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Directed by: Shane Meadows Starring: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley Synopsis: Set in 1983 in a nameless, deprived town in England, a troubled 12 year old boy, Sean, is befriended by a kindly group of Skins. Dynamics change when an older ex-member of the group returns from 3 years in prison and splits the group with his racist views and desire to join the National Front. This film really successfully recreates the feel of the early 80s in England, from the use of news footage, through to the costumes and props without ever feeling contrived. Even the film stock used recreates the look of films from that era. The cast is largely unknown or new actors other than Stephen Graham, who starred in Snatch , as Tommy but does a great job with a fantastic natural feeling script and direction. The film while very funny at times, is fairly harrowing, and I spent the majority of the second half of the film, tense and anxious just waiting for the obvious confrontation that was building. The characters are very sympathetic and well fleshed out. The young actor playing the lead, Sean is phenomenal for being able to pull off such a sensitive and complex role at his age with so little acting experience. I expect American film goers will have a hard time getting to see this in the cinemas as I expect it will get a very limited art house release there, and some of the accents may prove tricky for the less well traveled/versed in UK film, viewers. RATING: 4.5 PROS: Beautifully shot, well acted, great natural dialogue, perfect period setting CONS: Awkward love interest between Sean and 'Smell'. Use of St Georges Cross a tad anachronistic (Union Jack was the symbol of the NF in that era) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480025/
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May 4, 2007 12:02
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 02:51 |
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This is one of the better films I've seen this year. For me, the only one that comes close, is the one that it can be most compared to, "A Guide To Recognising Your Saints". For the first hour or so, the film is a great coming of age drama, with some great comedy thrown in. However, the tone soon changes when Combo arives and tensions grow within the gang, causing a split between the National Front supporting side and the other. From then on, the story focuses on the racist section of the gang. Far and away, the best thing about "This Is England" is the performances. As mentioned in the OP, Thomas Turgoose is fantastic as Sean, especially considering that this is his first acting roll. Stephen Graham and Joseph Gilgun are great as Combo and Woody respectively. As the OP said, the "love story" between Sean and "Smell" is strange and seems unnessary. This, as well as Woody's smaller role in the second half are the only problems I can find with the film. It's great and something everyone should see. Rating: 5.0
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May 8, 2007 14:53
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This is amongst the best films I've seen this year. The performances, soundtrack and general design really capture the mood of a very difficult time for England (and Britain). The characters are exceptionally well crafted and easy to empathise with. This is a superb film that really should be watched everyone. 5.0 Gasmask fucked around with this message at 18:38 on May 15, 2007 |
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May 15, 2007 18:34
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What I especially liked about this film was the opening title sequence. I thought the combination of '54-46 That's my number' and footage of the era (Falklands, Thatcher etc) was fantastic, and really help set the scene. I was gripped from beginning to end. 5/5
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Sep 7, 2007 14:11
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Great film. It won't change your life but the quality of the acting coupled with great direction makes this certainly stand out as one of the best British films to come out for a long time. 4/5
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Sep 8, 2007 19:05
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