Review of Somers Town (2008) by Andy M — 22 Aug 2008

Shane Meadows, who delivered the critically acclaimed This Is England, is the man behind this sweet natured (but not sickly) tale of two outcast young boys who strike up a friendship. Marek is an immigrant boy who has no-one to talk to, with his father out at work all day and drinking with his friends all night. Tomo is a homeless kid, fresh off the train in Somers Town escaping from whatever hardships he had up north. As the two strike up a friendship, they face up to some of the issues and problems they have.

The film is directed in black and white (aside from a short 5 minute segment towards the end) which is a beautifully underused technique. As with last year's Control (the biography of Joy Division's lead vocalist) the technique makes each scene a beatiful and timeless portrait. It is strange to consider that after all the advances in film technology, it is the black and white image that manages to really capture every detail and emotion of a scene. The two young stars of the film were left to improvise by Meadows for some scenes, and this allows for the whole thing to feel real. They really are two 15 year old boys trying to enjoy themselves. The support cast around them are there to offer them other people to work off, from the girl the two lads have teenage crushes on (Maria played by Elsia Lasowski) to Perry Bensons's 'Graham', a Del-boy type of character who brings some great moments of humour to the already fun film.

Meadows is rapidly building himself as one of the finest directors of our time, with a canon of work which all exceed expectations. Somers Town is his lightest film to date, and is a complete pleasure to watch.