Film Review

04 December 2008 03:14 BST

Cass

Directed by John Baird, out now, starring Nonso Anozie (The Last Legion, Atonement), Natalie Press (Bleak House, Wasp, My Summer of Love), Linda Bassett (East is East, Calendar Girls), Leo Gregory (When I Was Twelve).

In a nutshell…

Gritty, violent, exciting, political, angry.

What's it all about?

Based on the true story of ironically-named Cass Pennant, the film is much more about manhood and identity than it is about race. Although his race is the sole distinguishing feature which singles him out for bullying and humiliation as a child, the journey Cass makes is one of a boy becoming a man, not a black child learning to deal with racism in a predominantly white environment. The actual irrelevance of Cass's race to his own view of himself is highlighted when he meets another black man in prison, who insists on speaking only in patwa, and fights with Cass because is "not really black" and doesn't know enough about "his" culture. Cass's response is that West Ham football club is his cultural family. The film asks the question, "What makes a man, and where should his sense of pride come from," and the question is answered very decidedly indeed by its conclusion.

Who's in it?

Nonso Anozie appeared in The Last Legion and Atonement, and he has also appeared in numerous highly successful theatre productions, playing tragic Shakespearian heroes such as Othello and King Lear. His performances have been acclaimed by the likes of Chris Weitz and Mike Leigh. Among her many awards, Natalie Press received an Academy award for her performance in Wasp, and a London Critics Circle Film award for My Summer of Love. She also appeared in the critically-acclaimed BBC television adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House. Other familiar faces include Ralph Ineson (the fabulous 'Finchey' from The Office), Linda Bassett from Calendar Girls, and Bronson Webb, who had a fairly minor role in a Harry Potter film.

As an example…

(An old woman on seeing the adopted baby Cass) "Aww - they're still cute at that age, aren't they? Before they get that horrible curly hair, and them nasty big lips..."

Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars

The dramatic excitement and toe-tingling violence of the film means it's likely to be hit with laddish football-gangster-film fans, while the more tender moments between Cass and his elderly adoptive parents will have many viewers determinedly blinking back tears. The political commentaries on Thatcherism, social class and race, while simplistic, will broaden the film's appeal beyond the usual fans of violent cult classics.

What the others say

"Hard-hitting, gritty, and British" - ITN

"A superior British crime movie" - The Observer

So is it any good?

The main strength of the film lies in the intense violence, juxtaposed with nicely understated moments of tenderness between Cass and his family. The weakest point is the plot itself, which – like many true stories – lacks much actual point. Clearly the idea is to tell us that we don't need to be violent to feel a sense of pride, but to be honest, I already knew that.

The political "insights" were also a little simplistic, and the sometimes-tragic effects of football hooliganism on ordinary innocent people were completely ignored. However, there were a few smart comments, such as describing the police put-down of the mine-strikers as "uniformed hooligans." The mistrust of the police, and the reasons for it, were shown quite effectively, but too much glamorisation of violence, justification of law-breaking, and derision of any sort of figure of authority took place for the film to successfully convey a mature non-violent message.

6.5/10


Louise McCudden

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