The 51st State
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the film. For the hypothetical U.S. state, see 51st state. For the song, see 51st State (song).
| The 51st State | |
|---|---|
 The movie poster for The 51st State |
|
| Directed by | Ronny Yu |
| Produced by | Andras Hamori Mark Aldridge |
| Written by | Stel Pavlou |
| Starring | Samuel L. Jackson Robert Carlyle Emily Mortimer |
| Distributed by | Momentum Pictures (UK) Screen Gems (USA) Alliance Atlantis (Canada) Paramount Pictures (Australia) |
| Release date(s) | 2001 |
| Running time | 92 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The 51st State (also known as Formula 51) is a 2001 British film directed by Ronny Yu, written by Stel Pavlou, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Ricky Tomlinson, Sean Pertwee, Rhys Ifans, Meat Loaf and Robert Fyfe. Most of the filming was done on location in Liverpool.
[edit] Plot
It's 1971: Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson), fresh from graduating college with a degree in chemistry, is pulled over by a patrol car and caught smoking narcotics. The police officer arrests him, thus preventing him from getting a legitimate job. Fast forward to the present day: a drug lord called the Lizard calls a meeting with his organisation - hoping to sell a brand new substance. The deal goes awry when McElroy, in a bid to escape from the Lizard's control, blows up the building. Most inside are killed, but the Lizard manages to escape. Revenge very much on his mind, he contacts Dakota (Emily Mortimer), a contract killer, to take care of McElroy.
McElroy heads for England, in the hope of selling his product there. He arranges a meeting with Feelix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle), an ex-hitman connected with Leopold Durant (Ricky Tomlinson), head of a criminal organisation. As the deal takes place, Dakota is watching through a rifle scope waiting for her chance to kill McElroy, before she can pull the trigger, the Lizard calls, now with greed his main priority. He wants the formula for McElroy's drug. Everyone else at the meeting is fair game. Making their escape, DeSouza is shot in the rear on purpose; as it turns out, Dakota and DeSouza have a history. As they leave the hotel, the two are attacked by a mob of ravers, obviously high on some substance. They want the drug as well. McElroy makes short work of them utlising his golf clubs as weapons.
Detective Virgil Kane (Sean Pertwee) arrives on the scene and gives chase. He is soon lured into a game of chicken by McElroy, who escapes. Kane returns to the crime scene and strings up Durant on the bottom of a large cargo container. At this point it's obvious that Kane isn't entirely clean, he demands 50 percent of Durant's deal with McElroy. Unfortunately, when releasing him - they lower the container rather fast.
Now that his employer is dead, DeSouza contacts Iki (Rhys Ifans) also a drug distributor promising him the market if the price is right. McElroy and DeSouza make their way to a chemist to get the ingredients for POS 51. One of the drug's defining attributes is that it can be made with over-the-counter products - none of which will appear on any government banned substance list. They were followed by the Ravers, who claim they have a lab to produce the drug. As the ravers are this time armed, McElroy and DeSouza go with them. The lab turns out to be an Animal Testing Facility, which the ravers have broken into. McElroy makes two batches of the drug, one blue and the other red. He claims that the red is the stronger version and after taking one himself, the ravers try it. While the ravers are waiting for the effect, McElroy spits out the red pill. He never swallowed it as it's primary effect is that of a powerful laxative. McElroy and DeSouza leave, not before they throw a bag of toilet tissue to the ravers who are otherwise, engaged.
The two visit Iki's rave club, where McElroy delivers the drug to the waiting crowd. The distribution is interrupted by Kane and a police raid. Dakota appears, we know know that her real name is Dawn, that she and DeSouza were romatically involved. She captures McElroy and attempts to leave with him via the roof and escape ladder. McElroy drops, twists and grabs her - suspending her over the edge of the roof. Having no choice she strikes a deal with him. They escape.
Meanwhile, DeSouza is in police custody being interviewed by Kane. The dirty cop wants in on their deal with Iki or he will get DeSouza on charges of possession of a firearm to say the least. He arranges the time and the place, letting Kane know.
Meeting back up with McElroy and Dawn, they contact Iki. The venue is the Liverpool verses Manchester United game, in a private viewing box. This time the deal is interrupted by the Lizard, who kills Iki, demanding the formula. The Lizard celebrates with a drink, as McElroy reveals the true nature of the drug - it's a placebo. If you were to run tests on it, it would look like a drug and appear to have the effect it claims. But the ingredients cancel each other out, making it the "most expensive candy" in the world. POS stands for Power of Suggestion.
Kane interrupts the moment, just as McElroy's cocktail, ingested by the Lizard, takes effect. It's a chemical that becomes explosive when it reaches a certain temperature. Pulling an umbrella from McElroy's golf bag, DeSouza, McElroy and Dawn take cover behind it. Police arrive and arrest Kane as the three make their escape.
Dawn and DeSouza settled down together and McElroy arrives at a castle. The castle is owned by the McElroy clan. After claiming the castle as his own, McElroy putts a golf ball and sheds his clothing, declaring "Elmo's in the house!".
[edit] Trivia
For its U.S. release, the film was renamed Formula 51. Both names reference the drug — POS 51, which the film centres around — that is apparently "fifty-one times more powerful than cocaine, fifty-one times more hallucinogenic than acid, fifty-one times more explosive than ecstasy."
The 51st State also jokingly refers to the influence the United States has over British politics and culture. The film makes fun of several different topics, from British-American relationships, to drugs and football. (For example, Meat Loaf's character, The Lizard, refers to England as "The 51st State" in the film).
Elmo McElroy (played by Samuel L. Jackson) wears a kilt and takes his golf bag everywhere with him. In keeping with the '51st' theme of the film, Jackson was age 51 at the time of filming.
Samuel L. Jackson plays Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels. The chemist who tests his drugs in the UK Hotel scene is played by Angus MacInnes, who played Gold Leader in the original Star Wars.
