Reviews of This Is England

This Is England review

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 19 July 2008 09:10 (A review of This Is England)

É um filme que conquista pelos detalhes; pela naturalidade das situações, pela sensação de que lá estão pessoas reais, e não bonequinhos falantes.

Shaun tem 12 anos na Inglaterra em plena Guerra das Malvinas. Por puro acaso encontra um grupo de skinheads bem legais, nem próximos da idéia que você tem de skinheads. Eles são meio dândis, usam belas botas e suspensórios, e às vezes fantasiam-se como um grupo de teatro mambembe. Quebram algumas coisas por farra, nada de violência real.

Você já foi conquistado pela leveza da história quando chega Combo, um ex-membro do grupo que estava preso e quer transformar esses moleques em skinheads de verdade, com tudo que isso implica: discurso e violência racista, cooptação pela Frente Nacional, e “amor” a uma Inglaterra que só existe na cabeça deles.

O pequeno Shaun e alguns de seus amigos embarcam nisso pela camaradagem, não pela ideologia. Mais tarde, serão os valores da camaradagem que os farão enxergar o beco sem saída em que se meteram.

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British cinematic brilliance...

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 9 July 2008 03:34 (A review of This Is England)

"Listen to me. He's a young lad. He's had a fucking bad week. So we bring him in wi' us to show him a bloody good time and you've just friggin back handed him roun' head. I'M DISAPPOINTED MATE!"

Of the existing generation of British filmmakers, talented director Shane Meadows is indisputably one of the most confrontational and forthright. The talent of Meadows is in the impressive films he continually creates. Meadows' creations can be gut-wrenching experiences; however in other films he demonstrated that he possesses the aptitude to challenge an audience on an emotional level. Those who've witnessed his 2004 film, Dead Man's Shoes, can definitely testify to this perspective.

This Is England is his latest work and marks an especially personal film for Shane Meadows. A great deal of the story is sourced from his former association with skinhead posses in the early 1980s. A staggering extent of authenticity has been accomplished not only through admirable production design, make-up and costumes - but moreover the skilful utilisation of stock footage and music originating from the period in which the story is set. This Is England opens with an assortment of stock footage concerning the Thatcher era and particularly the war in the Falklands. This instantaneously establishes the film's mood and institutes an atmosphere of conflict and ambiguity. Filmmakers Meadows makes it comprehensible that this isn't a movie about nostalgia...this is the 1980s as an aching, anguished, heart-rending memory. This Is England is a gripping film regarding a boy's pursuit for acceptance after the unfortunate death of his father. True to his typical filmmaking elegance, writer/director Shane Meadows pulls no punches. There are several scenes that viewers will find extremely confronting. British cinema hasn't been this remarkable since Danny Boyle's Trainspotting over a decade ago.

This compelling drama is centred on a young boy named Shaun (Turgoose) who lives with his mother (Hartley) in the Midlands of England. It becomes clear soon into the film that Shaun is struggling to deal with the catastrophic bereavement of his father who tragically died in the Falklands war, while also enduring the unremitting torment of school bullies. On Shaun's final day of the school term he is bullied severely by a bloke at school. Subsequent to this school day, Shaun is walking home alone when he inadvertently stumbles upon a small group of skinheads. Woody (Gilgun), the group's leader, takes an instantaneous shine to Shaun and offers him support with his troubles at school. Soon enough, Shaun meets the rest of the group and becomes a popular new member. The group provides the troubled young Shaun with the fatherly guidance and security that he severely craves.

The gratification of the group is unexpectedly interrupted by the return of Combo (Graham) following a stint in prison lasting several years. Combo silently took the blame for Woody years before, and immediately recommences a prominently authoritative role within the gang. But Combo's phase in prison also realigned his social and political stance. Combo addresses the group on what he anticipates will be their next phase, but his aspiration to have everyone engrossed in this racial hatred results in the splitting of the group. Young Shaun chooses the radical path after Combo instils in him an impression of misplaced patriotism. Combo perceives great promise in Shaun and treats him as a son. Shaun is offered Combo's abiding support and loyalty. As the fostering of racial hatred persists, Shaun is unexpectedly challenged with a situation that sincerely questions the ethical issue of a discordant and violent lifestyle that has befallen him. At a tender young age of 12, Shaun takes a mature evaluation of his life and of those who seek to nurture him.

This Is England is a truly extraordinary film permeated with uncompromising messages of the period and controversial viewpoints pertaining to the 1980s political situation. Meadows is capable of combining comedy and drama impeccably; there are great subtle laughs, but the film's jolts arrive with the strength of a kick to the head. Everything from the directing to the acting is first-rate. Typical for a Shane Meadows flick, the film is infused with infectious dialogue and fully-fleshed characters, although one of the film's principle attributes is that of Danny Cohen's cinematography that proficiently manages to encapsulate the bleak feeling that was evident of the time. Cohen's photography is both gritty and dour...with an impeccably set atmosphere.

The cast is lead by the astonishing Thomas Turgoose who smoothly expresses the assortment of diverse emotions the material calls for. Through intense workshopping, Turgoose has fashioned the character of Shaun through his own experience as much as director Shane Meadows'. Pinch-faced and awkward but brimming with prepubescent swagger, he's the film's shining centre and it'd be impossible to see a superior, more naturalistic child performance in the next few years. Special recognition must go to Stephen Graham as the vicious skinhead Combo. His dialogue is littered with profound uses of swearing and filthy scatological terms. The whole film builds up his overwhelming rage that is released on screen in an unforgettable few moments. The most haunting aspect of the film is its music. It's remarkable, unforgettable and is tweaked to absolute brilliance. The filmmaking cannot be faulted at all.

Overall, This Is England is an absolutely brilliant movie. Gritty, compelling, tragic yet funny - Britain has never exported a film of this perfection since 1996 when Danny Boyle made his mark on cinema with Trainspotting. Once again writer/director Meadows has set a precedent for British filmmakers and has obscured many of his filmmaking contemporaries. This Is England may not make for comfortable viewing but it is cinema at its best. The film is challenging, stimulating and confronting...this film cannot be missed at any cost.

8.9/10

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This Is England review

Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 7 December 2007 04:02 (A review of This Is England)

I'd heard nothing but rave reviews about the film, but I must say I felt slightly disappointed after watching it.

My main gripe was the fact that nothing seemed to be going on in the middle of the film. It follows a 12 year old boy as he deals with the death of his father fighting in the Falklands war. Becoming ever more frustrated by school and the people who bully him he finds solace in a gang of skinheads who - despite the connotation - seem to be completely unracist and generally harmless. Eventually a former member of the gang is released from prison and manifests his racist poison in the group, dividing them and engaging on a racial hate campaign with the remaining members.

All the while you realise something bad is looming over the group. I thought the film would be smarter than to end in the rather predictable way it did, but at the same time I was disappointed in the ending for being far too rushed. It seemed like a convenient way just to end the film and I didn't really appreciate it.

Furthermore, I didn't like Thomas Turgoose and felt he was too young for some of the things that were happening. Would a 16 year old girl really go out with a 12 year old boy? They really were dark days! Just for the sake of comparison, American History X is a far better film.

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This Is English Film-making!

Posted : 2 years, 4 months ago on 8 July 2007 03:32 (A review of This Is England)

This Is England is director Shane Meadows semi- autobiographical exposé of skinhead culture and life growing up in Thatcher's council estate Britain.

My anticipation for this film was immeasurable, to the extent that I had to visit my local cinema and beg that they showed the film. My begging eventually paid off and I got exactly what I expected.

Like Meadows previous releases TIE is a perfect mix of social commentary and biting humour. He handles the difficult subject matter here with masterful skill, showing that the skinhead culture was not built on racial hatred but in fact the opposite. It was built on the back of the Jamaican ska movement. The original 60's skins shaving their heads to look more like their Jamaican co-workers, and inheriting their musical tastes.

But TIE is not all about being a skin, its about Sean's loss of innocence, his struggle to accept and understand the death of his father, and the cruel world surrounding him.

As far as I know Thomas Turgoose (Sean) had never acted before. And this for my money is quite possibly the best debut performance from a child actor I've ever seen. I was the same age as Sean in 198i and the experience I had viewing this film was like watching my life flash back in front of my eyes.

This Is England totally captivated me. This Is English film-making! The rest pales in comparison.

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