peterfecteau Blog

I can't help but compare this film to American History X.  While the latter was a bit more on the front line and hit closer to home,  This is England is quite gritty. Shaun, the lead, is a lost preteen that has recently lost his father to that war in the Falklands. His Mother is struggling and he is bullied in school. He finds solace with Woody, an older boy and his group of friends. When Combo, an old friend of Wood's, is released from prison, he tries to recruit the group into a racist agenda. Shane is sucked in by Combo's father-like presence and we see the plot line turn grim.

I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled upon this little gem. It was in the OnDemand database that my cable provider supplies. If any of you out there use comcast check out OnDemands free movies then independent then Six String Samurai. Anyway, bact to the matter at hand. This movie was delightful. Toatally camped out, rock-a-kurosowa? There's even a half decent Clint Eastwood impressonation in the beginning. The plot is on the weaker side but it's so different than anything else out there that you just have to see it. If you can't catch it on OnDemand then good luck cuz this one's not gonna be on the local blockbuster shelf. Look for it here if you're that interested.

Ok so for three consecutive days MovieMind has suggested I watch Children of Men so last night I did and I was impressed. I was a big fan of 12 Monkeys and Wasa told this was similar but better and it think that was a correct assesment. While I didn't find the acting Oscar worthy. The plot was well concieved and written. Kudos to Alfonso Cuarón and Timothy J. Sexton for their writing and also Cuarón's direction. It often seems to me that when the director also writes, things seem to be tighter, unless that person is well...lacking talent. The sets in the movie were awesome every thing was believable. I'm one of thoes agnostic types that just really don't get into things that are "sloppy fiction". This movie, take for instance, the cars in the movie are futuristic not overwelmingly so and they still drive on regular pavement. In twenty years this will most likely be the case, unlike Minority Report or The Fifth Element. This was definatly a dark film, not noir , but to use a better adjective, grimey. A similar feel as 28 Days Later. Over all a very good watch. I kept thinking while I was watching this that Alfonso Cuarón would do a good job with a screen version of Jose Saramago's book "Blindness" about an episode of blindness that sweeps across the globe, excluding only one woman. It's a very dark grimey book that would make an excellent film. Please someone take me up on this.