prophetic. This tale of a redundant cleaner who kidnaps his former boss's daughter and then, helped by the intervention of two guardian angels, falls in love, left audiences and critics puzzled and unmoved.
This was followed by another literary adaptation, this time of Alex Garland's popular novel The Beach. Despite having Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, the film received only a moderate reception. Many of those who had read the book felt disappointed, while those who had not were left wondering what the fuss was all about.
Boyle returned to the UK and directed two films for BBC Television, Vacuuming Completely Nude in Paradise (tx. 30/9/2001) and Strumpet (7/10/2001). 28 Days Later marked his return to feature filmmaking in 2002. Part-zombie horror, part-eco-thriller, this story of a rogue virus taps into contemporary concerns over the environment, genetic modification and bio-terrorism. Shot on digital video, the film has Boyle's usual visual flair but again received a mixed reception. It seems that he may need 'plausible characters' after all.
Bibliography
Bennett, Ronan, 'Lean, Mean and Cruel', Sight and Sound, January 1985, pp. 34-36
Hopper, Keith, 'Trainspotting: Interview with Danny Boyle' Film West, Spring 1996, pp. 12-15
Nathan, Ian, 'Interview: Danny Boyle', The Times, 26 October 2002
Norman, Neil, 'The boys of Trainspotting go to America', Evening Standard, 22 October 1997, p. 27
Pennington, Adrian, 'It's Such a Perfect Day', Premiere (UK), March 1996, pp. 59-61
Martin Hunt, Reference Guide to British and Irish Film Directors
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