I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Romeo Brass is a young teenage boy, and his best friend is Gavin, who has problems with his back and difficulty walking. When an eccentric man comes into their lives and befriends them, their lives begin to unravel.
Paddy Considine is excellent as Morell, a socially inept man who chooses to seek friendship with youths, probably because they match his intelligence and maturity. There are many light-hearted and often hilarious moments with the new threesome, especially when Morell becomes intent on pursuing Romeo's older sister. As the story unfolds, though, we begin to realize that the stakes are much higher than merely a few gags the boys are playing on Morell. It's part American Beauty, with two families that, when encountered with new circumstances, realize that they can't continue living in that fashion, and proceed to reinvent themselves, not knowing how they'll turn out. It's part Julien Donkey-Boy, with Morell drawing parallels with Ewen Bremner's character. Both, superficially, seem to be plain idiots that manage to consistently squeeze laughs out of the audience with low-brow humour. But soon we realize the social maladjustment runs much deeper, and the films become much more twisted than we ever expected. Writer/director Shane Meadows is to be commended for a late scene in the film so powerful he has the entire theatre gasping. In a de-sensitized era of film where all the blood, gore, guns and knives can't make an audience blink, this is quite a feat. Meadows relies on strong character and plot development for its effectiveness, as well as the philosophy that "less is more".
Watch it, and you'll know what I'm talking about. It's well worth it.
Paddy Considine is excellent as Morell, a socially inept man who chooses to seek friendship with youths, probably because they match his intelligence and maturity. There are many light-hearted and often hilarious moments with the new threesome, especially when Morell becomes intent on pursuing Romeo's older sister. As the story unfolds, though, we begin to realize that the stakes are much higher than merely a few gags the boys are playing on Morell. It's part American Beauty, with two families that, when encountered with new circumstances, realize that they can't continue living in that fashion, and proceed to reinvent themselves, not knowing how they'll turn out. It's part Julien Donkey-Boy, with Morell drawing parallels with Ewen Bremner's character. Both, superficially, seem to be plain idiots that manage to consistently squeeze laughs out of the audience with low-brow humour. But soon we realize the social maladjustment runs much deeper, and the films become much more twisted than we ever expected. Writer/director Shane Meadows is to be commended for a late scene in the film so powerful he has the entire theatre gasping. In a de-sensitized era of film where all the blood, gore, guns and knives can't make an audience blink, this is quite a feat. Meadows relies on strong character and plot development for its effectiveness, as well as the philosophy that "less is more".
Watch it, and you'll know what I'm talking about. It's well worth it.