Shell

Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, at the back of beyond, where all kinds of odd things could happen and no one would know, there is a petrol station, “the last for 60 miles,” where Shell (Lorna Craig), a sexy, blonde teenager, stands at the roadside in her short skirt and cowboy boots, watching the lorries pass.

Sadly, Tennessee Williams did not write the script. Shell is naïve, rather than foxy. She wants to escape the truck stop, but responsibility towards her sick father holds her back. She doesn’t have the confidence to saddle up and cut loose. Despite appearances, she might be a victim.

Writer/director Scott Graham sets the scene authoritatively, teasing his audience with beautifully photographed set pieces against a dark, foreboding backdrop. The expectation of desperate passion, or bloody horror, is dashed. All you get is a randy travelling salesman and Shell’s bit-of-rough who drops by for a quick shag (“Take yer boots off!”) and no conversation.

The film has style, without a cigar. Shell becomes a male fantasy figure, the angel of truckers’ heaven, who in truth is a bit thick.