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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Blind Spot: This is England (2007)


Directed by Shane Meadows
Produced by Mark Herbert
Written by Shane Meadows
Starring Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim, Vicky McClure, Joseph Gilgun and Rosamund Hanson

Plot Summary: A young boy (Turgoose) joins a group of skinheads in 1983 England.

Significance: It's one of Great Britain's most praised films in recent memory, and it placed on several top ten lists that year. The film even made Time Out's 100 Best British Films list (at #88), and it won a BAFTA for Best British Film.

Thoughts: Meadows' work echoes that of Ken Loach, which is great for fans of the latter's films. He effectively combines gritty archive footage with new material that creates an intriguing final product. Aside from the brutal, tense environment that's palpable throughout the movie, it also boasts great performances from newcomer Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham, whose gripping supporting turn should have garnered more awards attention. If you want an intense dramatic film, look no further than this gem from the UK.

Rating: ****

This is the sixth film in my 2013 Blind Spot Series, as first started by Ryan McNeil.
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8 comments:

  1. thevoid99June 30, 2013 at 12:16 AM

    I saw this last year and man, what a film. I'm eager to see more of Shane Meadows' work as well as the follow-ups to this film.

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    1. JoshJune 30, 2013 at 12:34 AM

      Me too. I'm especially keen on his follow-ups to this film and Dead Man's Shoes.

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  2. Brittani BurnhamJune 30, 2013 at 8:27 AM

    This was a good film. I couldn't believe some of the stuff that was coming out of that kid's mouth. Very interesting.

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    1. JoshJune 30, 2013 at 12:03 PM

      Yeah, it was surprising, but Turgoose was great in that role.

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  3. AnonymousJune 30, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    I.LOVE.THIS.MOVIE!!!

    But you already know that :-D

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    1. JoshJune 30, 2013 at 12:05 PM

      I'm glad I finally watched it. Stephen Graham might actually replace Russell Crowe as my Best Supporting Actor winner that year. :)

      Delete
  4. AnonymousJuly 4, 2013 at 11:17 AM

    I thought this was an excellent movie. I was impressed with the way it depicted a group of kids' descent from relatively harmless activities to more disturbing, heinous acts. Have you seen Dead Man's Shoes? It's just as good, though disturbing.

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    1. JoshJuly 5, 2013 at 12:49 AM

      I agree. What a film! I haven't seen Dead Man's Shoes, but it's on my watchlist, as is Somers Town.

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