Review of Somers Town (2008) by Walter M — 24 Nov 2010

In "Somers Town," teenaged Tomo(Thomas Turgoose) is having a hard time in London, having just run away from his native Nottingham. Soon after his arrival, he is beaten up and robbed of all his belongings. Marek(Piotr Jagiello) is also new to London from Poland, along with his father(Ireneusz Czop), a railway worker. In order to blend in better, he has been given a counterfeit Arsenal T-shirt from Graham(Perry Benson) for services rendered to cover up the Manchester United one he was wearing. Marek still stands out enough with his photos of Maria(Elisa Lasowski), a French waitress, to catch Tomo's attention in a cafe.

While so light and insubstantial that it is almost instantly forgettable, "Somers Town" does manage to convey some serious thoughts about the difficulties of adjusting to a new life in the big city. Tomo has a tough time of it because he is alone(He knows Jane(Kate Dickie), who is old enough to be his mother, but if she is a relation, wouldn't she call his parents?). On the other hand, Marek and his father do not even have English as a first language, alhtough they are quick learners from unusual sources, but they have each other at least, even as homesickness might take hold from time to time.