Review of This Is England (1941) by Graham C — 19 Nov 2009

From Shane Meadows, Nottingham's best export, comes this hard-hitting and semi-autobiographical film about the uprising of skinhead thugs in 1980's England. It's a powerful and engaging film, also a touching and truthful coming-of-age film.

It's not another British crime gangster film, it's alot more deeper than that. Set in July 1983, and 12 year old Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) has just left school for the summer, he's being picked on because his father was killed in the Falklands.

But, he finds an unlikely gang of friends with a group of moddish skinheads, led by Woody (Joseph Gilgun). Shaun's mum Cynthia (Jo Hartley) is initially skeptical of Shaun hanging around with rough looking youths, but she soon accepts them.

Shaun even has an innocent with older girl Smell (Rosamund Hanson). But, when former gang member Combo (Stephen Graham) is released from jail, he tries to force his now white nationalist views on the group, which splits it in two, but Shaun finds himself being brainwashed by Combo's racist views.

From it's opening montage of channel hopping all things 1980's, it sets it's tone. This is the original broken Britain, a much more savage time of hardships, loving recreated here. The film is well made for a low-budget, newcomer Turgoose is a loveable skinhead kid, while Stephen Graham is terrifying as Combo.

There are people like Combo in this horrible world, and it's really authentic. Meadow's best film to date.