This Is England (2007)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

It's July 1983. Shaun Fields is small in stature with a giant chip on his shoulder. He lost his beloved father in the Falklands. He gets thrown out by the Pakistani shopkeeper and gets into a fight in school. He is befriended by Woody and his gang. They get into minor mischief and friendly mayhem. Shaun gets Smell as his girlfriend. His mother won't buy him Dr. Martens. The group is disrupted by Combo returning from prison. Combo takes over leadership as he pushes his white power agenda. Woody, Jamaican Milky, and others leave but Shaun falls for Combo. Combo takes the group to a National Front meeting with the call "This is England".The kid is amazing and no punches are pulled. Shane Meadows puts his soul into this. The music is terrific. All the characters are vivid and specific highlighted by Combo and Woody. There is a sparse power and intensity to the story.

England, 1983. 12-year old Shaun is aimless and bored. Into this void steps a bunch of young people who make Shaun feel like he belongs. They happen to be skinheads and are possibly not the best influence on Shaun...Great movie. Powerful examination on neo-Nazi, bigoted, skinhead culture in the UK in the early 1980s. The story is a metaphor for disaffected youth everywhere, and the evils of racism disguised as patriotism.Solid performances all round. Stephen Graham is great as the skinhead leader. Thomas Turgoose puts in a particularly good performance for a 13/14-year old.

I watched this film in Film Studies not long ago and it is only my second Shane Meadows film, however as soon as the teacher said who's film it was, I was excited. I'd seen 'Dead Man's Shoes' and loved every second of it.Now, I expected a similar film, it is in some ways. For one, the gritty, realistic and sometimes uncomfortable subject matter and portrayals are all very similar. However, This is England also manages to capture the fun that teens/young people manage to find in the 80s through the most random of ways (smashing up houses and shooting each other with air guns). Almost every character is likable and most are well-fleshed out (with the exception of Pukey, Kes and Meggy who are given less screen time).The leader of the apolitical skinheads is Woody played by Joe Gilgun and he plays the role spectacularly. He is a kind-hearted guy, trying to help Shaun (the protagonist) after an emotionally tiring day. He seems to be an authority in the group, followed by Milky (Andrew Shim). Milky always seems to back up Woody's decisions and is equally warm-hearted.The accuracy (from what I've researched into skinhead and mod culture in Britain) is brilliant, obviously due to Meadow's experience as a boy.It is at first light-hearted despite some bullying of Thomas Turgoose's Shaun. However, at a party the mood changes when an old acquaintance of Woody's and Lol's shows up after being released from prison. However, it is told that he did time for Woody. Therefore you expect him to be just part of the gang, albeit a bit older, unfortunately you would be wrong. Combo is not a pleasant guy to stomach during this film, almost immediately he asserts racist views in front of the whole group. This is not only despicable in and of itself but when he spots Milky (a black man) he apologizes but still uses slurs. The music eventually overshadows this as it is clear the party has gone sour now.The whole film focuses on Thatcher's reign and the Falklands War, with many references, diegetic radio announcements and clips at the beginning of the film and towards the end after (MAJOR SPOILER!!!) Combo has beaten Milky, almost to death.Overall, if you like quirky, warm films with serious undertones and cultural references, you will love this. The whole cast delivered stunning performances and it worth a watch, honestly.

THIS IS ENGLAND is a superb film - straight from the heart and unflinching in its depiction of urban racism in 1980s Thatcherite England. Shane Meadows certainly cemented himself as one of our country's most engaging talents with the double whammy of this and DEAD MAN'S SHOES, two excellent films which require and reward repeat viewing.Somewhat autobiographical in its intentions, THIS IS ENGLAND makes for a nostalgic viewing experience for us children of the 1980s. The cast of oddball characters are thoroughly engaging and the reactions between them are completely true to life. Of the cast, the experienced likes of Joseph Gilgun are as good as you'd expect, but the real triumph comes from the heartfelt and poignant performance of Thomas Turgoose, the lovable lead.The film starts off as a funny slice-of-life drama but gradually things take a darker turn with the introduction of a skinhead gang. Stephen Graham's turn as a psychotic skinhead gang leader is absolutely electrifying and one of the most gripping I've seen in a long while. His final scene is particularly dramatic and, indeed, one of the most powerful I've seen depicted on film. Altogether this is a great movie and good enough for me to consider tracking down the TV series follow-ups.