This is England
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Movie Reviews of This is England
Movie Review: This is England review
Summary: 4 Stars
Very good movie which exceeded expectations. There is a fair amount of racism in the movie though which can be off putting at times.Movie Review: Too Timid To Make A Point, Too Scattered To Tell A Firm Story
Summary: 3 Stars
This is England came to me highly recommended as a smart, insightful film that told a story of modern history that I agree is worth telling. The problem is, I am left clueless as to what this movie was about. It didn't quite work as political commentary, as history, as a coming of age tale, as a story of the aftermath of grieving and loss, or as a buddy film. Its gaping ramblings about skinhead culture, race relations and changing times during Thatcher's "reign" needed more focus and a better script. I think too much was ambitiously aimed at by the makers of This is England, and as a result, what could have been an entertaining tale with a sound message ended up being a scattered, drifting, inexplicably stuttering exercise in missed opportunity. What was worth sticking around for were the performances here by some talented actors, young Thomas Turgoose as the emotionally needy central character, and the charismatic Stephan Graham most of all. Graham's sympathetic lost soul skinhead character, Combo, was in equal parts endearing, repulsive, and fascinating, and if this movie had a saving grace it was to be found in him. Other characters were maddeningly underused, namely Joseph Gilgun's Woody, who seemed poised to be the film's protagonist, but vanished as the plot grew toward its mid-point. This is England is in part inspired by real people and events in its director, Shane Meadow's, life, and I'm sure had much personal meaning to him, but it was still a sadly empty motion picture that did not live up to its billing.Movie Review: Worth seeing, but far from a masterpiece
Summary: 3 Stars
I agree with one of the other reviewers that this is the most accurate portrayal of the skinhead cult to date, but considering the other "skinhead" movies, that's not saying much. I was heartened to see that most of the skins in this movie were trads - those who do not subscribe to the racist/nationalist rubbish of the NF and other hate groups. However, I think that many who are trad skins or former trad skins have been blinded by the fact that this movie portrays some skins in a positive light. It's such a refreshing novelty that it may lead one to ignore all the shortcomings of the film. If you take the skinhead equation out of it and just look at this as a film - pretend all the characters are just "ordinary kids" not affiliated with any controversial youth cult - it's hard to argue that it doesn't come up short. The plot is thin and, other than the main character, Shaun, so is the character development. Woody, probably the most important living character in the film, basically drops out of the picture once Combo arrives on the scene. The whole thing is a bit amateurish and undeveloped. It's as if the novelty of making an honest film about skinheads allowed so many other blanks to be left unfilled.Movie Review: An Outsider's Perspective...
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a Yank and didn't really understand the historical events and culture surrounding this film. And watched this film partially to educate myself on the whole skinhead culture (perhaps a documentary would've served better). While the first half of the film caught my interest, it ultimately disappointed me as I absolutely hated the ending and felt that it was unnecessary to portray Combo, one of the skinhead's, as an unstable psychopath, rather than someone with an honest political agenda. The focus should never have left the tension between Combo and Woody. This was sort of unresolved and really left me feeling kind of cheated. Felt like the writer eventually got tired of the screenplay, ditched being creative and copped out by appealing to the shock factor.Movie Review: talking
Summary: 3 Stars
A more manipulative, psychotic skinhead seizes leadership from a less experienced and mates-connected younger block, introduces a gang to political activities and murders dark-skinned follower, while boring talking is a movie action as seen by a pre-teen boy having just lost a father of him to the Falkland War.
Movie depicts a growth of Nazism in the UK and, perhaps, is interesting especially for locals comparing the past and present realities of day-to-day grass-root existence.
For outsider, this story of mother-of-democracy modern time xenophobia and racism is just a next testimony to a nothing-is-absolute practical notion.