London To Brighton - Region 2 DVD

A drama set around London’s underworld, and attempts to escape it, London To Brighton tells the story of a twelve year old runaway girl, Joanne, and Kelly, a prostitute. Their attempts to get out of London aren’t straightforward, not least because of who’s on their tail, and the result is a compelling, tightly-written movie, and as good as anything Britain produced for the big screen in 2006.

London To Brighton is a mixture of thriller and drama, very gritty, not always easy to watch, and resolute in pulling its many punches. Written and directed with care by Paul Andrew Williams, perhaps his wisest move was casting the simply superb Lorraine Stanley as Kelly, and her compelling performance lends an added magnetism to an already-taut piece of cinema.

In many ways working as well on DVD as it did on the big screen, London To Brighton is a challenging, bold and strong film. It’s not perhaps the perfect tonic for a quiet night in, but it’s likely to stay in your head for a good deal longer than another homogenous romcom. --Jon Foster