London to Brighton
Friday, 01 Dec 2006 13:42
Georgia Groome is remarkable as the 12-year-old Joanne, thrust into the seedy London criminal world
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Directed by Paul Andrew Williams, out December 1st in cinemas, starring Lorraine Stanley, Johnny Harris, Georgia Groome, and Alexander Morton, running time 85 minutes.
In a nutshell…
Gripping fast-paced British thriller
What's it all about?
London to Brighton is the first feature length film from writer and director Paul Andrew Williams and was shot on a small budget, though this does nothing to detract from a classy production.
The film begins in a public toilet somewhere in London where a clearly distressed and bloodied Kelly (Stanley) and Joanne (Groome) are seeking refuge from pimp Derek (Harris).
Kelly and 12-year-old Joanne find enough money to catch the train to Brighton where they attempt to lie low, while Derek and a disparate band of underworld characters scour for evidence of the fleeing pair.
The reason for their terror and the retribution they fear that Derek and his bosses seek is told through flashback sequences throughout the film until it reaches its thrilling climax.
Can our heroines make it through the next 24 hours alive?
Who's in it?
Williams uses a cast of largely unknown actors who belie their inexperience and almost jump out of the screen at you.
First time actress Georgia Groome is remarkable as the 12-year-old Joanne, thrust into the seedy London criminal world, and delivers a performance that is both beguiling and accomplished.
Lorraine Stanley's portrayal of prostitute Kelly is highly believable and adds to the overall realism of the film. While the rabble of pimps and gangsters are as repulsive and uncompromising as you would imagine their real life counterparts to be.
As an example…
"How many times did you get my Dad a girl?"– Stuart Allen
"Dunno, two or three" – Derek
"Do you know what they did to him?" – Stuart Allen
"Are we going to go to jail?" – Joanne
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
London to Brighton is unlikely to garner any Oscars but it is causing a major stir on the independent film scene and is blazing a trail at film festivals throughout Europe picking up plaudits and silverware as it goes, including the Jury prize at the Raindance festival and best new director at the Edinburgh international film festival.
What the others say
"An outstanding, hard-hitting drama" – The Times
"It's audacious, exciting film-making, with nightmarish scenes I couldn't get out of my head. A dazzling debut." – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
So is it any good?
London to Brighton is a tour de force for director Paul Andrew Williams and is the sort of film Guy Ritchie wishes he could make in his wildest dreams, it also announces Williams as the 'new bright thing' in filmmaking in this country.
The story is constantly moving forward as are the characters, and the stark realism which is presented is at once beautiful and heartbreaking.
The cast play their part to the full and leave everything they have on the screen, ramping up the action to a finale that is exhilarating.
Immediate comparisons can be made with Get Carter and Shane Meadows' feature Dead Man's Shoes and it no coincidence that London to Brighton keeps the same illustrious company as some of Britain's most innovative films of recent years.
The 85 minutes running time is just right and ensures a tight and focussed film which viewers will find wholly rewarding.
8 /10
Dominic Beaumont
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