Rating of
2.5/4
This is England?
yogadad - wrote on 12/30/07
Shawn's father is killed in battle in the Falklands War in 1983. Devastated, the boy finds solace with a gang of skinheads. At first, it's just partying and hanging out. The film takes an abrupt dark turn when Combo shows up. Just released from prison, Combo starts preaching a virulent racist ideology and splits the gang. Shawn stays with Combo and participates in the escalating violence that culminates in a bloody denouement.
Turgoose, as Shawn, gives an awesome performance. He's completely believable as a confused, troubled adolescent. Graham as Combo exudes power and barely contained violence. The other actors were all uniformly good.
Writer/director Meadows adopted a documentary style to tell his story and it works well. The film has a fly-on-the-wall feel that draws you into the story, wondering what is going to happen next.
My problems with the film stem from Shawn's mother's disappearance for long stretches and the too long second act. What mother would let her obviously unhappy son change in such dramatic fashion without trying to intervene? Trimming the middle third of the film would have made it stronger. As it is, it's a very good film. Well worth the time.
