SOMERS TOWN Independent British director Shane Meadows’ well-deserved reputation as a visionary film-maker is kept firmly on track with the gritty, unglamorous yet ultimately delightful (and relatively short at 68 minutes) SOMERS TOWN.

Set in the decidedly un-trendy inner city London district of the title Tomo (Thomas Turgoose) is a streetwise kid from the north of England escaping his grim surroundings for a possible shot at the big city dream.

Arriving at the huge St. Pancras railway station, he initially gets a bad taste of the capital after being mugged by three local lads before he ends up befriending Marek (Piotr Jagiello), the son of a Polish migrant working on the new Eurostar rail terminal.

The lonely young budding photographer takes pity on the rough Northern kid, and the two boys gradually bond after some petty criminal activity, and their shared infatuation with a French waitress Maria (Elisa Lasowski).

SOMERS TOWN is a small, yet perfectly formed, ode to friendship which here transcends culture, background and language (half the film is in Polish). The two young leads are both superb, and the minor characters all fit perfectly into the mix, especially Graham (Perry Benson), a dodgy Arthur Daly cheeky-chirpy Cockney type who runs a shonky business hiring out deckchairs and flogging off bootleg Arsenal Football Club shirts!

Director Meadows’ previous films include the acclaimed TWENTYFOURSEVEN with Bob Hoskins as the small town boxing coach, and the powerful THIS IS ENGLAND which also starred the charismatic Turgoose. Shot primarily in stark black and white SOMERS TOWN perfectly captures the dead end feel and atmosphere of the working class immigrant areas which are generally shunned by film-makers for the more colourful tourist friendly areas of England’s capital.

DVD extras: Theatrical trailer.

–> Interview with director Shane Meadows here

–> Article in Interview Magazine here

–> Somers Town is being distributed locally by Madman

MIKE CHILDS

TÍTULO ORIGINAL This Is England

AÑO 2006

DURACIÓN 100 min.

DIRECTOR Shane Meadows

GUIÓN Shane Meadows

MÚSICA Ludovico Einaudi

FOTOGRAFÍA Danny Cohen

REPARTO Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Joseph Gilgun

PRODUCTORA UK Film Council / FilmFour / Big Arty Productions / Warp Films / Screen Yorkshire / Optimum Releasing / EM Media

GÉNERO Y CRÍTICA 2007: British Independent Film Awards: Mejor película / Drama. Comedia / SINOPSIS: Aclamada cinta británica de cine independiente ambientada en los años ochenta. This Is England es la historia de unas vacaciones escolares, esas largas semanas de verano que transcurren entre un curso escolar y otro, cuando pueden producirse acontecimientos que marcan un cambio en la vida. Estamos en 1983, y los colegios están de vacaciones. Shaun, (Thomas Turgoose) que tiene 12 años, es un niño solitario que crece en un pueblo costero muy gris, cuyo padre ha muerto en combate en la guerra de Las Malvinas. En el transcurso de esas vacaciones, encuentra nuevos modelos masculinos cuando le “adoptan” los cabezas rapadas (skinheads) locales. Con sus nuevos amigos, Shaun descubre un mundo de fiestas, conoce su primer amor y descubre los encantos de las botas Dr. Martins. Es entonces cuando conoce a Combo (Stephen Graham) un skin racista, mayor que él, que acaba de salir de la cárcel. Mientras la banda de Combo acosa a las minorías étnicas locales, todo parece preparado para el arranque de un proceso de maduración que llevará a Shaun de la inocencia a la experiencia. (FILMAFFINITY)
—————————————-
“Poderoso relato de iniciación (…) excepcional Thomas Turgoose (…) Meadows remata su relato con una simbología ingenua y obvia que no logra hacer naufragar la excelencia del conjunto.” (Jordi Costa: Diario El País)
—————————————-
“Cine social y algo más. (…) Meadows añade algo de historia musical y tribal mientras confiesa los pequeños traumas que supuran tras aquel conflicto (…) Puntuación: *** (sobre 5).” (Federico Marín Bellón: Diario ABC)
—————————————-
“Convincente en todo momento, en buena parte porque evita el énfasis épico y el maniqueísmo (…) espléndidas interpretaciones (…) Puntuación: *** (sobre 5).” (Francisco Marinero: Diario El Mundo)
—————————————-
“Una de las mejores películas del año” (Toni García: Cinemanía)
—————————————-

Alla sammanfattar 00-talet just nu, jag är inget undantag. Det kom en hel hög bra filmer under decenniet, från hyperrealistiska dramadokumentärer till högklassig fantasy och underbara animerade filmer.

Här är de tio bästa:

10. Donnie Darko
Den här filmen hade inte behövt alla tidstypiska poplåtar för att placera sig omisskännligt i 80-talet. Stämningarna som byggs upp och skildringen av Donnies accelererande psykos gör den till det mästerverk den är.

9. Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex
Kritiken mot den här filmen är befogad, lika lite som boken den bygger på förklarar den på något begripligt vis Röda arméfraktionens drivkrafter, förutom att det ser väldigt häftigt ut att sno bilar, spränga saker och skjuta folk. Å andra sidan lyckas filmen verkligen med den uppgiften, stadsgerilla har aldrig varit sexigare.

8. Der Untergang
I Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex spelar Bruno Ganz terroristbekämparen Horst Herold, mannen som skaffade sig ett eget datoriserat furstendöme på BKA i Wiesbaden. I Der Untergang är han der Führer själv. En paranoid, nervsjuk gammal man i ett rike i totalt sönderfall. Den definitiva Hitlerfilmen.

7. Morvern Callar
Samantha Morton är lysande som missanpassad snabbköpskassörska i en film som är lika vacker när den skildrar skotsk vinter som spansk sommar.

6. Bloody Sunday
Brittiska soldaters massmord på fjorton obeväpnade demonstranter i stadsdelen Bogside i Derry, Nordirland 30 januari 1972 skildras utdraget och obarmhärtigt realistiskt. Som film om terrorns orsaker är den raka motsatsen till Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex. Konkretare och mer lättbegripligt kan det knappast bli.

5. This is England
Britterna har en alldeles särskild känsla för realism, och en kärlek till sina subkulturer som av någon anledning saknas helt i Sverige. En kärleksförklaring till skinheads som går rätt in i hjärtat.

4. Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazakis verkliga genombrottsfilm i västvärlden är en helt fantastisk sagoberättelse och något av det bästa tecknade jag sett på film.

3. Lord of the Rings-trilogin
JRR Tolkien skrev de ultimata fantasyromanerna, och Peter Jackson har gjort den ultimata fantasyfilmen. Ses helst i de förlängda DVD-versionerna, i en följd.

2. The Virgin Suicides
USA-premiär 1999, Sverigepremiär 2000. Därmed kvalar Sofia Coppolas hyllning till Peter Weirs Picnic at Hanging Rock in på den här listan. Så fantastiskt vacker.

1. Fight Club
Ja, den kom verkligen 1999, men överskuggar 00-talet så fullständigt att den självklart toppar en sådan här lista. Ett mästerverk och en av de där filmerna som faktiskt är bättre än boken.

Strax utanför: Old Boy (korridorscenen!), No Country for Old Men (garagerockfrisyren!), Battle Royale (Takeshi!), Pans labyrint (fascism och fantasy!), The Football Factory (kläderna!), Inglourious Basterds (uniformerna!), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (sagokänslan!), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp!), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (galenskapen!), Watchmen (allt!)

Mer om 00-talet, filmer, Old Boy, No Country for Old Men, Inglourious Basterds, Battle Royale, Pans labyrint, Football Factory, Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Watchmen, Fight Club, The Virgin Suicides, Lord of the Rings, Spirited Away, This is England, Bloody Sunday, Morvern Callar, Donnie Darko, Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex, Der Untergang,

I’m not crying and I’m not a big baby, am I? It’s called love, son.

Shane Meadows is a filmmaker close to my heart. Very few contemporary British directors are making films as honest, heartfelt, and distinctly British as Meadows. Somers Town was produced hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed This is England. Thomas Turgoose returns as a teenage runaway who arrives in London and strikes up an unlikely friendship with Marek, an impressionable Polish immigrant played by Piotr Jagiello.

Meadows has chosen a smaller, more intimate film this time around. Of his previous work, it’s probably most comparable to A Room For Romeo Brass, although the sinister undertones and brooding menace of his earlier films are notably absent. Somers Town is a charming coming of age story; a clash of cultures centering on two young misfits who form an unlikely bond as they struggle to find their place in a strange and hostile city. It’s a simple story of friendship blossoming between two boys with nothing in common but their adolescence and their love for French waitress, Maria, played by the adorable Elisa Lasowski. The plot may be light, but the film is carried by its witty script, natural camerawork, and the undeniable charm of its characters.

Somers Town has received a fair amount of negative press for the way it was funded. It was commissioned by Eurostar as an advertisement to promote its new channel tunnel rail terminal in the area of London from which the film takes its name.  On the face of it, that sounds like a terrible reason to produce a movie, but thankfully Meadows escapes with not only his dignity in tact, but another fine film on his impressive CV. Aside from the looming terminal serving as a back-drop to the unfolding drama, and a dubious ending montage which I won’t spoil here, there’s virtually nothing in this movie to sing the praises of Eurostar. More than anything, this is an advert for Shane Meadows, screenwriter Paul Fraser, and rising star Thomas Turgoose.

Turgoose is surely destined for great things. Plucked from obscurity for his role in This is England, his performance was outstanding. Was it merely a clever piece of casting that saw an impoverished youth performing brilliantly as.. an impoverished youth? Somers Town is proof that it was no fluke. Turgoose’s natural talent, charisma and, more strikingly, his range of acting shine through in this film. It’s a more confident and nuanced performance and it suggests his best is yet to come.

This is by no means the best film Meadows has made, but it’s probably his most accessible, and certainly his most positive. You could argue that it’s too short, and lacking in conflict and substance, but as a sharp social commentary and a vehicle for its talented cast and crew, it works just fine.

M. fantastique Fox, as they would say over in le France, comes to visit in the studio as Sam and Tom discuss Wes Anderson’s stop-motion Roald Dahl adaptation. Against that, we get  to hear Sam make a clanger, a car crash happen outside the base, Tom argue that Hollywood doesn’t promote domestic violence and the pointless nature of remakes. The boys then lament the lost potential of FlashForward, praise In Bruges to the hills and then set out the movies their children will have to see.

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 40

A few weeks ago I saw this very very very great movie. First I thought, this would be another “Romper Stomper”, “Hooligans”, “Oi! Warning” flick. But after a while, I mentioned that the movie is a sensual coming of age film. Combined with a great soundtrack (ok forget about the 80´s songs on it). If you are deeper into early reggae and the early skinhead scene in england, this will be nothing new to you, but for everybody else, give it a try. And you definitely have to watch this movie! Forget about all those other skinhead movies, I´ve seen them all and this is way the best.

Click here!

Absolute killer tune from Ken Booth, ooooh it brings me way back to the Bad Bellyman on Cork’s Radio Friendly. We used to tape his reggae show and play it all week, this is one that used up all my walkman batteries from rewinding all the time. Check the Version too, dubwise selection without objection! Quality.

Another tune keeping me awake in the studio is this mental live cut from Birdy Nam Nam, the french 4 man scratch and electronica crew. Hard to believe its 7 years old at this stage.

In other news, I’ve been having crazy dreams lately. One involved my upcoming show at Laz. All the pieces were in the gallery but I was still working on them a few nights before the opening. This dude from Shane Meadow’s fantastic This Is England kept breaking into the gallery and tagging all over my paintings.

This is england

• Para abrir pelicula Clickea la imagen.

• Para ver la pelicula completa sin interrupcion de los 72 minutos de espera, se recomienda abrir la pelicula dos veces cargar una desde el principio y la otra ventana que cargue desde la mitad…

Tonight we continue our decent into European cinema with the latest British hit Fish Tank.  The film is an exploration of life in inner city Britain and reflects the degredation of some aspects of British society.  It is worth noting that the film has been universally critically acclaimed and won the jury prize at the cannes film festival.  So if your interested in European, art house or good film then enjoy.  If not it is probably worth going back and reading the review of the Hangover or alternatively turn off the computer turn on your tv and watch Crazytown on repeat.  As this is what you deserve.

The film follows Mia (Katie Jarvis) as she ventures around her depressing existence on a housing estate in North London.  After run ins with a group of local teenagers (one of whom she headbuts), a group of travellers (who are mistreating a horse by a motorway fly over) and her mother(Kierston Wareing), Mia eventually finds her life turned upside down after her mother brings home Irish charmer Conor (Micheal Fassbinder).  As her mothers relationship develops with Conor so do her feelings for him.  They are drawn closer together until one night irretrievably changes their relationship.  This leads to Mia’s life crumbling down around her and leads to an incidence which has the potential to destrooys everyones lives.

The film is incredibly sad, this may sound a rather silly comment however   Mia is a character you both love and hate.  In one sense you feel for her plight and sympathise with her love of animal, in the other you see a street thug who is an alcoholic and acts without any restraint.   Her behaviour is so appalling at times that you find it hard to reconcile yourself with what she does. However you can see how limited her life is.  At one point in the film she has three possible routes for her life to go.  Due to her limited options caused by her upbringing and surroundings all of these routes either temporarily or permanently collapse. 

The hardest things about the film is that you know exactly where it is going to go at each revelation.  Director Andrea Arnold drags out the gaps between revelation and the conseqeunce to such excruciating lengths you feel like Charlotte Gainsbourg when she has her trousers down and a pair of scissor in her hands in Von Triers uplifiting Antichrist.  The film is definately one that warrants more than one viewing.  As this distance becomes less and less painful.

Michael Fassbinder undoubtedly steals the show as the charming yet phony Conor. He wonderfully plays between charming and menacing.  Conor is so charming and offers Mia and her sister a life that they have never seen with their selfish mother, you can instantly see why everyone falls for him.  When the film reveals the truth about him, you feel desperately sorry for Mia, his lies of stollen the only positive thing in her life.  The reason why deserves Fassbinder deserves the plaudits is that he skillfully hints at his secret all the way through.  His subtle performance makes the film tick and is the inspiration for most of the highs and lows.

Andrea Arnold uses the recent success of Shane Meadows work as the basis for the style of film, with This is England and A Room for Romeo Brass being significant features in the films DNA.  Strangely the mis en scene draws upon another British film The Damned United.  While the film is distinctive from both it still has qualities that are synonymous with contemporary British cinema.  Andrea Arnold deserves the plaudits she is gaining at the moment and will hopefully will have a career comparable to her contemporaries.

Overall – This is a superb film which hilgihts a great deal of waht wrong with British society.  If you’re a member of the BNP or thing Britain is faultless then avoid at all costs.  However, if not then this is a film to savour.

Here’s an extended trailer for BBC America’s upcoming series Occupation.  The trailer hints at a dark and emotionally taxing drama.  We’re excited for the return of JamesNesbitt.  His last appearance on BBC America in Jekyll was spectacular, to say the least, and we’ve always held out hope that the network would one day show Murphy’s Law or any of his TV films (Quite Ugly One Morning, Passerby) we’ve heard such great things about.

The official description:

Having participated in the invasion, and helped fly a critically injured child from Basra to a UK hospital, three soldiers find it impossible to slot back into civilian life. Driven by very different motives – each heads back to Basra.  Sergeant Mike Swift (James Nesbitt, Jekyll, Murphy’s Law) returns for the love of an Iraqi doctor, Aliyah (Lubna Azabal). Corporal Danny Peterson (Stephen Graham, Boardwalk Empire, This Is England) returns for money, setting up a private security firm. Lance Corporal Lee Hibbs (Warren Brown, Shameless) returns because he passionately believes in the mission to rebuild the country and help the Iraqi people—and the mission is nowhere near accomplished.  Amid growing sectarian conflict, and a boom time fuelled by billions of dollars from the U.S., their dreams of riches, love and making a difference come to define not just their lives but also the occupation itself.

As months turn into years, their lives move in directions they could have never imagined. Mike’s marriage falls apart as he pursues a love affair with an Iraqi doctor, who is now obliged to work within the country’s new religious framework at the hospital. Hibbs is deeply affected by the murder of his closest Iraqi friend, and begins to psychologically unravel. Mercenary Danny’s blatant exploitation of the situation leads to even more corruption and chaos. Occupation unveils a tale of wasted billions, lost lives, corporate greed, and a war that has left many questions unanswered.

Occupation premieres Sunday October 18th at 8pm on BBC America.

Shane Meadows’ 2006 film, this is england, has quickly become a cult favourite, with its skin-headed, doc marten wearing, ska listening bases, which appeal to the people who experienced it, aswell as the people willing and wanting to look in.

It stars Thomas Turgoose as shaun, the main character a bullied 12 year old who turns to a light hearted welcoming gang to solve his troubles. With it being his debut performance not a lot would be expected of him yet, he turned out a superb natural performance which has now been likened to many previously succesful young actors, because of the way he adopted the role so well.

Full Cast

Thomas Turgoose
Shaun Fields
Stephen Graham
Combo
Jo Hartley
Cynthia Fields
Andrew Shim
Milky
Joe Gilgun
Woody
Jack O`Connell
Pukey
Kieran Hardcastle
Kez
Andrew Ellis (Middle)
Gadget
Vicky McClure
Lol
Rosamund Hanson
Smell
Sophie Ellerby (Left)
Pob
Chanel Cresswell (Middle)
Kelly
Danielle Watson (Right)
Trev
George Newton (Right)
Banjo
Perry Benson
Meggy

Reviews

Reviews are an essential part of a movie becoming a success and this one is no different. With them possibly being more important because of the need for interest to be drummed up about this independent film. The following are a few reviews and the main points from them which the author wanted to point out:

The Guardian – Peter Bradshaw. 4/5

• English cinema.
• Good performance from Turgoose.
• Sparky performance from Gilgun.
• “Vulnerable figures taken under the wing of older flawed, men.” the general theme for one of Meadows’ films.
• Violent subject, involving violent people.
• Telling and touching moments.

BBC Movies – Paul Arendt. 5/5

• Interesting, fizzing with energy and humour.
• Brilliantly engaging performances.
• The group is a far cry from the 80’s thuggery (to begin with).
• Honest, emotional, funny and deeply moving portrait of growing up.

The Times – James Christopher. 4/5

• Wonderful performance by Turgoose.
• Meadows’ has tried to explore the contradiction of what the skinhead culture was like.
• Based on Meadows’ actual childhood. as almost a loose autobiography.
• Personal and powerful testimony

Timeout.com

• Brave film to make in these times of political correctness.
• Makes definite comparisons to today.
• ‘Spot on’ performances.
• ‘Confrontational, incendiary stuff’.
• Makes Meadows’ one of britains most important filmmakers.

Interviews

There has been a few emerging stars appear of this cult film, with writer Shane Meadows portraying british life in the 80’s perfectly. Here is an interview with him describing what life was like for him in the 80’s. He talks about the fact he had never thought of making a film on this subject even though it was so suited to him, the boring-ness of social groups these days, with people just merging in with one-another and finally skinhead culture is spoke about, with the fashion aspect and his childhood in Utoxeter.

Thomas Turgoose turned out to be a stand out star from the film with his natural performance which has been likened to many former young british starlets. It was his first ever acting role, so the performance he made became even more surprising. In this interview alongside Shane Meadows, he speaks about how his life has changed because of the film and talks about what he used to be like. You can see his family is a big part of his life still and you see the background which he has been flung into the movie business from. Shane again talks about his life in the 80’s and shows how the film idea’s came about.

Film Festivals

Film festivals were an essential part in this particular film coming to the public’s eye. It received various awards which proved and backed up the fact that this wasn’t just an ordinary film, which should be left to just pass by. It was one which everyone should see, one that with its various accolades would be remembered for years to come. Some of its main recognition must come from these 3 awards which it received.

• Winner Of Best Film – British Independent Film Awards
• Winner Of Most Promising Newcomer – British Independent Film Awards
• Winner Of Special Jury Award – Rome Film Festival

These are just a few of the mentions and awards it received since the film has been released and generally it has been very well received by the public, especially by people involved in the skinhead movement.

Blogs + Fansites

The cult nature of this film would make you think that many a fansite or blog would be created in appreciation of this independent film. Yet this is only the case mildly with only websites which have sections on various films containing this is england blogs. For example fanpop.com which is a fansite for various films anyway. Another of these blog sites is blog.co.uk which also has an array of reviews and comments by watchers of the film expressing their opinions which at the end of the day are the most important ones seeing as they are the people who will spend the money watching. The popular movie site flixster.com also have a section in which the film has been well received and been extremely popular with almost 8,000 reviews so far.

Use Of ‘Talent’ To Market The Film

Shane Meadows decided to do this film in a different way to many directors, who constantly try and grab a mega star to get the views and don’t concentrate anywhere near enough on the film itself. Yet Meadows’ used often many unknown actors, Thomas Turgoose for example had never taken an acting role and until he turned up for the audition had never shown an interest in film and its aspects. This was mirrored throughout the film, with the most well known actor being Steven Graham who’d previously worked in a few films and television, his most noting parts coming in Snatch in 2002 as a fairly important character and in the tv show band of brothers. From his performance in Meadows’ film though he has become much more of a well known actor. You can clearly see with the film posters that the actors big names weren’t important, it was however important to get across the films storyline and instead of displaying names in giant letters he shows opinions and accolades which the film has received in its time.

Press Stories

Inevitably the film’s harsh storyline was goin to spark controversy, with its hard hitting morals and views, in which Meadows doesn’t hold back with his slight auto-biographical status in which the film represents. The main press stories involved with it, have been about the classification issues, with it being classed as an 18. Meadows and many film enthusiasts believed that this was wrong and that a younger teenage audience should be allowed to see it, seeing as the morals within the film are in a way aimed at that age group to show them how things have changed and also open them up to how things were. Here is by watershed.co.uk on bristol city council’s decision to campaign to change the classification. They were succesful and a few other places within England followed suit, these being Camden and Westminster. I personally were surprised that only 3 councils in the whole of Britain applied for the age classification to be changed.

Weather you have seen the film or not, you have surely heard about it at some point..the film im talking about is This Is England!

“An electric, stunning and powerful movie…The best british film of the year..” Jonathan Dean – TOTAL Film

” Magnetic ***** ” James Christopher – The Times

As you can see the film was highly praised when released, making it one of the best films ever made and was nominated for many awards like Best Screenplay and Best Film, and became the winner of several more awards  like the BEST FILM award and the SPECIAL JURY award.

The films director and actors all had their own oppinions on what the film represented….

The film became a enormous success and has its own official website http://www.thisisenglandmovie.co.uk and the director (Shane Meadows) now has his own blog as well, which has recently posted the news of a series being made about this is England, looking at the characters 4 years on.

This Is England has been around the world attending many film festivals, one of which happened to be London’s own film festival. This is England was so popular with its audiences that many fan sites popped up across the web, the main one being http://www.fanpop.com/spots/this-is-england.

I hope you enjoyed the information I have included in this blog, there is not much more you can get from me so i guess you will have to just go and watch the film..however if you have already seen it guess what…WATCH IT AGAIN !

]]> http://tibtib.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/this-is-england-baby/ Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:14:16 +0000 tibtib http://tibtib.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/this-is-england-baby/

Je suis bien arrivé à Liverpool !!!

Une semaine pour se préparer avant les cours, et il y a de quoi faire : entre les ustensiles de cuisine à acheter, le compte en banque à ouvrir, les diverses paperasses administratives…

Voilà donc l’entrée de ma résidence, Mulberry Court, située en plein coeur du campus. J’ai une chambre privative et je partage les 2 salles de bains, 2 WC et la cuisine/salle commune avec…8 autres personnes (dont Delphine, heureusement ! ) : 4 Anglais, 1 Irlandaise et une Chinoise ( + 2 Français, nous !). J’aime autant vous dire que c’est un sacré bord*l !! Fêtes tous les soirs, chacun ramenant ses amis respectifs pour bringuer jusque tôt le matin. Avec nos chambres donnant sur la salle commune, c’est dire si on peut se reposer ! Au moins il y a une bonne ambiance… par contre pour bosser, c’est direction la bibliothèque de la fac, à 2 minutes de marche et ouverte 24H/24 et 7 jours/7 !!!

Les prochains posts montreront la fac et la ville.

Les amis, la famille, je vous dis : on se revoit à Noël !!

THIS IS ENGLAND

Ficha Técnica

Sinopsis

Este film, ambientado en la Inglaterra de los 80, en la época de la Guerra de las Malvinas, muestra a un joven de 12 años llamado Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) que después de perder a su padre en la guerra cambia de ciudad.

La vida en la nueva ciudad no le agrada mucho, ya que siempre pelea con compañeros de clase por que se meten con su aspecto y con su difunto padre. Un día, Shaun conoce a una banda de jóvenes skinheads encabezada por Woody, que al verlo tan decaído deciden animarlo y lo “adoptan” en su banda. Entonces Shaun decide convertirse en un skinhead como ellos.

Semanas después aparece Combo, un antiguo miembro de la banda, que después de tres años de cárcel, se presenta con ideas nacionalistas y un tanto racistas, y a partir de ahí, se dividen entre los miembros que mantienen sus ideales antirracistas, y el nuevo tipo de ideología racista y nacionalista, que Combo quiere integrar. Shaun, convencido por las palabras de Combo y aprovechándose de la tristeza que sufre por la muerte de su padre en las Malvinas, decide quedarse al lado del nuevo líder para “luchar por el orgullo de su padre” (tal y como Combo le dijo que haría). Con el tiempo Shaun irá descubriendo el error cometido.

Trailer

Stephen Graham needs a big, fat hug.

(IFC) Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Joe Gilgun, Rosamund Hanson, Andrew Ellis, Perry Benson. Directed by Shane Meadow

In July 1983, England stands at a crossroads. Embroiled in a war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, suffering massive unemployment, the young people of the UK are looking for answers that are not forthcoming from their government or traditional institutions.

Shaun (Turgoose) is an unhappy 12-year-old boy whose father recently died in the war. When a classmate cracks a cruel joke, Shaun gets into a fight with him, forcing his mum (Hartley) to the school to bail him out. On his way home, he meets a group of skinheads led by Woody (Gilgun), who sympathizes with his plight. In turn, Shaun finds a group of misfits much like himself, angry and frustrated at the way things are.

Shaun finds acceptance within this group and at first things go well. He cuts his hair short and dresses like his new friends – a sort of rite of passage for him. He even develops a romantic relationship with Smell (Hanson), a New Wave girl who hangs with the group. Things change, however, when Combo (Graham) returns to the group after a stint in jail. He is far more politically oriented, blaming many of his country’s troubles on the immigrants from Pakistan, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, particularly those with darker skins. His beliefs split the group in two. Although Woody wants Shaun in his group, Shaun feels more kinship with Combo.

Through Combo’s now-racist skinhead faction, Shaun gets to express the anger and frustration he feels, and finds scapegoats for his fury. While things never get violent, there’s always violence lurking just below the surface. When Combo severely beats up Milky (Shim), the only black member of Woody’s skinhead group, Shaun’s eyes get opened to the consequences of hatred.

Some of this material is semi-autobiographical. Writer/director Meadow (Shane/Shaun, get it?) grew up in a similar environment and many of the incidents were anecdotal to his own childhood. Given the economic climate here in America, it is a little easier for us to relate to what was going on in England 25 years ago then it probably was three years ago when this movie was first released in the UK.

Graham is incendiary as Combo. He is not really a bad guy, but he has allowed hate to take him over, and that hatred drives him. When it is finally unleashed on Milky, he feels genuine remorse afterwards, horrified and sickened that he was so brutal on a friend. Turgoose does a capable job as Shaun. The movie really turns on having a decent actor in the role, and Turgoose manages to make Shaun a believable character without being overly annoying.

The soundtrack is authentic classic ska, rocksteady and reggae, the kinds of things skinheads actually listened to back in the day. As the group moves into more aggressive behaviors, so the music gets more aggressive. It’s hard to be hateful and violent with a Bob Marley soundtrack, after all.

This is a movie about the evolution of a gang from a benign, harmless group of misfits who hang out because they don’t want to fit in into a violent, racist group looking to enforce their dominance through violence and intimidation. In some ways, it reminded me of the soccer hooligan movie Green Street Hooligans although that movie was less concerned with the evolution of violence more so than the effect of violence on its members. In many ways, This Is England is more horrifying though less visceral; even though there are fewer acts of violence depicted in the movie than in Green Street Hooligans, the effect of watching a fairly normal 12-year-old boy metamorphose into a hateful, prejudiced kid is all the more chilling because it’s the kind of thing that happens every day.

WHY RENT THIS: Graham and Turgoose are both special in their roles. The evolution of the skinheads from benign social outlet into hate-mongering racists is chilling to watch.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: This is very UK-centric and those who are not interested in the world outside their own may have little fondness for this.

FAMILY VALUES: The language is blue throughout, and there are some racially motivated hate crimes depicted. There is also some brief sexuality between a young kid and a somewhat older girl.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Turgoose had never acted professionally before and demand five pounds to audition; he had been banned from his school play for disruptive behavior. The film is dedicated to his mother, who died shortly before filming.

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: None listed.

FINAL RATING: 7/10

TOMORROW: Sleepwalking

1983. Shaun a 12 ans et vit avec sa mère dans une petite ville du Nord de l’Angleterre. Garçon solitaire et renfermé, il va s’émanciper en rencontrant un groupe de skinheads. Alors que les premiers instants sont baignés d’allégresse et d’insouciance, le retour de Combo, skinhead raciste récemment sorti de prison, va changer violemment le quotidien de Shaun.

Fidèle à la tradition de films anglais à vocation sociale, Shane Meadows prend comme point de départ cette jeunesse précarisée par les années Tatcher pour traiter du rite de passage de l’enfance à l’adolescence, marqué ici par la violence et le racisme. Pour rendre son propos crédible, le réalisateur se devait de trouver un acteur «authentique» sur qui reposerait le film. Il a donc auditionné de jeunes acteurs non professionnels issus de la rue et c’est ainsi qu’il a découvert le jeune Thomas Turgoose, véritable révélation et pilier central du film.

Si le scénario n’évite pas certaines facilités, la spontanéité et l’authenticité du jeu des acteurs ont vite fait de nous faire oublier les quelques petits défauts de cette production juste et généreuse.

This is Englandde Shane MEADOWS

VO AN st.FR. Durée : 97′.
A FILM, 2006, Grande-Bretagne

MA

Shane Meadows continues his highly fruitful relationship with Warp Films – a collaboration that to date has created modern classics Dead Man’s Shoes and This is England. Shaking things up a bit, he and producer Mark Herbert have embarked on a new venture – The 5 Day Feature. Cryptically enough, this involves filming a complete production in the limited time span of 5 days, the first fruit of which is “Le Donk”.

Posing as a documentary, we find Paddy Considine as the eponymous “Donk”, a roadie / blagger who is trying to get rotund rapper and tenant “Scor-Zay-Zee” a warm up slot performing before the “Article Monkeys.” Hot-headed Donk is a maelstrom of enthusiastic energy, firing off misinformed non-sequiturs and unpolished pearls of wisdom to anyone within earshot. Stopping off at Donk’s heavily pregnant estranged girlfriend (played by Olivia Colman), the limited film crew then follow Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee on the long drive from Nottingham to Manchester’s Old Trafford, whereupon Donk sets about finding some work for his protégé.

Considine is on the screen for nearly the entirety of this film, and when he isn’t, you can’t wait for him to return. Clearly improvising a lot of the dialogue, he’s created a believable and sympathetic character who I suspect will lodge himself in comedic consciousness for a long time to come. It would appear that Donk has been a character since the mid-nineties, but for much of the audience this film will be their first exposure to him, and one can only hope not the last.

Peppered with the odd cameo by the Arctic Monkeys, Le Donk plays like “Alan Partridge on tour with Bad News.” It is a heart warming little film that you will not want to end, and you will want to quote all the best lines to your mates afterwards. More Please!

Pentru mine, cartea lui Constantin Popescu a avut intocmai acest efect. Descoperita in timpul perindarilor mele prin anticariate, in incercarea de a evada un pic din universurile rigide ale lui Rebreanu si Marin Preda, impuse de programa pentru BAC, “Mesteci si respiri mai usor…” a fost o salvare. Salvarea. Desi titlul induce usor in eroare, povestea nu se refera deloc la o noua guma de mestecat proaspat lansata pe piata. Totusi, revenirea in universul urban actual, in Bucurestiul modern, alaturi de niste personaje vii, alaturi de care te simti ca pe terasa Teatrului National la o bere ieftina, depanand amintiri, creeaza un gust mentolat pentru cititorul obosit de traditii si reguli. Pentru a citi aceasta carte, totusi, este nevoie de o minte limpede si de un tomberon imens in care sa fie aruncate prejudecatile, pudicitatea si conceptiile clasiciste. Constantin Popescu insusi isi descre cititorul ideal: “Cititorul meu trebuie sa manance sticla si sa bea nisip. Cititorul meu trebuie sa fluiere in dus si sa se scarpine in nas, daca asa ii vine. Cititorul meu trebuie sa stie sa ia o decizie in cinci minute”. Si daca in cele 5 minute decizi sa citesti cartea, fara sa te gandesti de mai multe ori inainte, iei decizia corecta. Aproape tot in 5 minute vei avea impresia ca ai parcurs cele “doua sute si ceva” de pagini, si nici nu iti vei da seama cand a trecut timpul. 80% din text este sub forma de dialog, si nu stii ce sa crezi. Nu stii daca au fost pur si simplu niste replici aruncate la nimereala, in care a fost inclus un limbaj oarecum vulgar, cu elemente de argou, sau daca fiecare cuvant si succesiune de fraze au fost indelung studiate pentru a conferi acea senzatie de realitate. Oricum ar sta lucrurile, este evidenta maiestria autorului in a crea o lume imaginara, care sa te faca sa te simti ca acasa si sa dea nastere unui imens buchet de senzatii. O mana de prieteni traiesc fantasmand cu privire la Romania, asa cum e ea, visand sa o schimbe, dar si sa se schimbe pe ei insisi. Grasu, Abrasa, Faianta, Pappucinno, Ciuhabu, Salata si Manase poarta discutii interminabile in duba lor Volkswagen, presarate cu glume si poante din care unele te fac sa razi in hohote, iar altele te ating subtil si te fac sa iti pleci putin capul, ca si cum te-ai ascunde de personajele atat de reale, incat le simti prezenta si le auzi vocile. Alteori injuraturile lor te pot face sa rosesti, dar daca te gandesti mai bine, auzi zilnic cuvinte mult mai vulgare in plina strada, la metrou sau in trafic, asa ca nimic nu te mai poate soca. Nimic, in afara de monologurile lui Faianta, adevarate rauri de gandire si de metafore in care se regasesc sentimentele sale cele mai profunde, sentimente pe care le credeai imposibile in inima unei persoane aparent fara viitor. Surprind si referirile la diverse elemente culturale, cum ar fi ecuatia lui Fermat-Shimura, scrisa pe perete cu un marker negru, cartile de Joyce, Dostoevski, Bulgakov, Marquez si multi altii aruncate pe o policioara, Tanhausser si Louis Armstrong, si “poetul englez Yeats”. Amintind de gastile de baieti care colinda strazile la 3 dimineata, dar si de celebrele filme “Trainspotting” si “This is England”, firul povestii exploreaza, ca supratema, conceptiile unor tineri asupra tarii lor. Capitolul “Te iubesc!” cuprinde declaratia lui Faianta, leganandu-se cu o sticla de Jack Daniels, pentru patria sa:

“Ca un post te iubesc, oras de rahat!!! Cu gunoaie si cu hoti, cu curve si cazinouri, cu tigani si algoritme, cu parlament si cimitire vesele, cu seminte si cu gropi, cu rahat si mar domnesc, cu putori si cu sarmale, cu marar si flori de colt, cu salvari fara benzina, cu noroi, cu praf, cu bere, capace fara canale, cu planset, cu ras, cu bale, cu mercedesuri si bemveuri, cu talcioc si angrouri, cu salam, cu mici, cu praz…tara fara caviar!!! (…) cu Greuceni si Cosanzene, cu Feti-Frumosi si lesbiene, cu calusari si paparude, cu iele, potera si iude, cu stele, cu compot si cu caiele, cu mineri si cu mistere, tara blanda… o muiere!!! Da’ o iubesc cu-asa putere!!!”

In ludica sa declaratie de dragoste, alaturi de enumerarea elementelor geografice si istorice care marcheaza teritoriul romanesc, Faianta da dovada de patriotism (iar autorul de un model, in acest caz, demn de urmat): “Esti tara mea!!! E tara mea!!! Ce-ai, ma, cu ea??? E a noastra, buna, rea, cu munti, cu ape, cu flori si iarba, cu codri, baa, ca va e rusine sa vorbiti romaneste!!!”

Nu lipsesc adrenalina si dramatismul, furtul unui autoturism si povestile cu atacul minerilor, un tata depravat si iubirea pentru o prostituata, un sechestru, o umbra a mortii, induiosarea si revolta, vizitele la bordel si, desigur, visul american. Nu e nimic nou, nici nimic vechi de aflat; doar prezentul, ca un jet de apa rece, navaleste si spala tot in calea lui, lasand in urma un zambet dulce-amar si o incuviintare: “Asa e…”.

Al fin puedo dedicarle un rato al cine en este verano. Cierto es que poco he podido disfrutar de él durante estas vacaciones y de hecho, creo que era el momento de dedicar un poco de espacio en este blog.

Ayer tuve la oportuidad de ver la película “Awaydays“, basada en la novela de Kevin Sampson. El largometraje aún no ha llegado a España pero Internet nos brinda la oportunidad de adelantar la espera cuando la ansiedad supera la paciencia (aunque tuviese que verla en V.O. subtitulada en inglés).

Nos encontramos ante una película relacionada una vez más con el hooliganismo aunque en una época más temprana. Ambientada en la Inglaterra de los 70-80, las expectativas que Awaydays había generado sobre mí tras ver el trailer, cayeron al pasar los primeros 45 minutos.

Situándonos un poco, la trama gira en torno a un joven huérfano y su deseo de pertenecer a una de las peñas futboleras de un club inglés. Carty, nuestro protagonista, seducido por los chicos malos de la grada, tratará fielmente de lograr su objetivo hasta ser uno más de ellos. Este fanatismo por lograr su meta y la amistad que entabla con Elvis (uno de los líderes carismáticos del grupo) le apartará de su ambiente familiar, volcándolo en una espiral de libertinaje y pasión.

En la película, encontraremos los clásicos conflictos morales, la búsqueda interna de principios del propio protagonista y la reflexión final que este modelo de guiones presentan siempre. A partir de aquí, recomiendo que cada uno la vea por su cuenta y opine.

Sin embargo, voy a centrarme en otros puntos críticos que hacen que esta película me haya dejado con ganas de más.

Stephen Graham acabará encasillado

En el reparto, nos encontramos de nuevo con Stephen Graham (Snatch o This is England) como líder soberano de la peña, adoptando un papel de nuevo muy parecido al de This is England, por lo que resultará muy familiar.

En cuanto al vestuario, recrean sobriamente las prendas que en la época utilizaban los “scousers” y los “hard-mods” que actualmente utilizan los “casuals”. Al parecer y por lo que he leído, los “scousers” simplemente se diferencian de los “hooligans” por una cuestión dialéctica, es decir, son ingleses que proceden de Liverpool, aunque en la película no se haga ninguna referencia al club.

Uno de los errores bajo mi punto de vista, se encuentra en la banda sonora. Aunque la ambientación es acorde para algunas escenas, pienso que la relación por ejemplo, de Joy Division con este movimiento es nula y se podría haber ambientado mejor con otras muchas canciones de grupos relacionados con esta escena (como bien se hizo en This is England).

Otro de los deja-vu que tuve mientras visualizaba el largo, era la similitud con Green Street Hooligans , que pese a tener una historia distinta de primeras, muchas escenas de acción-reacción son parecidas (veánse los conflictos violentos).

Los nudos de acción son bastante previsibles por lo que el final provocará que más de uno haya dejado a su pareja con las blandas palomitas que compró antes de entrar, y espere fuera de la sala fumando un cigarrillo.

Pese a todo, los 105 minutos de proyección merecen la pena para aquellos que como un servidor, siguen este género cada vez más explotado. Una película recomendada para todos ya que con previo conocimiento o no del movimiento cultural, muestra una óptica de la escena exenta de tintes políticos, y eso amigos lectores, es de agradecer.

I love Warp! Not the tour, but the label. Well configured scat based music and thought invoking films who’s emulsion is found through its mind expanding violence.

Warp Records is having a birthday party at Terminal 5 in New York, next month!  Battles, !!!, and Prefuse 73, amongst others will be playing!

Chances are that you are semi-familiar with the films and music that Warp is involved with, but have no idea. If this isn’t the case, I’m her to expand your interest for their well thought out entertainment with bright artistic quality.

I’ve compiled a short list of films released with Warp Films, that I happen to enjoy:

yoga for those suffering of hydrocephalus, as shown in Rubber Johnny

Rubber Johnny: The controversial collaborative video using the direction of Chris Cunningham and the music of Aphex Twin. Rubber Johnny shows a wheelchair bound teenager with a hyperactive imagination, locked in a dark basement with his Chihuahua.

Stephen Graham motioning to me for a hug during the movie This Is England

This Is England:  Shane Meadows cinematically alluring story that follows a 12 year old boys introduction to the skinhead culture, and how he is torn and effected by this Jamaican rooted culture as it spans out into a White Nationalist  movement.

Blood. Also can be used if you don’t have a pen handy! Example shown in Dead Mans Shoes

Dead Mans Shoes: A violent movie by Shane Meadows, that is based around an army paratrooper who comes home seeking revenge of the group responsible for tormenting his handicapped younger brother.

could you be any more charming, Stephen Graham?!

Scummy Man: a video I love mainly because it furthers my crush for Stephen Graham and his wise ass, shitty attitude, “crush you with my fist” character along his fat cheeks and beady eyed baby face, of course. The video is alongside the Arctic Monkeys song “When the Sun Goes Down” Its the story of a young prostitute and an abusive clients (swoon) control over her, as people try to lead her into a ‘better life’. The short story begs the question “Is anyone inherently good?”

Fluorescent Adolescent: Another Arctic Monkeys music video directed by Richard Ayoade. I’m a pretty big Ayoade fan. He one point  acted on The Mighty Boosh when it was still a radio based show. The director also acts as the adorably misguided dork Maurice Moss in one of my favorite comedy shows The IT Crowd.

Anyways, The video features Stephen Graham as my beloved wise assed leader with a shitty attitude, “crush you with my fist” character along his fat cheeks and beady eyed baby face….in clown make up. The entire video is revolved around a fight between a group of clowns and a more civilian-like group. As the video progresses you see that the two leaders were at one point friends. There is something extremely amusing and slightly poetic about this videos slow motion fight sequence  in an abandoned district. You expect an obvious ending but just in music video style, something slightly more tragic happens.

They also put out that new Yeah Yeah Yeahs video.  I’m not a huge fan of, musically, but I do love the wolf in it! Probably because reminds me of Booga from Tank Girl

.