Review of Somers Town (2008) by John K — 10 Aug 2010
After the release of This Is England (2006), director Shane Meadows and writer Paul Fraser were asked to do a short film for Eurostar, (yes the train company). The short film ballooned into a feature length film, shot in black and white, it paints a realistic but light-hearted look at life in the centre of London.
It has Nottingham teenager Tomo (Thomas Turgoose) who has run away to London, but he has no money and nowhere to stay, but he runs into Polish teenager Marek (Piotr Jagiello), whose father Mariusz (Ireneusz Czop) is working on the construction of the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras Station, they live in the Somers Town district south of Camden Town.
Tomo and Marek strike up a friendship, and hang around together. Marek even lets Tomo sleep in his bedroom, as Tomo has nowhere to sleep. Marek has a hobby with photography, and mainly photographs French waitress Maria (Elisa Lasowski), who Marek is in love with, but cannot tell her, but with Tomo's help, she falls for both boys.
It's a very sweet film, it has a roughness around it's edges, but doesn't fall into the trap of being overly grim and gloomy, here there is hope, and it shows it's surroundings in a good light.
It's a good contrast to the bleakness of This Is England.
This review of Somers Town (2008) was written by John K on 10 Aug 2010.
Somers Town has generally received positive reviews.
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