Review of This Is England (2007) by Tom P — 28 Feb 2012

An extremely down to earth and gritty take on life on England during Thatcher regime and the Faulkan Island war, displaying the political and social climate at the time, and the difficulties that young kids may face when growing up in its wilderness.

The theme of the film is nothing new, racial tension all over the world still exists today -yet it is the fresh way that Meadows handles the whole thing that impresses. This is supremely coupled with the strong acting, particularly from first-timer Thomas Turgoose, who inspires sympathy and empathy in equal amounts and gives one of the finest child performances I've ever seen.

I would probably compare this film to American History X, in the way that they both share themes in racism and nationalism. But whilst American History X is a rather dramatic film with a lot more involvement in post-production, This Is England is a lot more gritty and realistic.

I love both films, but I think this film is a little better because in American History X, I wasn't entirely convinced by Norton's character's redemption. Here however, I think the character's motives are not only clear, but rather conflicted and, on the whole, more realistic.