This is England Review

"This Is England" reviews

Movie

This Is England

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-04-26 00:00:00

Provider

MyMovies

Review

Director Shane Meadows takes us on a journey back into the bleak days of the early '80s of this gritty but enthralling drama. The action centres on Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), a 12 year-old who's just lost his Dad during the Falklands War. Small for his age, Shaun is regularly picked on by his peers at school so when the local gang of skinheads take him in, Shaun finds a sense of friendship and belonging that he's been sorely missing and these skinheads aren't a bad bunch - just a group of teenagers hanging out and doing what teenagers do. However when the gang's former leader Combo (Stephen Graham) comes back from a spell inside, the mood changes. He's picked up some rather unpleasant racist leanings during his time away and the gang soon splinters into two factions - but what side will the impressionable young Shaun chose?

Profoundly strong and engaging, "This Is England" will hit you like a tonne of bricks. Meadows' is keen to show that most early skinheads weren't the bigots were tend to associate with the name today but when Combo starts spewing his venomous views, it's not hard to feel nothing but distain. There are also parallels to be drawn with England today - a war many miles from home and controversial issues with immigration - which will certainly get audiences thinking.

In Turgoose Meadows' has found a remarkable talent, especially considering he's never acted before, while the rest of the cast, most of whom have worked on Meadows' previous films, are universally good, especially Jo Hartley as Shaun's grieving mum.

It may not be the easiest film to watch but "This Is England" is certainly worth making the effort for.

Movie

This Is England

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-04-23 12:03:05

Provider

Review

Debuting actor Thomas Turgoose is the youngster in Shane Meadows tale of a summer spent involved with his local skinhead scene that draws on his own upbringing.

A run down coastal town in 1983 finds 12-year old Shaun at the end of term, wrestling with his father's death in the Falklands and the victim of a spate of bullying. Meeting a local skinhead gang he becomes a pawn in a battle, mostly of wits, for leadership of the gang between the friendly and responsible Woody and the newly released from prison, Combo (Stephen Graham). Adopting these characters as surrogate father-figures - with a desire to belong, a naivety of understanding Combo's racism and a love of Dr. Marten's boots - Shaun falls in to an uncomfortable rite of passage in the following weeks.

Meadows is probably the UK's best filmmaker, though few know it. Able to create stories with the depth and thoughtfulness of Ken Loach and handle them with the subtlety and comedy of Mike Leigh. It's a tough film and, whilst not particularly violent, was certificated as an 18 due to it's core content and a specific scene, thankfully overridden by many an enlightened council in the UK. The cast are super-strong: Graham's accomplished in this kind of role, Joe Gilgun is endearing as Woody, an 'original' skin - a love of the look and style, music and not a spot of racism on him. But Thomas Turgoose - of whom Meadows said "I could see myself in him - must take top plaudits. An outstanding performance from a first time actor showing a breadth of emotions that defy his age - definitely no one trick pony - and who we're bound to see again.

The film makes for unnerving and uncomfortable viewing at times with it's astute, close-up style but is also laugh out loud with a witty script and some sharp observations of life in the early Thatcherite '80s. A thoughtful, fun and focussed film and an excellent parable of modern times.