Behind gangs of street robbers often lie much larger and more influential organizations, imposing pressure on a steady stream of new stolen goods. And it’s this daily life that George Amponsah seeks to explore in Gassed Up. Among these street robbers is Ash (Stephen Odubola), a young man who has to look after his 14-year-old sister Jasmine on his own, unable to rely on his drug-addicted mother, who is rarely at home.
George Amposah presents the overall picture of Ash’s gang in his introductory sequence. We see the five scooter-riding youths speeding through public squares, snatching cell phones, computers and purses on the fly, then bringing them back to Shaz (Jelena Gavrilovic), a member of a Russian organization. And although Gassed Up spends a fair amount of time showing the youngsters having fun at parties and enjoying the money they’ve earned, they soon have to satisfy Shaz’s demand and go back for more. Ash, Roach (Craige Middleburg), Mole (Tobias Jowett), Kabz (Mohammed Mansary) and their leader Dubz (Taz Skylar) are no great bandits and they know it, so from the moment Roach sprays Ash’s close relative Roy (Steve Toussaint) with acid, the situation within the group and between Roach and Ash deteriorates rapidly. But the deliveries must go on.
Unsurprisingly, the director gives his narrative a Rise and Fall structure perfectly suited to this type of story, serving the morality of the infernal and inevitably tragic spiral of the criminal underworld. But Amposah gives his main character a dimension other than that of a criminal by embodying a protective, paternal force with his little sister, taking her to school or to tennis lessons. However, it would have been beneficial to give more depth to the other members of the group beyond a surface situation, allowing us to connect more with their troubles and issues, both personally and with each other.
“…Behind gangs of street robbers often lie much larger and more influential organizations…”
Gradually, the euphoria of the first scooter-riding sequences turns into chases with the police, where the dangers are no longer merely material but human. The creativity of the film-making is clearly felt during these chases, with various on-scooter shots energizing the sequences and making them more spectacular at the same time as the young men maneuver between the cars.
In fact, it’s a shame that Gassed Up relies too heavily on music to spur on its scenes, as the production and the actors’ performances could be enough to bring out the weight of the stakes as the heists become increasingly risky.
Inevitably, the jewelry store attacks are never enough to satisfy the needs of the organizations, sending Ash and his group on to new stores and new pursuits, leading inevitably to tragedy. George Amponsah gives his protagonist plenty to do, making him bear the brunt of the drama within the group, in addition to the personal problems at home. And although Stephen Odubola pulls it off admirably, he can’t carry the film on his shoulders throughout.
Despite characters such as the members of the Russian organization being underexplored or having insufficient background to invest, George Amponsah has managed to surround himself with good performances from his leading actors, enabling him to sell his story credibly. In the end, Gassed Up manages to get its message across honorably, delivering a satisfying ending to its character in a last-minute redemption.
"…the infernal and inevitably tragic spiral of the criminal underworld"
