A version of this article originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Film & Festivals online magazine.

A scene from Laurent Cantet’s The Class (2008)

I used to wind up a good friend of mine, an American actor who’d studied at LAMDA in London and regularly took – and firmly believed in – acting classes back in New York. Surely, I’d argue with a wink, his chosen profession was one of the few in which you can achieve success without any formal schooling whatsoever?

Indeed, cinema history is studded with complete amateurs acclaimed for their performances: no rehearsing Shakespearean soliloquies and or attempts at the Stanislavski ‘Method’ helped Dr. Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields) or World War Two double amputee Harold Russell (The Best Days of Our Lives) win Oscars. As dedication to a craft goes, it’s not exactly the training required by those taking up, say, open-heart surgery or piloting a 747.

When Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs) won the Palme D’Or at Cannes earlier this year, the ceremony’s most enjoyable moment came when his non-professional cast of inner city school kids invaded the stage, adding some much needed spontaneity and joie de vivre to the largely stuffy formalities. Cantet is one of the increasing number of contemporary filmmakers who regularly turns to novices to populate his films. Some directors such as Mexico’s Carlos Reygadas (Silent Light) or Bruno Dumont (L’Humanite, Flanders) rarely do anything else; even experienced pros used to working with A-list stars, such as Gus Van Sant (Elephant, Paranoid Park) or Steven Soderbergh (Bubble) have followed suit.

Gus Van Sant’s Elephant (2003)

This is no new trend either. Robert Bresson was famous for his amateur ‘actor-models’; Italian neo-realism’s documentary-like impulse involved drawing its casts, at least in part, from people on the street. So what governs this impulse? And why is it making such a comeback?

One obvious factor is that, Will Smith apart, stars are a less secure guarantee of box-office success than ever before. Moreover in today’s 24-7 rolling media and cult of celebrity, it’s not just mystique that actors might be losing; it’s the ability to do their job. If we define acting as the ability to make-believe that you are actually someone else, overexposure is the actor’s Kryptonite (icons are different; fans look for continuity from, say, John Wayne or Marilyn Monroe, not variation).

However if you listen to the reasons given by today’s back-to-basics filmmakers, there’s a disconcerting slant to their professed motives: a refutation of acting itself. “I’m interested in what a person gives off or emanates by himself, what he is,” Carlos Reygadas once told me. “I don’t need him to represent anything.”

“I love the way non-professional actors perform,” Laurent Cantet said of his film Ressources Humaines, where he featured genuine unemployed assembly line workers. “Maybe it’s not as smooth as the professionals, but I feel it’s more authentic… It’s in the way he stands in front of his machine, that’s something that nobody could actually simulate, I think.” [my italics]

Avoiding movie star baggage is one thing; utilising a person’s own experiences to inform their role (Ngor was persecuted by the Khmer Rouge as was his character Dith Pran; Russell was a real WWII veteran) another; but to claim a non-professional is inherently more effective than a professional? That’s just unprofessional.

Dr. Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields (1984)

What usually defines the use of non-professionals in fiction films is their characters frequent (im)passivity. Think of the inert, near-silent chauffeur lead in Reygadas’s Battle in Heaven; the lumbering, inscrutable detective in Bruno Dumont’s L’Humanite; the monosyllabic, put-upon courier of Jafar Panahi’s Crimson Gold; the affectless students of Gus Van Sant’s Elephant; even the dead-end teenage drug addicts in Duane Hopkins’s Better Things.

In every case, there doesn’t seem to be much acting required, or even asked for. Robert Bresson was famous for having his ‘actor /models’ repeat multiple takes of every scene until all vestiges of “performance” had been eroded and it suited his pared-down style of filmmaking. Elsewhere I’d argue the results are less than ideal. The directors are literally shooting blanks. It’s scant surprise that none of Soderbergh’s listless Bubble cast have gone on to other work since.

One might argue they’re merely using the age-old convention of letting the audience do the work. In the famous final shot of weepie Queen Christina, director Rouben Mamoulian told Greta Garbo, “Think nothing.” She did and audiences projected all her dashed hopes and dreams themselves.

Greta Garbo in the famous final scene from Queen Christina (1933)

The thing is, Greta Garbo had far more power and control over her screen persona than today’s non-professionals. There’s a slightly sinister undercurrent to current methodology. Reygadas on the explicit sexual scenes he demanded of leads Marcos Hernandez and Anapola Mushkadiz: “They just got naked and did what I said and that was it.” Dumont on directing his performers: “I don’t like saying to someone: ‘do this for me.’ I put them in a situation, I blow up a wall without telling them, and I see the look on their faces afterwards.”

I don’t want to exaggerate the idea of exploitation, but it’s certainly a way for the filmmaker to keep control – how many untried and untested actors will stand up to an experienced director?

Of course there are first-timers or novices who are complete naturals and go on to establish decent acting careers for themselves – R. Lee Ermey, the foul-mouthed drill sergeant in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, is one; Thomas Turgoose in the last two Shane Meadows films looks to be another.

But isn’t this the point? Their work is the beginning of something, not the means to a dead-end. Acting may be a job that someone with no experience can instantly take to. But good actors, like any other professionals, continue to work on and hone their craft. A good actor offers the director give and take, a variety of options and isn’t just a mannequin to be arranged like a prop. And a good actor, particularly an unknown quantity, should be able to disappear into his role as well as, if not better than, any amateur.

In a profession with unemployment hovering in the high 90s percentile, to simply ignore trained, talented professionals in a disingenuous quest for ‘authenticity’ is poor pretense. You might even say it’s bad acting.

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

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince

Harry’s getting older and his adventures that much more harrowing in this the latest installment in the magical franchise.

Public Enemies

Gangster movie directed by Michael Mann. Starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. On a side note, Time Out New York called Mann’s Miami Vice one of the fifty best films of the decade! What the F. Murray Abraham were they thinking?!?

Julie & Julia

Starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep and based on the popular best seller. This movie actually cost me a jacket — and a nice jacket at that! I was watching them film a scene on the 7th avenue subway platform and leaned up against a post that had been freshly painted — YELLOW! Damn you MTA, and my unabashed curiosity!

Somers Town

The latest from director Shane Meadows, and re-teamed with his This is England star, Thomas Turgoose.

Three Monkeys

Best director award at Cannes for this Turkish neo-noir.

North by Northwest 50th Anniversary Edition

Honestly, what’s left to be said about this gem? Two documentaries and a commentary by writer Ernest Lehman, for which alone it’s worth picking up!

“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.

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.

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.

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

Somers Town (2008) is fresh and lighthearted coming of age story that has real-life charm and drama. It is serious yet fun look at growing up. The people you meet and the situations you get into, as well as your dreams, truly shape who you are. Being filmed in black and white gives it a clean feel that enables you to focus on the events and characters without distraction. The original music by Gaven Clark is refreshing and perfectly fits the style of the film… Read The Full Somers Town Movie Review

Skinhead

I’ve been following Shane Meadows’ career since he first feature Twenty-Four Seven. Last year there was talk of his next film being some skinhead flick set in the 80s. That sounded interesting — all his films had been worth seeing even a relative dud like Once Upon A Time In The Midlands — but I wasn’t prepared for just how brilliant his latest was going to be. This is his best film by far and the best British film for some time.

It’s set back in the 80s – and right from the off, with a clip of Roland Rat filling the screen it’s going to be a certain type of 80s, an ITV 80s with Knight Rider and Blockbusters. A bit different for me – I was more a BBC lad but the rough Midland’s council estate that Shaun, the films’ main protagonist, rides his bike through strikes close to home – Yuppies are a long way from here; this is other side of the Thatcher ‘economic miracle’Shaun is having a miserable time of it – a year ago his dad was killed in the Falklands (footage of which is mixed in with the garish tv shows) and, small for his age, dressed in out-of-fashion patterned jumpers and flares, he’s relentlessly bullied at school (“Woodstock’s that way!”).

On the last day of school before the summer holidays on his way home he comes on a gang of skinheads, but instead of more harassment the gang’s leader Woody tries to cheer him up and soon he’s a member of the gang. Woody’s girlfriend takes some hair clippers to his head and then dressed in shirt, jeans and boots he becomes a fully-fledged skinhead. Though in one hilarious scene his mother refuses to buy Doc Martin ‘thug boots’ but instead “special boots, from London”. Amiable and fun-loving with none of the racial hatred that would later became to be associated with the skins – they even have a black member, Milky – the gang spend their time drinking tea or beer, listening to ska or going ‘hunting’ – dressing up in ridiculous fancy dress to smash up abandoned flats. It looks like Shaun is set for his best summer ever.

Unfortunately things take a dark turn when Combo, an older associate of the gang returns from a prison stretch. He starts to undermine Woody from the off and is soon infecting the gang with his race hatred. After one impassioned rant against immigrants he draws a line on the floor with his own spit; a line he expects the others to hold. Woody and some of the others immediately walk out. Shaun is left behind – transferring his need for a father figure from Woody to Combo.

Combo, in a brilliantly terrifying performance by Stephen Graham, is full of self-loathing and bitterness and barely suppressed anger. Violence is inevitable but it’s strikes out in, to me, in an unexpected direction and for unexpected reasons. And the final ending of This Is England is truly haunting.

Bullying runs through the whole film – with Shaun bullied from the beginning. Also there’s some subtle bulling going on in the gang even before the arrival of Combo, with the fat and stupid Gadget worried about loosing his place in the pecking order to a younger kid. Combo is full of ‘Englishman pride’ rhetoric and takes the gang to a National Front meeting for more of the same, but his campaign to ’stem the flood of immigrants’ amounts to little more than graffiti (“How do you spell ‘off’!”) and pathetically stealing a football from three Muslim lads before harassing an Asian shopkeeper. This is all set against footage of the Falklands with rock-hard paratroopers sent in against poorly trained and scared Argentine conscripts.

Meadows has obviously poured his heart and soul into this autobiographical story (swapping Shaun for Shane). There’s a gritty rawness in the filming and the performances, seen in his other films but used to even greater effect here – although may be a little too naturalistic and rough in parts, Thomas Turgoose as Shaun is a revelation.

Oh and the sound track, filled with ska and 80s pop classics is an absolute killer.

Some very entertaining, high quality gems have been coming out of the Uk in the last few years. This very blog features many favorable reviews of recently released British Horror. Eden Lake is no exception. I knew absolutely nothing about this film going in. My ignorance definitely enhanced the experience. The opening credits attempt to prepare you for the ride you are about to go on by flashing horrifying shots throughout the credits. Secure loose items and keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times. Sit back and enjoy the ride. The opening scene is a class of happy children with their school teacher. The school teacher is the female half of our couple. Her man picks her up in his shiny new suburban utility vehicle and off they go. His intention is to ask his lady to marry him. To set the stage he has planned a romantic weekend getaway. The location is Eden Lake, a once thriving parkland and quarry that is now closed for construction. The pacing in this film is exceptional. Every scene hints at the possibility that something might happen. You have no idea when the action is coming. The first scene when the couple arrives in the town is perfectly executed. Someone steals their parking spot, they have trouble getting a drink in the bar and they give a disapproving eye to a mother disciplining her child. Let the class wars begin. The couple’s stripped clean, sterilized, middle-class existence is about to be rocked. There is a low body count and low gore factor but they raise the bar on the shock levels. Performances are excellent and the film quality is top notch. The ending is spectacular! I really loved that ending! There are a few questionable decisions made by the couple that are slightly frustrating but it won’t ruin the overall enjoyment of the film. This suspenseful, incredibly intense and perfectly paced horror film is worth its weight in gold.

Dungeon Rating: 4.5/5

Directed By: James Watkins

Starring: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara Ellis, Jack O’Connell, Finn Atkins, Jumayn Hunter, Thomas Turgoose, James Burrows, Thomas Gill and Lorraine Bruce

It’s not so much a film as a visual short story this.  I wasn’t expecting that.  It is also far, far lighter than Meadows’ previous films despite the potentially heavy subject matter.  This Is England’s Thomas Turgoose returns as Tomo a runaway from Nottingham who befriends the teenage son of a Polish immigrant (Marek played by Piotr Jagiello) working on the Eurostar extension at St Pancras.

The film follows a few days in their life when they do nothing but somehow enjoy it the way that teenage boys do.  It’s a low key coming of age film.  The two young leads do a great job, Turgoose is all cheeky charm and Jagiello embodies the hesitant awkwardness of an outsider. Their comical scrapes and days spent working for a local Del Boy character called Graham are given a whimsical gloss, as if viewed with nostalgia from middle-age.  They both fall for a twenty-something French girl who waitresses at a local café and set about trying to jointly woo her before she departs hurriedly for France.  Then they buy some cheap alcohol and get drunk at Marek’s flat before Marek’s Dad kicks Tomo out (he stays with Graham) and the Polish lads have a heart-to-heart about the divorce from Marek’s mother.  It’s all nice, heartwarming stuff.  Even the early scene where Tomo gets mugged is downplayed.  The incident itself isn’t pleasant, though Meadows doesn’t show the violence directly (muggers kicking a prostrate Tomo are shown from the waist up etc), but his recovery is remarkably quick, his injuries minimal and his psyche unaffected.

It’s a nice little film.  I’d enjoy seeing it again.  But I must remember that it’s extremely insubstantial.  4/10

Entertainment Weekly recently posted a list of the top twenty-five active film directors. These lists will forever cause disagreement and controversy but some of the inclusions, and subsequent exclusions, on this list are pretty unforgivable. Even if you don’t find it too irratating, as a film fan and blogger I feel it only necessary to present some arguments both against the inclusion of some and against the exclusion of others while I would also like to take some time to argue for the inclusion of a few that I think may brook argument elsewhere.

EW’s Original List:
25. Jon Favreau
24. Pedro Almodovar
23. Paul Greengrass
22. Paul Thomas Anderson
21. Ang Lee
20. Ron Howard
19. Clint Eastwood
18. Danny Boyle
17. Darren Aronofsky
16. Zack Snyder
15. Sam Raimi
14. Judd Apatow
13. Tim Burton
12. David Fincher
11. Guillermo Del Toro
10. Joel and Ethan Coen
9. James Cameron
8. Michael Mann
7. Quentin Tarantino
6. Ridley Scott
5. Steven Soderbergh
4. Christopher Nolan
3. Martin Scorsese
2. Peter Jackson
1. Steven Spielberg

Against The Inclusions

• I like Iron Man, I’m entertained by Elf, I haven’t seen Zathura. With this knowledge in my mind, I have to say that including Jon Favreau on this list is completely ridiculous. The action in Iron Man was okay but nothing to send pictures to Grandma about and Elf was passable and sweet but nothing representing visual flair, shot choices or directon of actors made this seems like Favreau was even remotely in the category of auteur. He did a huge amount of work to bring Iron Man to the screen in the form it comes in, but that really just marks him out as a hard-working and likeable fellow, not a great director.
• Ron Howard is a skilled technician and delivers very entertaining films. But every one of them is entertaining but nothing beyond. His films are filled with unspectacular direction in which he exhibits a great understanding of what will make audiences tick, but displays no ability to understand the psychological motivations behind characters, or at least fails to show he understands this on film. I don’t think you could ever watch any of his films and consider its a ‘Ron Howard film’. He’d likely say this is because he has no set style and just works in a way that will best serve the story he is telling. I would say it’s because he is a competent but entirely unspectacular director.
• Zack Snyder is certainly making a name for himself but, until the world has seen and been able to judge Watchmen, he cannot even remotely be considered great. Dawn of the Dead is a lot of fun but 300 is lifeless, if imaginative. He has chops but I am entirely unconvinced at present that he is ‘great’.
• Judd Apatow is a highly influential producer and writer. He has pioneered a new comic genre which currently shares a mantle alongside the Ferrell/McKay axis as the top box-office comedy type of this current generation. But, he is a director with very little again in any sort of visual flair and with little self-editing ability. Both the 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up are excellent but both go on for too long and rely more on the quality of chemistry between actors and the scripts/improv than his work. You could argue he has much to do with the quality that you see in the chemistry, but I’m not too sure on that.
• Tim Burton used to be something of an enchanting genius. Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood will stand up for eternity while he has other good works in his past with Beetlejuice and the Batmans. He even proved adept at toning himself down slightly for Big Fish. But now, despite the success of that, he has retreated back into his gothic comfort zone and continues to droll out only-okay pictures. His Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was creepy and filled with poor choices. Sweeney Todd was beautifully designed but so far into what we expect from Burton that any sense of excitement is taken away. Now he is moving on to do Frankenweenie and Alice in Wonderland, neither of which promise anything different from the man. If he could grow a pair and test himself a little more, I would be far more inclined to place him amongst these top players.
• James Cameron is a genius on his day, but are we really excited so much by the new film from a guy who has done nothing for a decade outside of 3D experimentation and nature documentaries? Avatar sounds incredible but I would be hesitant to get too excited, especially given the place of Titanic as a superb spectacle film with excruciating dialogue and generally hammy acting. Avatar may look amazing, but it may end up disappointing the legions desiring something life-changing beyond the credits.
• Ridley Scott is another with incredible films in his back catalogue but who has not really delivered anything of real value since Gladiator. He now seems to occupy an odd space where a select group of actors want to constantly work with him on projects which seem interesting. Then, he turns in films which are technically brilliant but have nearly no heart or depth. American Gangster is the prime example, a work which should have been fascinating and engrossing, instead turned into a long, well-acted and well-made episodic gangster movie-by-numbers.
• Peter Jackson did direct Lord of the Rings and you will find no arguments for me on the brilliance of those films. No doubt he should be on the list. But King Kong was an epic fumble that would have bumped him back a few places for me and though his early splatter career in New Zealand is filled with energy, and Heavenly Creatures is very good indeed, I just can’t quite build the enthusiasm I would need to defend his position above, yes above, Martin Scorsese.

In Defense of

• Danny Boyle is likely to come in for criticism that he is placed on this list purely because of the Slumdog Millionaire hype. I disagree intensely. Here is a director adept across a number of genres who made two of the defining British films of the 1990s (Shallow Grave and Trainspotting) and possibly one of the most stylistically influential of the 2000s (28 Days Later). He has worked across these genres with varying degress of success but he has always shown a visual and narrative flair which should not be discounted, especially if it can be partnered with good actors and a strong script, as evidenced by Slumdog Millionaire itself. If you want a true representation of how good he can be, check out Millions, the small British kids film he made a couple of years back which perfectly presents his ability to find heart and soul in abundance when the material serves.
• Sam Raimi managed with the Spiderman films to incorporate so much of his own style into a mainstream piece of filmmaking. He, like Boyle, has had varying success across genres and I’m not fully sure I could justify how high he is placed, but he delivered two excellent superhero movies which paved the way for the new generation to come through and, if you want any other argument, directed Evil Dead. Nuff said.
• Christopher Nolan will likely come under criticism from some corners for how high he is placed in the list. I might agree with that but his inclusion is absolutely warranted. I didn’t fanatically love The Dark Knight in the way many did, but Nolan is a director of incredible skill and intelligence and you cannot fault the ambition shown in The Dark Knight to try and transcend the stereotypes of a genre, even if not everything works. Beyond that, Memento and The Prestige are both superb and I suppose I would just say that I look forward greatly to what he will take on next outside of the Gotham universe.

The Omissions

• Terrence Malick  may not be prolific by any standards but he must be considered among the finest filmmakers currently working. Badlands and Days of Heaven are timeless works of art while The Thin Red Line and The New World are both outstanding and worthy of reassessment.
• Outside of Del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron is the most versatile and talented of the new wave of Mexican filmmakers which came into force during the early part of the 2000s. He had been working for some time before, breaking through with Solo Con tu Pareja (Love in the Time of Hysteria) in the early 1990s but really came to prominence with Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too), the engrossing, sexy rites-of-passage road trip before delivering the best Harry Potter film to date and then one of the defining sci-fi works of our time in Children of Men. He is technically masterful and I can’t wait to see what he delivers next.
• Yes, he’s seen some diminishing returns in the past few years, but Wes Anderson is growing as a visual filmmaker and, should he see the value in reuniting with Owen Wilson in writing in the near future, could deliver a script to match his growing skill. If you want to look back too, he has delivered some of the most interesting films of his generation, most notably his charming first two efforts, Bottle Rocket and Rushmore.
• Shane Meadows is a more personal choice for me, but fans of his would surely be able to back the robust argument for his inclusion. His first few films are imbued with a visceral verite style but more than anything, he is as finer humanist as anyone currently working. His work explores the heart of working class youth in Britain with amazing skill and, if you need to test out and see why he is so vital to the modern filmmaking world, watch Dead Man’s Shoes and This is England. The former is an emotional revenge film with killer performances from Paddy Considine and Toby Kebbell while the latter is his masterpiece, managing to blend an exploration of the difficult socio-politcal environment of the Thatcher era with a coming of age tale about a disenchanted and hurt teenager. He is also a visually interesting filmmaker and, as evidenced in A Room for Romeo Brass and This is England, a skilled practioner with actors, specifically managing to draw amazing performances from child cast members.
• Julian Schnabel wouldn’t have made the list until The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, his astonishing biopic treatment of the biography by former Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby. His other works are lively and interesting and both, Basquiat with Jeffrey Wright and Before Night Falls with Javier Bardem, have amazing central performances. With Diving Bell though, his artistic tendencies were streamlined into creating a moving and visually fascinating whole product. Now I will wait with baited breath to see his next full project.
• Gus Van Sant is one who has been plugging away for some time now, generally delivering good films if often flitting so openly between mainstream and hyper-indie styles. This year we were treated to the two sides of his personality which solidified his place amongst the best of his generation. Paranoid Park was in keeping with his independently-styled works like Gerry and Elephant, employing superb cinematography from Christopher Doyle and allowing Van Sant to draw out the kind of naturalistic performances from his actors which he has cultivated in his recent work. Milk then works on the other end, delivering a the same sort of intimacy and style but on a larger platter with Van Sant not having to rely on non-professional actors to bring him through. After his marquee twelve months, he is now placing himself amongst the finest filmmakers working, able to infuse mainstream, Academy-baiting product with his own eye for visual flair.
• The lack of British filmmakers will always jar a little for us on this side of the pond, but how on earth can Mike Leigh not be on the list? Just looking at his catalogue, he has pretty much created a flawless ouevre, peaking with the incredible Naked and Secrets & Lies. In the past few years too he has shown his ability to flit across non-genre filmmaking, delivering the backstage musical palate of Topsy Turvy, the hopeful optimism of All or Nothing and Happy Go-Lucky and the biopic of Vera Drake. He stands as maybe the best British filmmakers of his generation and, although excitment is rarely palpable for his work, at least some anticipation should be built considering how much brilliance often flows from his work.
• Errol Morris is among only a few, and probably the only true, auteurs working within the documentary field at present. His work is so far removed from the work being done by his peers and so much his own work, you cannot help but be excited by his projects. Standard Operating Procedure was not among his best, but consider the life-changing Thin Blue Line, not to mention the probing eccentricity of the likes of Gates of Heaven and Vernon, Florida for further evidence. If you want anything to hold up though, alongside the Thin Blue Line, as a mark of his brilliance, try Fog of War, a piece which must be considered among the greatest interviews ever conducted.
• You could never expect his inclusion, and he is as erratic as anyone on the list, but Guy Maddin is nothing if not interesting. Anticipating his films is filled with moments of trepidation and confusion, heightened further when you actually see the films and need to watch multiple times to find the genius working within. That doesn’t happen every time, but I would argue he has made at least five stunning films during his career, surely enough for consideration.
• Spike Jonze has only made two full-length features to date, but after Adaptation proved that Being John Malkovich was no fluke, he must be considered among the most fascinating talents currently working. He has created some of the best music videos of all time and those two movies are worth the time of anyone interested in watching something truly original. Where The Wild Things Are is my most anticipated movie of the coming year, should it come to fruition, and I can’t wait to see how that turns out. He doesn’t have the history of many of the names but, really, is there any film fan in the world more interested in watching a Jon Favreau movie over a Spike Jonze?
• Michel Gondry probably falls into a similar category as Jonze. At this point though, we are forming a fuller picture of his restless, childlike genius. He slipped early with Human Nature but then made one of the defining romantic films of the decade in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. His work in both Science of Sleep and Be Kind Rewind sometimes borders of the edge of twee, but he is such an ingenious stylist whose enthusiasm and eccentricity flow through his work.
• Michael Winterbottom is another filmmaker from the UK who you could term the Danny Boyle slightly further into the leftfield. His work is fiercely independent, again avoiding any cliche or generic restrictions to create a catalogue of interesting, sometimes flawed work. It doesn’t always work but when he is at full-pelt, notably with 24 Hour Party People and the underrated A Mighty Heart, he draws fantastic performances from his actors and has a probing, intrusive sense of what the camera should see, meaning he always produces original, visceral work.
• Of all the omissions, how can be possibly leave Werner Herzog off? One of the greatest, most individual filmmakers of all time, adept and making epic, sweeping pictures and intimate, probing documentaries. This is the man who had his crew haul a boat over a mountain. Who gave the world maybe the best opening shot in movie history in Aguirre, Wrath of God. I don’t feel an argument is necessary to make. If you’ve seen Herzog’s work, just ask why he’s not on the list.

A couple on a romantic weekend get into an argument with a group of youths. Little do they know that they’ve started a fight that could end with their deaths.

Directed by – James Watkins

Written by – James Watkins

Starring – Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Tara Ellis, Jack O’Connell, Finn Atkins, Jumayn Hunter, Thomas Turgoose, James Burrows, Thomas Gill, Lorraine Bruce, Shaun Dooley, James Gandhi, Bronson Webb, Lorraine Stanley, Rachel Gleeves

I’ve got to start by saying that this movie pissed me off. Not because it sucked but because it was so engrossing. The lead thug (Jack O’Connell) of the group of kids is the most disgusting and vile villain I’ve seen on film in a long time. I wanted to reach through the screen and choke the life out of him. On top of all that the resolution at the end of the movie only made me more pissed off, in that good way though.

There’s plenty to get your skin crawling in this one and it can be really uncomfortable to watch. My girlfriend kept leaving the room, not wanting to watch, but would quickly come back because she just couldn’t stop watching. That’s why I felt this movie worked so well. You can’t help but wait to see what’s going to happen next, no matter how horrible it may be.

While the plot isn’t exactly original, we’ve all seen the couple in the woods being stalked before, the actors do such a good job with their roles that it’s easy to overlook. The tension is jacked way up in this and will have you holding your breath when the couple find themselves being pursued. It reminded me of Donkey Punch that way, another great film with some extreme tension in it also out of the UK.

I have to admit that the ending did having me screaming ‘Aw, c’mon!’ at the TV and comes really close to just ruining the whole thing, I mean really close, but it’s just such a well done flick that I couldn’t let that ruin it for me. I would recommend this one for sure.

Under the marquee – Will

This Is England (2006)

Yönetmen: Shane Meadows

Senaryo: Shane Meadows

Oyuncular: Thomas Turgoose (Shaun), Stephen Graham (Combo), Andrew Shim (Milky), Vicky McClure (Lol), Joseph Gilgun (Woody), Rosamund Hanson (Smell), Andrew Ellis (Gadget)

Puan:

1980′lerde İngiltere ilginç bir sosyal dönüşüm içindeydi. Margaret Thatcher dönemin başbakanıydı ve Muhafazakar Parti lideriydi. Film tamda bu zamanlarda, 1982 senesinde gerçekleşmekte olan Falklands Savaşı döneminde geçmekte. Thatcher bu savaştan sonra seçimlerden tekrar galip olarak ayrılmıştır fakat bu savaş bazı savaş karşıtı gençler tarafından hoş karşılanmamış ve onların aşırı uçlara serpilmelerine neden olmuştur. Thatcher’ın tekrar tekrar seçilmesindeki en büyük etken İngiltere’nin yaşamakta olduğu ekonomik daralmayı düzelterek ülkeyi düzlüğe çıkarmasıdır. Punk müziğin doğuşuda bu dönemden bir kaç yıl öncesine dayanır zaten. Ekonomik zorluklar her zaman müzikte yeni açılımlara gebedir çünkü havada boşalmayı bekleyen bir elektrik vardır.

Filmde çok fazla karakter olmasına rağmen en önemli karakterler Shaun ve arkadaşlarıyla yaşamakta oldukları punk yaşam tarzı. Shaun babasını Falklands Savaşı’nda kaybetmiş, annesiyle birlikte yaşayan, dünyaya karşı dindirilmesi çok zor bir kini olan ufacık bir çocuktur. Okulda üst sınıflar giyim tarzından dolayı onunla dalga geçmektedirler. Ama Shaun çetin cevizdir. Özellikle babası hakkında konuşulmasına dayanamaz ve 2-3 küfür savurduktan sonra patlatıverir yumruğu.

Yine böyle bir günde, okulda müdürden dayak yemiş eve dönerken Woody ve arkadaşlarıyla tanışır. Onlar sokakları mesken tutmuş punk gençlerdir ve Woody Shaun’u çok sever, ona bir abi gibi davranır ama herşey bir gün Combo’nun hapisten çıkmasıyla sona erer. Combo aşırı uçta ırkçı fikirlere sahiptir, tam bir dazlaktır. Shaun’un babasının savaşta ölmesini kullanarak onu yanına çeker. “National Front” partisine katılırlar ve ırkçılık duygusunu Shaun’a aşılar. Shaun Pakistanlı göçmenlerle dalga geçer, Combo’ya güvenerek onları aşağılar ama bu yaptıklarını niye yaptığını kendisi de bilmez. Belki güç duygusunu tatmanın verdiği hissiyatı seviyordur, belki de babasının yerine Combo’yu koymuştur ve babasını gururlandırmak için o ne isterse onları yapıyordur.

Filmde bu babasızlık duygusallığı sürekli verilmeye çalışılmakta. Hatta belli bir vakit sonra neredeyse Shaun hiç eve gitmemekte, sürekli Combo’nun yanında kalmaktadır. Anne karakteri filmin başındaki baskın yapısını filmin sonlarına doğru yitirir ve çocuğunun dipsiz kuyuya dalıp boğuluşuna müdahele edemez. Shaun’un bu yalnızlığı öyle had safhadadır ki annesinden çok evde dinlediği radyo ona arkadaşlık etmektedir. Irkçı düşüncelerin yayılması bu yalnızlık ortamında çok daha kolaydır. Sinirli olan insanlar saldıracak bir şeyler ararlar ve gözlerine kestirdikleri en zayıfa saldırırlar. Bu politika şu an da yaşadığımız ekonomik kriz ve ırkçılığın yükselişini de açıklar.

Shaun filmde aşıkta olmaktadır ama bu aşkı onu takılı kaldığı kelepçelerden kurtaramaz.  “Smell” takma isimli Michelle’e vurgundur Shaun. Onun için türlü sürprizler ve laf ebelikleri yapar. Smell tam çocukların seveceği tipte bir boyalı bebektir. Shaun ile olan öpüşme sahneleri ise filmlerde eşine az rastlayacağınız türden ilginç sahneler. Şaşırmaya hazırlıklı olun.

İngiliz sinema tarzı artık kesin kalıplarını belirliyor galiba. Son zamanlarda çıkan İngiliz filmleri (korku filmleri de dahil) hep yalın ve şoke edici. Bu filmde onlardan farklı değil. Söylemek istediğini çok güzel söyleyen, sürekli tansiyonu arttıran ve sonunda durulan, insanı içine girdap gibi çeken bir film. Punk yaşam tarzına özellikle ilgi duyanların ise kesinlikle tam puan verecekleri milliyetçilik ve faşizm karşıtı bir film. Bu filmde herkes bir şeyler bulacaktır eminim ama lütfen dikkat filmde çok fazla küfür var. Bu tür şeylerden hoşlanmıyorsanız tavsiye edemeyeceğim.

La película se ha rodado en el presente año dos mil ocho, en el Reino Unido. Se estrenó el pasado 28 de noviembre. Es en blanco y negro y dura una hora y once minutos. Es en versión original, con subtítulos en castellano. Se leen con gran facilidad.

Te gustará esta película. Habla de gente sencilla, la mayoría inmigrantes que se mueven en sitios normales. La película lleva el titulo del centro sur de la ciudad de Londres, es decir, “Somers Town”.

Los protagonistas son inmigrantes, gente normal, que tiene problemas pero que los lleva con naturalidad. Podemos reconocerlos a nuestro alrededor, o podemos ser nosotros mismos, pueden ser amigos o familiares nuestros. A veces meten la pata, pero cuando vuelven a la realidad cotidiana vuelven a ser como nosotros mismos. Pueden llegar a ser nuestros amigos y amigas. De hecho seguro que cuando salgas de la sala de cine los habrás incorporado a la galería de personajes entrañables que todos nosotros llevamos en nuestro corazón. Son inmigrantes, son gentes como tú y como yo.

De izquierda a derecha: Elisa Lasowski, Piotr Jagiello y Thomas Turgoose.

Se mueven en Somers Town. Somers Town es toda la zona centro –  sur de Londres. El director de la película, Shane Meadows, sitúa la acción en una zona londinense en pleno proceso de transformación económico social.  “Meadows une en su película la modernidad y la idea del colapso del negocio de la construcción, en su apogeo hasta sólo hace unos meses”. No puede ser más actual y oportuna. Te suena esto, ¿verdad?.

A Meadows, un director ya completamente consagrado, le interesan los temas que ponen de relieve la realidad económico-social europea. Pertenece a toda esa serie de directores ingleses con un claro compromiso político-social. Para que te hagas una idea, su primera película conocida a gran escala es “This is England” (2007), que consiguió importantes premios en festivales ingleses, en Gijón y en Roma.

Y vayamos al grano. Los protagonistas de “Somers Town” son: Tommo, que estaba bajo la tutela de los servicios sociales de su localidad,al cumplir los dieciséis años se escapa a Londres. Marek, hijo de un inmigrante polaco (Mariusz, separado) y María, una chica francesa de la que se enamoran Tommo y Marek. Hay otros personajes: Algunos, jóvenes violentos. Otros, normales; algún vecino estrafalario del que reciben compresión y apoyo. Como la vida misma.

Y no voy a decir nada más. No te he contado nada que te reviente el argumento de la película. Esta brevísima descripción la encontrarás en cualquier programa de mano sobre la película. El argumento propiamente dicho se genera a partir de determinados acontecimientos que producen reacciones diversas, individuales o de grupo, que siempre las entenderemos y que de alguna manera nos ha pasado a nosotros o a alguien que conocemos.

Los tres protagonistas son tres jóvenes, interpretados por tres excelentes actores: Tommo, THOMAS TURGOOSE. Marek, PIOTR JAGIELLO y María, ELISA LASOWSKI. Desde el mismo momento en que van apareciendo en pantalla se te van ganando y los vas comprendiendo. No olvidemos al gran actor polaco IRENEUSZ CZOP que interpreta el personaje del padre de Marek. Los demás actores también muy en su sitio.

El equipo de producción de esta película tuvo un especial cuidado en la edición de la música. Las canciones que forman la banda sonora son de GAVIN CLARKE. Los temas de “Somers Town” son los que integran el primer álbum en solitario de CLARKE. Una música fenomenal.

Y nada más. Yo que tú iría a verla. Espero que la proyecten en Huesca.

Duración: 1hr 15min

Clasificación de edades: Todos los públicos

Genero: Comedia, Drama

Titulo Original: Somers Town

Nacionalidad: Inglaterra

Estreno: 28-11-2008

Director: Shane Meadows

Intérpretes: Thomas Turgoose, Piotr Jagiello, Elisa Lasowski, Ireneusz Czop, Kate Dickie, Perry Benson

Trailler:

Sinopsis:

Cuando cumple los 16 años, Tomo se libera de la tutela de los servicios sociales y huye a Londres. Lo que iba a ser una nueva vida llena de oportunidades, se convierte en pesadilla, hasta que casualmente conoce a Marek, un fotógrafo polaco que vive con su padre alcohólico. Tomo y Marek se hacen amigos inseparables, compartiendo incluso su amor por la bella María. Sin embargo, las desavenencias con el padre de Marek y la marcha de María a París obligan a los dos muchachos a cambiar de rumbo.

En 2007, el cineasta Shane Meadows sorprendió a crítica y público con “This is England”, un drama social que fue nombrado mejor filme independiente del cine británico. Pues bien, un año más tarde, Meadows regresa a la dirección con “Somers Town”, una producción también de corte independiente que se sumerge en el barrio londinense de Somers Town para conocer la forma de vida de sus habitantes, sus miedos y sus sueños.

Thomas Turgoose, el jovencísimo protagonista de “This is England” repite a las órdenes del realizador dando vida un chico que sueña con encontrar su lugar en el mundo. Su inseparable amigo en la ficción es el debutante Piotr Jagiello, que interpreta a un inmigrante polaco con problemas familiares que decide romper con su pasado. También intervienen Elisa Lasowski y Kate Dickie (Red Road). La película, rodada en blanco y negro, ha participado en numerosos festivales internacionales, incluyendo el de Gijón.

Valoración: 7′5/10

Película demasiada efímera, podrían haberla alargado un poco mas. Aún así, película recomendada y con interpretaciones notables.

Fuente:http://www.fotolog.com/peliculasestreno/51332891