Somers Town
Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello star in Somers Town
Also In The News
|
Chelsea skipper John Terry has been named as the permanent England captain by manager Fabio Capello. |  |
Wednesday, 20, Aug 2008 01:51
Directed by Shane Meadows, out 22nd August, starring Thomas Turgoose, Piotr Jagiello, Elisa Lasowski, Perry Benson, running time 72 mins.
In a nutshell...
Wistful, charming, true and tender gem of British film-making.
What's it all about?
Somers Town is the sixth major release from acclaimed British filmmaker Shane Meadows. Best known for the cult revenge drama Dead Man's Shoes and the 2006 investigation of skinhead culture in the 80s, This Is England, Somers Town is a far more cheerful and optimistic work than the director's previous successes. Shot in black and white and relatively short at just 72 minutes, Somers Town is a tender exploration of adolescent male friendship.
Tomo is a 16-year-old who is fleeing an ambiguous troubled childhood in the Midlands by making his way to London with no particular aim. Soon finding himself homeless and hungry, he befriends a lonely young Polish boy, Marek, who lives with his father Mariusz in a small flat in Somers Town, close to Kings Cross. The pair form an unlikely friendship and, unbeknownst to Mariusz, Marek allows Tomo to stay at the flat. The boys carry out odd jobs for their wheeler-dealer neighbour Graham while feeding their growing obsession with Maria, the pretty French waitress who works in their local café.
Who's in it?
Made shortly after the release of This Is England, Somers Town features the child star of that film, Thomas Turgoose, in the leading role of Tomo. This time his voice has broken and he gets to fully explore the comic potential hinted at in his debut with an altogether more light-hearted role.
Newcomer Piotr Jagiello is quietly captivating as Marek. His performance helps to bring out the subtle topicality of the film and unearth the simultaneous excitement and pathos experienced by immigrants in London and the wider UK. His shy sincerity perfectly compliments Tomo's brazen cheekiness and wisdom beyond his years.
Also worth noting is Perry Benson as the leopardprint dressing-gown wearing, dodgy but dependable Graham. His inclusion in the film is not only pivotal, but is a major source of hilarity. His impeccable characterisation is responsible for a lot of the laughs to be had.
As an example...
"Is that your girlfriend?" - Tomo, looking at photographs of Maria.
"Yes" - Marek.
"She's pretty fit." - Tomo.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
The film received its UK premiere at the 2008 Edinburgh International Film Festival, where the jury awarded it the festival's highest accolade, the Michael Powell award. At the Tribeca Film Festival, Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello jointly shared the award for Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film. Meadows has not fared too well in front of the Academy panel in the past, but with his international reputation on the rise, who knows?
What the others say
"Meadows in a minor key but still a major delight; his improvised feel, sparky comedy and interest in the truth of youth services a story that's both winning and winsome." - Empire.
"Since it's a sweet, funny and relatively quiet film, the lack of Big Thoughts is easily overlooked. Meadows has given himself a much-needed break, and it's a very satisfying one at that." - New York Press.
So is it any good?
The trailer for Somers Town introduces Tomo as "a runaway from the Midlands" and that is precisely what Meadows has become for the purposes of this film. For the first time in his already celebrated career, Meadows has escaped his home, the Midlands, and ventured out into the big bad world of London - a brave move considering that all the director's films to date have been so closely associated with his native locality. This is not the only big first for Meadows. Somers Town also marks the director's first non-colour film and his first use of foreign language. The other major thing to notice is just how hilarious Somers Town is.
Although the director's previous films have always been coloured by humour, none are quite as laugh-out-loud funny as his latest creation. From sharp, witty quips from Tomo and Graham to downright absurdity, you're likely to leave the cinema smiling from ear to ear - a rarity for a Meadows film.
Saying that, there are similarities to his previous works. Like in Dead Man's Shoes, A Room for Romeo Brass and This Is England, Somers Town's key ingredient is a good dose of nostalgia and the concluding message that friendship is just about the most powerful thing on earth.
Somers Town has already met with a fair amount of criticism over the fact that it is funded entirely by Eurostar and, as such, Meadows throws in a few plugs. But this wouldn't even be noticed if Meadows wasn't one of the most respected young filmmakers in Britain. No one batted an eyelid at the product placement that took place in Sex and the City or The Dark Knight, but because Meadows is traditionally known for creating serious, gritty social commentary, he faces a barrage of criticism. He describes Somers Town as "a fantastic accident", which started out as a short film with corporate backing and grew into one of the most lauded British films of the year.
Personally, I don't see the problem. If Meadows has created a thoroughly enjoyable work which alludes to the fast link between Paris and London a couple of times within the context of the script, then so what? Frankly, it is hard enough to get funding for British films and if commercial backing means that more genius directors like Meadows can create brilliant little treasures like this, then I'm all for it.
9/10
Natasha Hegde