This is England - Review

"What, you mean before you went to prison and ruined everything? I'm going to be late for work. You can keep your little box" – A review of This is England. 

Some films resonate for the saddest of reasons. You see a reality you don't want to accept, face truths that are difficult to believe, and you spend hours afterwards reflecting on the themes and messages you've just watched. This Is England is one of those films.

Directed by Shane Meadows and released in 2006, This is England follows a fatherless 12-year-old boy named Shaun who is taken in by a group of friendly skinheads in the early 1980s. However, he is drawn into a far darker world when a racist ex-convict joins the group, who manipulates Shaun's anger and grief in an attempt to indoctrinate him into far-right nationalism.

This is not an easy watch. The film examines how young, working-class people, frustrated by the politics and economic climate of the 80s, became so easily drawn in to far right extremism. It looks at how a youth subculture, which had started with black music and left-wing ideals, was hijacked by racists and bigots, targeting the most vulnerable young people in our society. You watch as Shaun, who is grieving as his father has been killed in the Falklands and is being bullied at school, finds connection and community as he searches for a male rode model. He's torn between the inclusive, laid-back Woody, and the intense, violent Combo, and you can't help but worry as you watch him make his decision.

The performances in this film are amazing. Shaun is played by Thomas Turgoose, in his acting debut, and he delivers a portrayal which is raw and charismatic, winning him a British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. For me, one of the most impressive portrayals comes from Stephen Graham, playing Combo – he comes across as chilling, unhinged and damaged, someone who is deeply troubled and intense to watch. These are just two stand out performances though – there isn't a bad performance in the whole film.

This is a gut wrenching, tense, emotive look at British culture which sadly still resonates deeply today. Whilst it's by no means an easy watch, it is a brilliant film and I highly recommend it.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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