Review of Harry Brown (2009) by Lisa M — 01 Nov 2010

Michael Caine plays a retired ex-Marine living in a low-rent tenement-style housing project in England. His daughter died young, his wife is in a medical facility and is non-responsive (coma?). The plot follows his routine as he gets dressed every day and walks to the facility to see his wife and talk to her. Afterwards, he meets an old friend at a local pub for a drink and/or a game of chess. This is the sum total of his world.

But his neighborhood is plagued by out-of-control gangs of young people who assault the frail tenants, shove dog crap through their letterboxes, and steal their money.

Caine discovers his old friend can't take anymore harassment and is carrying a blade for protection. Caine tries to convince him to just leave them alone...don't start trouble...keep a low profile. But his friend doesn't listen and is brutally stabbed and beaten to death.

This pushes Caine over the edge and he plots how to revenge his friend's death...even at the risk of his own.

An intense short look at the dark reality of drugs lords, gangs and the toll they take on communities and their residents.