This Is England Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Roland Rat, Margaret Thatcher; Rubik's Cubes, the Royal Wedding; aerobics, skinheads... It's 1983, and the schools are breaking up for summer. Shaun is 12 and a bit of a loner, growing up with his mum in a grim coastal town, his dad killed fighting in the Falklands War. On his way home from school where he's been tormented all day for wearing flares, he runs into a group of skinheads, who against expectations turn out to be friendly and take him under their wing. Soon Shaun discovers parties, girls and snappy dressing, and finds some role models in Woody, Milky and the rest of the gang. But when an older, overtly racist skinhead returns home from prison, the easy camaraderie of the group is broken, and Shaun is drawn into much more uncomfortable territory. Based largely on his own experience as a youngster, this is Shane Meadows' most mature and fully realised film. Handling the complexities of masculinity, violence and race with sensitivity and a lightness of touch, it's hard to imagine a film that would better capture the mood of the time, or that could have any greater an understanding of the allure of being part of a gang.
| Thomas Turgoose | Shaun |
| Stephen Graham | Combo |
| Jo Hartley | Cynth |
| Andrew Shim | Milky |
| Vicky McClure | Lol |
| Joseph Gilgun | Woody |
| Rosamund Hanson | Smell |
| Andrew Ellis | Gadget |
| Perry Benson | Meggy |
| George Newton | Banjo |
| Frank Harper | Lenny |
| Jack O'Connell | Pukey Nicholls |
| Kriss Dosanjh | Mr. Sandhu |
| Kieran Hardcastle | Kes |
| Chanel Cresswell | Kelly |
| Shane Meadows |
8.00 out of 10 (8460 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Well made but ultimately confused...
posted on 29 Aug 2009This film is well photographed, brilliantly cast and impressively acted. There's a lot of attention to detail with the clothes, cars, music, etc, evoking the early 1980s beautifully. However the whole skinhead cult had more-or-less died by 1983 (even in the North where this is set) and the only real boots-and-braces skins around then were either in extreme factions of the NF or were gay skins on the gay scene.Also the film's central theme is wooly to say in the least. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that the writer (Shane Meadows) has combined parts of his own story with the cast's own real life stories and other elements but this has made plot nonsensical. As it is Meadows is poking a finger at racists and thugs by saying that they are a bunch of misfits. This is perhaps best displayed by the shot of Combo's gang walking through town shown in slow motion with no two of them looking the same. Young Sean feels he is an outsider and so joins the gang to become someone (like Jimmy in Quadrophenia) but is forced to confront the gang's racism. However scenes of Combo and his 'gang' terrorising local Asians and spouting off about patriotism, as well as attending an NF meeting, are clichéd to say in the least and here the film looses its way. I get the impression that Meadows wanted to set the film earlier in 1980/81 when the whole skin/NF thing would make sense but has been forced to set it in 1983 to put it after the Falklands conflict. This is so Sean's dad can be a casualty of the war which gives Sean a sense of loss, a reason to be an outsider and a reason to join the gang. This brings up one of the film's (proposed) themes which is about patriotism. However this theme is confused because, far from criticising the troops in the Falklands, National Front skinheads embraced it because they were standing up for England. However this theme is seemingly dropped about two thirds of the way through the film and so when it ends with the shots of the Falklands war it becomes meaningless. Why not drop the patriotism theme and set the film in 1980 when the skinhead thing would make sense (a lot of kids got into the Two Tone/Ska thing at that time and as a result the NF did try to recruit a lot of them), then everything else might fall into place.Parts of the film do work and are charming, almost funny (eg the scene where Sean wants his mum to buy him a pair of DM boots) but there are some bizarre elements which must be addressed: The idea that Smell, who is supposed to be about 17/18, would be happy to have Sean as her boyfriend when he's only 12 (and is about half her size) is frankly ridiculous. If it were done purely for comic relief it might just work but the fact that the characters have an intense discussion about the relationship means it is supposed to be deadly serious. Combo is supposed to 32. Even back in the early 80s if a 32 year old guy hung around with teenagers people would think he was either retarded or a pervert. But he and his even older mate (who looks like a gay leather clone or a roadie for ZZ Top) mix with the kids as though it were normal. This is not normal, it is bizarre. The scene where Combo confronts Lol about their 'relationship' and presents her with a gift he made for her in prison is equally bizarre. Violent, racist thugs just don't do this sort of thing. But the oddest part is the ending where Combo beats up the black guy Milky. It has been suggested elsewhere that this is because Combo is himself mixed race (like Milky) but he is insanely jealous of Milky's life and so goes for him. This would be barely credible if it were actually addressed in the film but the writer has omitted to make any of this clear, thus making the whole scene confusing and rather ugly. It would have been so much better to see a film about skinheads and their lives without making it a film about racism and violence but I guess that's never going to happen. But if you're going to try and do something different then DO something different. Don't do what the creators of This Is England have done and combine shock tactics with embarrassingly cliché after cliché. It just doesn't work.
Powerful Yet Vulnerable, Beautifully Tragic
posted on 23 Aug 2009What a great MovieIt's easy to become distracted by the projection of menace and anger that adorns the films front cover and I guess even the trailers or snap shots too. But 'This is England' is far from a turgid and banal teaching or preaching of racial morality. For all movies tough guy exterior it is held together by softest core you could ever imagine.'This is England' is driven by representations of early 80's angst and confusion surrounding the Falklands War and Thatcher's Britain, exploring the disorientated youth culture of working class England in a time of high unemployment and political uprising. We follow the progress of the films protagonist Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), who has lost his father to the Falklands war, is struggling with Bullying at school and looking for acceptance and friendship. He finds what he is looking for through a group of peaceful fun loving Skin Head's led by the charming and charismatic Woody (Joseph Gilgun) who integrates Shaun into the gang. Things turn sour however through the arrival Stephen Graham's psychotic portrayal of Combo, a violent neo-Nazi who is hell-bent on disrupting the harmony and brotherhood the group share in order to stir up racial tension in the local area.However as mentioned earlier this film is an exploration of 80's youth culture along with male interaction and bonding, we are treated to scenes of sheer brilliance and emotional connection between the characters, whilst some scenes explode with melodrama, sadness and violence. Shane Meadows has delivered a masterpiece to rival any British film of the last 20 years; the cinematography, character development, costume and structure of the movie all exhort superlatives. What I like most about this effort is feeling that anybody (regardless if you were a skin head or not) could relate this movie to their own youth and up bringing from the getting that hair cut or tattoo that you knew your mother would disapprove of, getting into fights at school, to that first awkward kiss or intimate moment with a girl. This is a movie that almost makes you resent your 9-5 orientated, mortgage driven, pressure cooker of a life. Simply because it makes being young and free seem so much fun and reminds you of the days you used to hang around with your contemporaries at the local recreational fields doing not very much when you should have been doing your homework or helping your mother out with the household chores. In closing all I can say is watch this movie especially if you grew up in the 80's, this is one of the rare movies that will make you question not only your own thoughts and ideologies, but also all the things your have done in the past and all the things you will do in the future.
Niko
posted on 21 Aug 2009What is a "Niko", you ask? It's a generic name they print on some counterfeit sneakers to imitate the "Nike" brand. The film is exactly this: a cheap wannabe copy of several decent films. It is supposed to be a story about a changing society when the country is stuck in an endless war. Sounds promising? Nopes, this is not the USA, it's not Vietnam war, and Britain did not lose 48,000 soldiers then tucked tail and ran! Everything about this film was wrong. Images of war looked random and down right stupid. The Falkland war was a just war, ended quickly, was a perfect British victory, and with only 258 casualties. How such a war is relevant to anything else in the movie is beyond me. Then we have a pointless story about a group of white nationalists that -also- had no relevance to the war, and was certainly sat in the wrong time. Immigration in the early 1980s was nothing that anyone would worry about. I could have believed it had it been set today when nearly 15% of the population in Britain are immigrants, but in 1983 with probably less than 2%? Sorry, not buying it.None of that was what troubled me, what did it was the moronic way in which white nationalists are portrayed. Because this is cinema, and because white nationalism is politically incorrect, patriots must always be portrayed as uneducated addicts who posses no qualities whatsoever and can only talk and act like a bunch of degenerate fools. That stupid theme was in American History-X too, but even that crappy American film puts this one to shame. This is England sorta reminds you of those American war propaganda movies of the 1940s where the Japanese were presented as a group of impotent fools running scared and speaking like cartoons. Might have worked then, but certainly not some 60 years later.Foolish film.
Wait for the DVD
posted on 09 Aug 2009Film is paced well in the beginning and the characters are interesting and engaging. But with the introduction of the ex-con character (Paddy Constantine)and the ultra-Nationalistic rhetoric that is neither fully explained in its historical context nor developed within the characters lives in the narrative, the film falls flat...there is no pay-off in the end. A fight for Nationalism, it seems, is NOT the impetus for the ex-con's aggression. In fact, the film maker doesn't fully develop the characters to the point that the skinhead movement--at least in their lives--makes any sense at all.The film did nothing to explain the 80s skinheads, 80s Nationalism, or England.
Meadows is an artist, and this is his art. Unadulterated, non-relenting and purely authentic. Think you know England? Think again.
posted on 22 Jul 2009You don't need to be told we are in the eighties in This Is England. The opening montage of rubik's cubes, the Falklands war, new romantics and the royal wedding set the scene for this tale of sub-culture gone balls up. 12-year-old loner Shaun (a fantastic Turgoose) is having a tough time at school. Not affiliated with any type of clique, be it new romantics, punk rockers or skinheads, he finds it hard to blend in with anyone. Having lost his father to the Falklands conflict, he is in desperate need of fatherly guidance, as his mother cannot cope by herself. After a chance encounter coming home from school, he befriends, or rather is befriended, by a group of skinheads, who take him under their wing. They shave his head and give him a brand new wardrobe of shirts with braces. The group are multi-cultured and fairly discreet politically, that is, until they are infiltrated by the ringleader's cousin – Combo. He gestates his feelings of England "being overrun" by Asians, and even goes as far to prod the group's black member whether he considers himself English or Jamaican. What began as a love of reggae music and bizarre hairstyles turns into a statement of fascism, as Combo gets the remaining gang to intimidate, rob and threaten every foreigner they see.As is the case with much of Meadows' other work, This is England makes good use of improvised dialogue, documentary-style cinematography and an aura of authenticity. He makes simple films, but films that clearly know the subjects they tackle. Meadows, himself, admits to having grown-up as a skinhead, both before and after the sub-culture was infiltrated by the far right. You never get the feeling an outsider is telling you this tale, the characters are never patronised, it is not a youthsploitation movie, nor does it take the easy option of just painting all skinheads as Nazis. What you get is, a sympathetic insight into a northern English world, which has been tainted by Thatcherism, and slowly engulfed by racial tension and hate. It is not preachy, and never talks down to its audience. What it is – is very, very good.
This Is England
posted on 22 Jul 2009I knew about this film from the poster, and then I found out it was made by FilmFour, and it turned out to be a very good film, based on the auto-biographical experiences of writer/director Shane Meadows (Dead Man's Shoes). Basically it is 1983, during Thatcher's reign and the Falklands war, and 12-year-old Shaun Fields (introducing Thomas Turgoose) walks around alone, until a chance meeting with Woody (Joe Gilgun) and his skinhead gang pals, Milky (Andrew Shim), Smell (Rosamund Hanson), Gadget (Andrew Ellis) and Pukey Nicholls (Jack O'Connell). He is eventually let into the gang to cause havoc, and hang out chatting about whatever is going on. But it becomes clear Combo (Stephen Graham) among others is not the best friend you can have. The film doesn't just deal with this gang lifestyle, it also sees the period of mass unemployment, racism, xenophobia and violence. Also starring Jo Hartley as Cynth, Vicky McClure as Lol, Perry Benson as Meggy, George Newton as Banjo and Frank Harper as Lenny. Turgoose gives a very mature (for his age) performance, all the supporting actors also create the realism of all the situations, it is just a world that you would not want to enter, the story is so realistic that it is more disturbingly good. It won the BAFTA for Best British Film, and it was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Meadows. Very good!
Good skinheads, bad skinheads
posted on 12 Jul 2009The serious actor loves to play the racist skinhead. It is the male equivalent of a lesbian role, as it shows their diversity. See Tim Roth stride down the corridor with a swastika tattooed on his forehead in Made in Brittan. See Russell Crowe bulk up to play a similar goon in Romper Stomper. And (to a lesser extent) see Edward Norton try and add some pathos to a fellow with ugly tattoos in American History X. This Is England is unique, in that it offers a factual origin of skinhead culture, and distinguishes between the good (nonracist, offshoot of punks and Rastas in the early '80s) and the bad (racist, National Socialist) skinheads.Shaun is a 12-year-old whom life continually shits upon. Recently having lost his father in the Falklands War, he and his mother have slipped below the poverty line. He receives grief at school for wearing flares, and is shown little sympathy from a Pakistani corner shop owner. After a particularly rough day at school, he bumps in to a group of quite affable 'good' skinheads, who take pity and include him in their activities. Once Shaun is fully inaugurated into their clique, a 'bad' skinhead enters the fray. Combo (someone who seems far too old to be hanging out with teenagers) has just been released from prison, and is seething with bitterness and hatred. He convinces Shaun and half of his 'good' skinhead pals to join the dark side. Shaun, bitter himself at what little life has left him with, takes the National Front role with great gusto. Exacting revenge on the Pakistani clerk whom gave him an earful in act one, and generally enjoying the power trip of pushing around minorities. He also finds a kind of father figure in Combo. And when Combo's bitterness gets the better of him, he loses faith, and as the back of the DVD case attests, learns that "hate will get you nowhere". Collective sigh, now on with the faults...From the opening montage of all that is '80s (Atari, Margaret Thatcher) there are far too many gauche attempts to make this a period piece, instead of crafting an unspoken zeitgeist. They might as well have called it "This is The '80s", as all the anti-Thatcher graffiti doesn't give the viewer the benefit of the doubt. Made in Brittan had the good fortune to be timely, This is England is all hazy memories.Then there are the mixed messages. Woody, the 'good' skinhead whom first includes Shaun, is genuinely likable, and has an amazing screen presence. He endears himself to Shaun, and to the audience, when he defuses Shaun's mother while she's on an angry tirade. However, when the baton is passed from Woody to Combo, the film shifts from working class empowerment, to bitter and depressing. Woody drops out of the frame completely. And when he is making excuses to leave a party once Combo arrives, I too was with the antagonists in pleading for him to stay. "No don't leave! This movie will be depressing without you!". It makes it difficult to fathom that Shaun would prefer the company of Combo to that of Woody, once Woody has been established as such a nice guy. It adds an ugly "but" to the text. "Be proud of who you are, but not too proud", "go with the flow, but not if it goes in this direction". It's too muddled and not concise enough.Shaun also romances a dimwitted girl, nicknamed Smells, who is 4 years older than him, but looks like she's a good 10 years his senior. I know this film is autobiographical, but the coupling of a little boy and a "well versed" teenage girl just doesn't look right. There are a few other nameless characters whom seem either far too old, or too young for the context. You would believe it in real life, but strangely, not in a movie.The ending is a spectacular misfire. A film which has traded on gritty realism throughout, suddenly tries its hand at art house symbolism in the final ten minutes. It's attempt to choke you up fails miserably through bad choice of song, and TV movie closeup. From the second act on, it is far too depressing, not warm melancholic, cold depressing. Yes, it portrays the resentment of those who had the misfortune to come of age under Thatcher, but its purpose it far from clear. It captures many moments of the lower middle, to working class lifestyle perfectly. Particularly the shoe shopping scene, which everyone who grew up without family money can relate to. And how a child can gravitate to odd social groups though simple lack of opportunity. It is the lack of concise point which hinders this film from becoming a classic. Maybe we should all stop looking for some moral high ground in skinhead films. Unfortunately for This is England, they went for atonement. A conceit to post-American sensibilities, tacked on to very British experience. Which still leaves the ambiguous Made in Brittan the best of the genre.
An Epic copy
posted on 22 Jun 2009As a huge fan and critic of the great British escape from repetitive American film, 'This Is England' is a look into the rising trend of a stereotypical England commoner. The meat head gang (featured in the film) tend to show us how a rough character from England, is not living in a mansion, were not drinking tea like its vital and were not playing Crockett and naming ourselves 'Rupert'. The film itself is well structured and is focused like a good soap, featuring the turning points, humour, grace, politics and friction. I give 'This Is England' and eight because we've seen this kind of frame before in 'The Football Factory', 'Green Street' and 'Kidulthood'. Yet saying that a good friend of mine who plays the part of 'Woody' is a big part of the film so i have to obviously direct myself in favour of this film. Overall, is't worth watching at some point.
Some of my best friends are black shirts
posted on 25 May 2009This 80s set drama reinforces Shane Meadow's reputation as an actor's director and one that thank god, is actually interested enough in his indigenous culture not to take a cheque from a Hollywood studio and waste his talent making American genre movies. Danny Boyle take note. Paul Anderson, stay where you are.This is a considered, exceptionally well acted story centred on a 12 year olds adoption by a gang of skinheads in the months after his Father's death in the Falklands. Initially it's all harmless enough, smashing sinks and wasting time. They listen to good music and smoke dope – not a problem you may think, in fact I once worked for a man who essentially built a career on that. But things turn ugly when old gang member combo returns from prison, having had any vestige of racial tolerance buggered out of him. He's a proto-Nick Griffin, in the days before he opened an account with tie rack but with more visible tattoos, determined to fight the "war" against ethnic undesirables…and no, that doesn't means Geordies (I had to check that too). The boy is drawn in by Combo's pitch, particularly the part about wasted solders liberating sheep in the Falklands, which strikes a simplistic note and before you can say "wasted youth" trouble ensues.The period is vividly recreated, though Meadows can't resist having the greatest hits of the day playing on the radio as people walk down the street, and a cast who weren't even sperm and ovum in the real 1983, are superb and have a great career ahead of them, or rather would, were there an independent domestic industry to speak of. Mind you, Shane should be working for a while at least.What impresses are the finely rendered details. Mass recruitment to the National Front is portrayed in relatively benign terms – a cosseted meeting in a working men's club. There, then as now, a hatred of immigration and cultural diversity is rationalised as a rescue mission – hauling Englishness back from its diluted and fractious state to something bound to a fictitious idyll represented by the likes of Churchill (who opposed all emancipating reforms throughout the first three decades of the 20th century and pioneered the use of chemical weapons and labour camps), war time working class solidarity and that kind of male sack contents. Then, again as now, the ringleaders pass themselves off as respectable patriots, suited and business like, trotting out the familiar mantra of welcoming the hard working immigrant but rejecting the rest – ergo they're not racists at all. Obvious really! Having presented this pack of lies, Meadow's discredits it with equal verve. When combo storms into the hard working Pakistani shop owner's newsagent, threatens to kill him and steals his stock (because presumably working for it wasn't an option) there's little in the way of appreciation for the man's contribution to the economy. A simple "thank you for the annual 2 billion pound surplus in 2007 money you and your fellow immigrants contribute, subsidising benefit dependent ex-cons like myself" would have sufficed but no, its abuse a giant knife. As combo listens to Milk describe the simply pleasures of his family life – a scene that's like watching someone sit on a bomb you know is about to explode, his decision to try and batter him to death in a jealous rage is a tacit acknowledgement of what actually lies at the heart of the future BNP's membership - simple envy and bitter resentment coupled with an idiots view of history.When Meadow's explores the personal motivations for this hate his characters and the film as a whole have an air of authenticity, built on universally excellent and naturalistic performances. It's the attempt to tie the characters to the wider political and social context that strikes a false note.Meadows locates the mutation of the skinhead movement from anarchist to racist by showing us footage of the Falkland's war and Thatcher. Combos been in prison for three and half years and it isn't a coincidence that his captivity dates from Thatcher's accession to government – he's a symbolic globule of Thatcherite folly. Sending your armed forces to protect a hill and kill sheep Meadows suggests, proved a stark reminder of Britain's loss of status in the world and this, coupled with Maggie's systematic and ruthless destruction of the working class through mass employment and the atomising of society, which essentially ate like acid through traditional working class communities (which was always the point), was decisive in inflaming social tensions. This is a fair judgement of history but labouring the Falkland's as an inciting incident overstates its importance, when a more rigorous look at the domestic situation might have struck a stronger note. All of this suggests that while Meadow's is a vintage documenter of his own childhood experiences and has an gift for social realism, his credentials as a social historian are less secure.Mind you, this may be all a misreading. Perhaps Meadows is suggesting Roland Rat is responsible – the morning TV menace featuring in the opening archive footage, and who'd bet against it?
S_W's review of 'This Is England' (2006)
posted on 23 May 2009'This Is England' (2006) One the last day of term 1983, we meet Shaun (Thomas Turgoose), the bullied son of a fallen soldier from the Falkland Wars. After a fight with a disrespectful punk at school, Shaun meets a group of skinheads led by Woody (Joe Gilgun). Things seem fine at first, like he's being taken in the group until he's bullied out by the fat kid, Gadget (Andrew Ellis). But, after awhile, Gadge is sent to retrieve Shaun and they transform and accept him into the group.It's smooth sailing until Wood's ex-con friend, Combo (Stephen Graham), takes control of the group. Combo, a crazed radical, who sees himself in young Shaun, attempts to turn the group into a nationalist revolution movement. And succeeds, minus a few members. Sadly, however, the group is hardly a political front. Instead, it mainly focuses on graffiti, theft, and cowardly attacks on other races.'This Is England' is an intense look at a reality sometimes forgotten by outsiders. It will stir deep in your soul well past the ending credits if you let it.8/10.
an unforgettable look at violent youth
posted on 15 May 2009Superbly written and directed by Shane Meadows, "This is England" provides us with an unflinchingly realistic and grimly depressing look at the skinhead subculture of early 1980's Britain.Shaun is a twelve-year-old lad who has recently lost his father in the Falklands War. Even though Shaun has learned to give as good as he gets when the schoolyard and neighborhood bullies go to whaling on him (both verbally and physically), that still doesn't keep him from being ridiculed and harassed on an almost daily basis by kids who are bigger than he is - until, that is, he hooks up with a gang of social delinquents who take him under their wing, drastically altering his appearance and bringing him along on orgies of destruction as part of his initiation.Although "This is England" is harrowing in what it says about a generation caught in an out-of-control spiral of purposelessness, rebelliousness and violence, there is a surprising amount of humor and tenderness in the film as well. Shaun may be mouthy and obnoxious a good part of the time, but he also possesses a whip-smart sense of humor, a strong instinct for self-preservation, and a wise-beyond-his-years perceptiveness about how life on the street actually works. In a similar way, even the punks who befriend and corrupt the boy are portrayed as complex, three-dimensional individuals, their occasional displays of charm and decency going a long way towards explaining just why it is that Shaun and even his own well-meaning mother are so easily taken in by them.The real trouble begins when Combo, a neighborhood troublemaker and now radical "England for the English" nationalist, is released from prison and proceeds to infect the group with the idea of "taking back" the country from the hordes of dark-skinned "Pakis" who have increasingly made their home there. A gifted rabble rouser, Combo not only exploits working class dissatisfaction with the economy and the war, but appeals to out-and-out racism and xenophobia to win the men over to his side. This proves too much for a number of the gang's members - including Woody, the nominal leader - who quietly bow out of the scene, but Shaun, still feeling sorely the absence of his father, continues to find a home with the group.The thing that is most striking about "This is England" is how remarkably fleshed-out and true-to-life the characters are, a result stemming as much from Meadows' thoughtful and intelligent screenplay as from the brilliant performances by Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham as Shaun and Combo, respectively. Turgoose has an astonishing ability to be both childlike and strangely adult at one and the same time, while Graham keeps us on edge throughout with his volatile combination of charm, charisma, love of violence and hair-triggered temper. And there are numerous other first-rate performances in the film as well.Even though the story, in this case, is played out against the backdrop of bellicose speeches by Margaret Thatcher and file footage of the Falklands War, the themes the movie deals with - the irrational fear of "the other," the radicalization of disaffected youth, the seductive nature of the mob mentality - are sadly universal and relevant to all times and societies. It is an eye-opening, cautionary tale about where modern society may be heading if we don't learn to see beneath the superficial differences of skin and culture and find the common ground of humanity that unites us all. It's an old message but one that is delivered with unforgettable force in this film.
Another accomplished effort from Britain's most exciting director
posted on 07 May 2009Shane Meadows' new project is a semi-autobiographical work that casts an eye over the skinhead culture of the early 1980's, and is a film that cements his reputation as one of the UK's most exciting directing talents.Having grown up as a skinhead himself, Meadows through his recent press interviews has alluded - with some authority - to what he perceives as an unjust imbalance in how skinheads have come to be regarded in popular culture. This Is England goes some way to redressing the matter, but at the same time doesn't shy away from the more negative aspects that have become synonymous with the scene.The film tells the story of 12-year old Shaun, a young boy with few friends, and suffering at the hands of bullies in the playground. One day on his walk home, Shaun is befriended by Woody, a local skinhead, who introduces him to his friends, and pitying him, brings him into the group. Woody and his friends are the type of skinhead that the common stereotype forgets; there is a genuine warmth within the friendships, and Milky, a Jamaican skinhead, is probably the closest of Woody's mates. Yes, these lads are no angels; they break into derelict buildings and smash up the fixtures and fittings, they drink and they smoke, but they also have respect for themselves and other people; they are not violent, and they embrace black culture, not abhor it. In fact the camaraderie amongst these friends brought to mind two particular films of the past; Quadrophenia and Stand By Me.Like Meadows' prior works, the film is laced with many moments of genuine humour, and if anything, Made In England contains more laughs than any previous effort. But also in common with past films, there is an inevitability that matters are going to take a dark twist; and that arrives in the form of Combo.Fresh out of prison, Combo is a highly respected veteran of the scene and long time friend of Woody, but 3 years of incarceration have changed him as a man, and after dramatically announcing his return at a party, his nationalists leanings soon begin to surface. Suddenly a moment of choice awaits the gang, and while the warm and kind Woody chooses to disassociate himself with Combo, certain members, an entranced Shaun included, choose to stay.Here Meadows exposes the intolerable side of the culture, as the National Front's influence begins to permeate; Combo takes Shaun to meetings, and plays on the loss of his father in the Falklands to reinforce his beliefs. Although there are still moments of genuine humour and tenderness, and underlying sense of unease runs through the second half of the film, leading ultimately to an inevitable violent confrontation.The standard of acting from a predominantly amateur cast is terrific, especially from young Thomas Turgoose in the lead role. The characters are fantastically drawn, and wholly believable, while Meadows to his huge credit is able to even illicit sympathy towards the detestable Combo, showing him to be vulnerable, pathetic even, and to have been as susceptible to brainwashing as anyone. He even affords him a moment of at least partial redemption and realisation at the climax. The soundtrack as always with a Meadows film is perfectly compiled; a mixture of early 80's chart hits, Trojan reggae and melancholic piano led instrumentals. The crowning musical moment though lies with a beautiful acoustic cover of The Smiths' 'Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want' which accompanies Shaun in the film's closing scene, a moment of realisation that fittingly recalls the climax of Quadrophenia, a film to which This Is England owes so much.Very nearly Meadows' best work to date, arguably it is only Paddy Considine's absence this time out, that keeps Dead Man's Shoes top of the pecking order.
It's not about the title
posted on 07 May 2009If you are a movie buff and enjoy a variety of films, you almost certainly will love this effort. I was pleasantly surprised by the acting ability of this cast and the fact that the storyline held my interest. You don't have to be curious about England or the Falkland War to appreciate this flick.Shane Meadows (writer/director) draws on personal experience to bring this film to life. A young Thomas Turgoose does an incredible job of playing Shaun and making the viewer care and worry about his every move. Stephen Graham (Combo) can almost get you to sign up for the cause when he pleads his case. But, some take the (cause) too far and lose sight of real friendship.Great acting combines with a (perceived) good vs. evil and a non "Hollywood" chain of events. You won't have to think real hard to enjoy this but it will be a while before you can forget it. Hats off to a great all around effort.Several chuckles and some feel good times, combine with heart wrenching events that hold the viewers interest through the entire movie.
i'm wearing em' for a bet, what's your excuse?
posted on 21 Apr 2009Mods, New Romantics, and Skinheads are the major youth sub-cultures of this very English summer of 1983 and young 12-year-old Shaun is left wandering aimlessly alone and lost during the start of his school holidays, until his chance meeting with Woody and his fun and friendly Skinhead pack. Finding a new lease of life; girls, parties, Ben Sherman shirts, Doc Martin boots and shaven hairstyles young Shaun is welcomed, life during this summer holiday has got a whole lot better. That is until Combo arrives on the scene, a bitter, dangerous, racist, militant and psychotic life for young Shaun has just approached his first major crossroads. This is England is a look back at the early eighties of British working-class life through the eyes of young Shaun and his new gang, and dealing with the bitterness of outside influences such as racism and xenophobia, of mass unemployment and the fall out of the Falkland's War; Thatcher's Britain: Did we ever have it so good?Sahne Meadows has made his most important and most grown up piece of work with this movie which is very hard to watch, but never the less very entertaining. a friend of mine said 'they wouldn't be able to make films like this now' not knowing that the film is relatively new.this is the attention to detail that Meadows has done for this film. all the exterior sets and design are straight from the eighties, and he has hit the nail right on the head with clothes, music, and basically the attitude that certain people had with the era and 'Thatchers Britain'.the film is very funny to begin with and the performance from Turgoose is amazing. his transformation from bereaved loner, to skinhead is scary yet somehow elating to watch, as he has finally found some friends who listen.but the film belongs to Graham as Comboe, probably the most frightening and real character seen in British cinema. his monologues hit home hard, and as the characters say on numerous occasions, there is an atmosphere whenever he is around. his character is so unpredictable and unstable, but yet he sometimes appears to be the most mature person in the film, a very bad father figure for Shaun.an amazing experience, both visceral and nostalgic (in the first act at least) for those growing up in the eighties.
Skins in Thatcherland
posted on 15 Apr 2009The skinhead culture fascinates many directors and it's understandable. It's one of the few remaining subcultures in the West, much because of the Nazi connections.But the skins in this movie aren't political and no racists to start with. One of the gang members is even black. They live in a happy community in the early 80s, having fun and being together in a totally grey unfriendly working class environment. It's very hopeful and the 12-year-old finds himself accepted for the first time in his life. His longing for the dead father of the Falklands war is somewhat replaced.But darkness arrives with the skin veteran who comes back from jail. And there are conflicts between the racist fraction and the others. But whatever this is, it's not black and white. The characters are much more complicated.Much has been said about young Thomas Turgoose as the 12-year-old. He's very good but the great portrait is by Stephen Graham as the old/new gang leader. Absolutely brilliant work.
Superb Documentary-style film drama
posted on 15 Apr 2009A snippet of life in 1983- told through the eyes of an impressionable 12 year old-against the back-drop of the Falklands War.This film shows Director Shane Meadows at his best, a new generation Mike Leigh/Ken Loach. Gritty, ultra-real story telling (not least because it reflects time and events from Meadows own childhood.From the outside this movie might look like an all out "Doom and Gloom" exercise (akin to Nil By Mouth?), but it is so much more! It has a great sense of love and nostalgia for the time and place-not too mention the Skinhead culture. However, it also shows how the initially innocent fashion trend of the Skinhead- which came from the "Mods" and "Ska" music scene- was twisted and subverted by a racist element from within. Fashioning a striking look (near bald heads with imposing Dr Martin boots) a perfect foil for those wanting to make a clear impression of aggression for the National Front.Performances are great- Turgoose as the young fatherless lonely boy- searching for someone to lead the way. Special mention to Stephen Graham as the aggressive, neo-Nazi, Combo. He is a horribly violent man, but played with such depth by Graham, you can see he has his own issues which have destroyed him. Ultimately, he is the saddest and most tragic of all the characters in it.Graham's is an Oscar/Bafta performance if ever there was one! Summary- A brilliant slice of life from the 80's reconstructed with love , affection, humour and a dash of "Venom"- eat your heart out "Spideyman"!
Shane Meadows best film yet
posted on 09 Apr 2009I've always been a fan of Shane Meadows' movies and thought he was a terrific director. This film, however, made me really see how much talent he has. I haven't seen a more emotionally moving Neo-Nazi drama since "American History X".The acting in this movie is superb. Especially Thomas Turgoose, as Shaun, the 12 year old boy who is drawn into the Neo-Nazi lifestyle. The Editing is great and the music is extremely moving. The combination of all these elements really portray the characters emotions and personalities.Don't be expecting "american history X" or "the believer". This film revolves mostly around the 12 year old boy and his struggle to fit in. Overall, I give this film a 8/10 and recommend it to anyone who wants an emotional and moving drama.
A great British film - or should that be English?
posted on 03 Apr 2009There is no doubt that this film is a truly great piece of film-making. Shane Meadows crafts films in the same style as Martin Scorcese. We are given a glimpse into the lifestyle of a group of characters over a short period of time. It is very much a fly on the wall type of movie. The point of these films is to understand the actions of the characters rather than judging their actions. I have no doubt that there will be some people that tag this film as being racist which is rather missing the point.The film follows Shaun a 12 year old being borough up in early 80's England. He has lost his father in the Falklands war and suffers bullying and isolation until he is befriended by a group of skinheads. The happy band are challenged when Combo is released from prison. Thomas Turgoose is magnificent in the lead role and the direction/screenplay are also spot on the mark. For anybody that lived through the period there are lots of reminders about the period. The film is based on Meadow's own childhood and is quite mesmerising at times.I was gripped throughout the film and it also gave me plenty to think about afterwards. What more can you ask for when going to the movies? I suppose if you go to the movies for escapism then go watch something else, but if you want a gripping thought provoking drama then it doesn't come much better than this. Outstanding!
Well worth making, well worth watching, but frequently unbelievable.
posted on 30 Mar 2009There's been enough said in praise of this film - and it did after all win the BAFTA - so please forgive some quibbles. 1.) Thomas Turgoose is a startlingly good young actor, a real natural; but would the film not have been more believable if he had been a couple of years older? 2.) Were skinheads typically this sensitive and in touch with their emotions? There are too many scenes where they get misty-eyed about the young Turgoose, and throughout the action they are generally more emotionally supportive than you would expect in any group of men - especially in the Thatcherite early 80s, and especially in a group whose main membership card is the outward threat of violence. 3.) Was it not at worst exploitative and at best a slightly cheap move to show horrific Falklands footage at the beginning of the film? There were still some fine performances, and much to recommend a film like this above any number of movies about less serious subjects. I was just surprised that these points seem not to have been mentioned very often in the reviews I've read.
Not This is England
posted on 31 Aug 2009Frankly the title put me off. I thought the title was arrogant and self absorbed as if this was the definitive story of England in the 1980s which of course it was not. I next expected it to be the "1980s hell under Thatcher" cliché,whine fest from a typical northern middle class socialist writer patronising the working class. Any mention of 'The Belgrano' and I was turning it off.However if any of that was there I didn't notice it as the stirring rites of passage story came through.It certainly jarred nerves of growing up and making sense of the people in your world and winning the great prize of getting respect and admiration from people older than yourself. Anybody studying children's behaviour and the importance of role models should watch this film.This a universal story and its a shame that the title probably cost it international empathy and recognition?.The 1980s were politically charged times, but if the sparks between the red and blue posts produced Shane Meadows then they could not have been all bad could they ?.