Harry Brown Film Review
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and Plan B Star in New British Movie
Set in the tower block slums of south-east London, Brown lives alone following the death of his wife Kath (Liz Daniels) and treads the streets in fear of the hoodies who have claimed the nearby underpass as their territory.
Brown witnesses their criminal activity and anti-social behaviour on a daily basis, but he is not directly affected until best friend Leonard (David Bradley) reveals he is frequently a victim of harassment at the hands of the gang.
A frightened and despairing Leonard, having informed the police of such victimisation to no avail, decides to take the law into his own hands, wielding a large machete on entering the dreaded underpass.
Outnumbered and weak, the pensioner is beaten to the ground before gang leader Noel (Ben ‘Plan B’ Drew) snatches the steel and plunges the deadly weapon between Leonard’s shoulder blades with fatal consequences.
A former marine, Brown takes heed of his friend’s murder and he too arms himself with a blade before drinking heavily to ease the pain at his local. On his way home Brown is the victim of an attempted mugging by a gang member, but the elder recalls his military training and stabs the assailant through the heart.
It proves to be the first of many murders throughout the film, as Brown stumbles around the neighbourhood with a selection of firearms, much to the appeal of the audience, a significant number of which belong to Caine’s generation.
Offensive and Irresponsible
But Harry Brown is likely to be far from their usual viewing preferences, with the film rated 18 for a reason. Perhaps a maximum age rating should exist for productions such as this, as senior viewers are likely to be offended throughout.
The picture is also likely to further destroy relations between generations young and old, with elder members of the audience liable to fear youngsters even more vehemently as a consequence of the disgusting behaviour portrayed within.
Such presentation could be considered irresponsible and scare-mongering, especially when observed by those residing in the provincial settlements of Britain who are largely ignorant of the extent of inner-city deprivation, and who may now wrongly attribute such behavioural traits to the younger generations of their communities.
A Realistic Appeal
Nevertheless, director Daniel Barber and writer Gary Young do succeed in conveying both the atmosphere of urban decay and, more importantly, the angst-ridden mindsets of the elderly residents of such an environment, thus imploring those in power to address the situation promptly.
Barber and Young are also careful not to impose blame entirely upon the young thugs depicted in the film for their villainous ways, and suggest parents and guardians have a responsibility as role models to guide their young along the straight and narrow, while also implying a need for reconsidered policing in such areas.
Harry Brown fits snugly into the British criterion of socially realistic productions and has rightly gained credibility and praise for its content and delivery. However, one cannot help but feel the film has suffered from over-hype, and with advertisements increasingly ubiquitous in the week prior to release, hopes for an outstanding home-grown production will be replaced by acceptance of a good, sturdy example of British cinematic craftsmanship.
Indeed, it is fair to say that without Caine making his 101st film appearance in the lead role, the movie would probably go unnoticed, at best enjoying success as a cult DVD favourite akin to the likes of Kidulthood and Dead Man’s Shoes. His performance is nonetheless solid as ever and fans are unlikely to be disappointed with this effort.
Inner City Slums
|
More in Film & TV
Latest Articles