Released on Monday 4th June by Revolver Entertainment, Bafta award winning Adam Deacon fronts this London set film about a Premier League footballer whose run in with his old crew from the estate brings more heartache than joy.
Adam Deacon rose to prominence by writing and directing the film Anuvahood, a film that parodied and spoofed the swath of urban gangster youth London films; mimicking the racial stereotypes and archetypes portrayed in low budget films.
What is surprising is that he would choose to star in a film that is fit for the same parody that he made his name out of. Deacon plays Jerome who grew up on an estate whose rise to prominence is immediate and rapid. In his busy schedule and away from his penthouse flat, he still visits his mum and younger brother from the estate. One night he bumps into his old crew and invites them to enjoy the pleasures of a lavish night out thanks to his new found riches.
Jerome is approached by Baron (David Ajala) who has cash flow problems, Jerome should walk away here but his misplaced service of loyalty and trust leads him to giving Baron £10,000 - an act of trust yet leads to tragic events as Baron's psychotic side reveals itself endangering the safety of Jerome himself and his friends.
The film could have been so much better had it attempted to make a social comment on urban youth's descent into trouble and anti-social behaviour, and how Jerome as a model of inspiration instead he is someone who enables those with no ambition but to cause trouble.
Deacon is a good actor, but this was the wrong vehicle for him to be a lead as he does not convince as a top rate footballer. Ajala as Baron does convince bringing enough menace and fear to an unsettling character, who is rendered effectively.
Revolver Entertainment specialise in these sort of urban dramas - luckily they have a winning film forthcoming this week, as Plan B's (Ben Drew) directorial debut ill Manors is out this week having seen a preview of that particular film that is a significant improvement on this offering; with some brilliant sense of direction, political statement and inventive photography.
Payback Season is out now on DVD
Showing posts with label Gangster movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gangster movies. Show all posts
Monday, 4 June 2012
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Wild Bill
Dexter Fletcher has been a staple of British acting for the past 30 years starring in Grange Hill and reaching a zenith in terms of exposure when starring in Guy Ritchie's seminal Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Fletcher has always given the impression of an articulate and intelligent man, and therefore one for whom will not be put off by the director's chair.
Fletcher makes his directorial debut with Wild Bill, a film set in the East End of London in the shadow of the Olympic Village sprouting up around its characters. It tells the story of Bill (Charlie Creed-Miles), a convict just out of prison who returns home on parole after an 8 year sentence, who returns home to find his two boys Dean (Will Poulter) and Jimmy (Sammy Williams) alone after being abandoned by their Mother and fending for themselves.
Dean is the 15 year old who has had to grow up fast, working on the Olympic site to earn some money ('Go on then, go build me a velodrome!') whilst Jimmy is easily distracted from school. Bill learns that Social Services are on to the boys, so he acts up as the caring parent to make sure the boys are not kicked out of their home.
Bill's return leads to heads turning as drug dealers new in town get wind of him being back, the head of the gang Glen is played by Andy Serkis. A lot of the characters tell Bill things have changed, but so has Bill from the tearaway lunatic who would knock a man out sparko for even looking at him the wrong way - he seems a reformed character who yearns for the stability of a nuclear family and domestic household.
Fletcher should be applauded for getting the tone right on this movie. When you hear that an actor from gangster movies is doing a movie set in the East End of London, you fear for a kinetic, visceral spectacle. Far from it, here Fletcher has created a movie that has a lead character that grows in front of your eyes, the casting of Creed-Miles is key as his lack of pre-conceived notions means the audience can warm to him easier than say a Jason Statham/Nick Moran sole.
At times the film is very funny; there is a brilliant running joke with the boys fear of cleaning the toilet in the house and Fletcher is helped by the impressive ensemble cast which is what you would expect from an actor in the director's chair.
The title may allude to the notion of a western, and Fletcher does lend a certain few generic conventions of the the Western film - the stand off, the whore Roxy (Liz White) with a heart of gold, the boys who need a permanent father. Films that he doths his cap to are Unforgiven, Pale Rider and Shane.
The film ends somewhat ambivalently, yet it has such a great final shot which fixates on Creed-Miles who does nothing but look ahead at the horizon and his eyes tell the story.
The pleasure sustained from this film is that it is an amazing surprise which far exceeds any of the low expectations there may have been - people going to see a gangster film, will be surprised by seeing a very human piece told with great clarity and accuracy.
Wild Bill is released on Friday 23rd March nationwide and hopefully will receive a huge wealth of acclaim and box office fortune.
Fletcher makes his directorial debut with Wild Bill, a film set in the East End of London in the shadow of the Olympic Village sprouting up around its characters. It tells the story of Bill (Charlie Creed-Miles), a convict just out of prison who returns home on parole after an 8 year sentence, who returns home to find his two boys Dean (Will Poulter) and Jimmy (Sammy Williams) alone after being abandoned by their Mother and fending for themselves.
Dean is the 15 year old who has had to grow up fast, working on the Olympic site to earn some money ('Go on then, go build me a velodrome!') whilst Jimmy is easily distracted from school. Bill learns that Social Services are on to the boys, so he acts up as the caring parent to make sure the boys are not kicked out of their home.
Bill's return leads to heads turning as drug dealers new in town get wind of him being back, the head of the gang Glen is played by Andy Serkis. A lot of the characters tell Bill things have changed, but so has Bill from the tearaway lunatic who would knock a man out sparko for even looking at him the wrong way - he seems a reformed character who yearns for the stability of a nuclear family and domestic household.
Fletcher should be applauded for getting the tone right on this movie. When you hear that an actor from gangster movies is doing a movie set in the East End of London, you fear for a kinetic, visceral spectacle. Far from it, here Fletcher has created a movie that has a lead character that grows in front of your eyes, the casting of Creed-Miles is key as his lack of pre-conceived notions means the audience can warm to him easier than say a Jason Statham/Nick Moran sole.
At times the film is very funny; there is a brilliant running joke with the boys fear of cleaning the toilet in the house and Fletcher is helped by the impressive ensemble cast which is what you would expect from an actor in the director's chair.
The title may allude to the notion of a western, and Fletcher does lend a certain few generic conventions of the the Western film - the stand off, the whore Roxy (Liz White) with a heart of gold, the boys who need a permanent father. Films that he doths his cap to are Unforgiven, Pale Rider and Shane.
The film ends somewhat ambivalently, yet it has such a great final shot which fixates on Creed-Miles who does nothing but look ahead at the horizon and his eyes tell the story.
The pleasure sustained from this film is that it is an amazing surprise which far exceeds any of the low expectations there may have been - people going to see a gangster film, will be surprised by seeing a very human piece told with great clarity and accuracy.
Wild Bill is released on Friday 23rd March nationwide and hopefully will receive a huge wealth of acclaim and box office fortune.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Boca
Flavio Federico directs the visceral and intense dramatic depiction of Hiroito, the infamous King of Boca de Lixo, starring Daniel de Oliveira in the title role.
Following on from the cinematic appeal and acclaim of Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, it seems Brazil much like British film in the late 1990s and early 21st century has found a niche by going to the dark past of its recent social history for dramatic intent.
Boca follows Hiroito from the violent murder of his father, which the young boy witnessed as he was stabbed over 40 times with a razor. Oddly, the young boy was arrested and accussed of the crime, ultimately he was acquited. Then two months later, aged just 21 he moved to Boca de Lixo (an area of downtown Sao Paolo in the 1950s renowned for nightclubs, prostitution, bars and drugs), purchased two guns and grew to become one of the most successful criminals in Brazil.
The film richly depicts his violence against fellow criminals, the glamour of the girls, the viscerality of the guns as Hiroito becomes the legendary gangster figure in Brazil.
Gangsters remain glamourous figures in cinema, due to the intense nature of their upbringing - as young men who really want attention and yet end up on the wrong side of the law.
De Oliveira portrays Hiroito as a man with a big chip on his shoulder who backs up his words with lots of actions, whilst never hamming up or chewing up too much scenery.
The film is cleverly filmed with a lot of hand-held camerawork to make you feel a part of the action, making the experience a worthwhile one on the small screen.
Boca is released on DVD by Universal Pictures from Monday 13th February
Following on from the cinematic appeal and acclaim of Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, it seems Brazil much like British film in the late 1990s and early 21st century has found a niche by going to the dark past of its recent social history for dramatic intent.
Boca follows Hiroito from the violent murder of his father, which the young boy witnessed as he was stabbed over 40 times with a razor. Oddly, the young boy was arrested and accussed of the crime, ultimately he was acquited. Then two months later, aged just 21 he moved to Boca de Lixo (an area of downtown Sao Paolo in the 1950s renowned for nightclubs, prostitution, bars and drugs), purchased two guns and grew to become one of the most successful criminals in Brazil.
The film richly depicts his violence against fellow criminals, the glamour of the girls, the viscerality of the guns as Hiroito becomes the legendary gangster figure in Brazil.
Gangsters remain glamourous figures in cinema, due to the intense nature of their upbringing - as young men who really want attention and yet end up on the wrong side of the law.
De Oliveira portrays Hiroito as a man with a big chip on his shoulder who backs up his words with lots of actions, whilst never hamming up or chewing up too much scenery.
The film is cleverly filmed with a lot of hand-held camerawork to make you feel a part of the action, making the experience a worthwhile one on the small screen.
Boca is released on DVD by Universal Pictures from Monday 13th February
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