This Is England
Great! Can't wait to see more from the director! - Tarraco
A gripping story of a kid struggling to come to terms with the harshness of reality. Being bullied at school, having lost his father & being somewhat neglected by the mother, the young Shaun suddenly finds himself accepted by a group of skinheads. They turn out to be similar to him – neglected by families, socially excluded, and, as a result, lonely & vulnerable. The film depicts how such individuals search for one another & compensate for their miseries. It also shows how the social group dynamics easily shift & how alert one needs to be in order to remain accepted as a part of group. It manages to disturbingly convey the tension build up until the horrendous turn of events. As a viewer, you have no easy judgments nor morals offered in here. Actually, this film might be a long awaited link between the two extreme opposite ways of presenting English reality; one being Billy Elliot's sentimental perception of uneasy childhood; the other being The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael's uncompromising, dark & violent perspective leaving no hope for redemption nor change. A well deserved BAFTA award for the Best British Film. Highly recommend & can't wait to see more from the director & the cast!
Review published on the 24 March 2008 17:12
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