This Is England (2006)
Shane Meadows
Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download this movie.
Plot Summary
In 1983, twelve year-old Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) is a lonely boy growing up in a grim coastal town in northern England. When his father dies fighting in the Falklands War, Shaun befriends a group of local skinheads and finds the gang-mischief, mayhem and brotherhood are exactly what he needs to deal with his pent-up rage and frustration. He also meets the volatile and boorish Combo (Stephen Graham), an older skinhead who sees himself in Shaun. Adopting Shaun as his protege, Combo leads the gang down a hate spewing path that culminates in an irreversible act of violence. Director Shane Meadows claims the grim skinhead-influenced upbringing of Shaun was a true portrayal of his own childhood and many of the events depicted were drawn from his own early life. This indie drama from IFC won the Best Film and Most Promising Newcomer awards at the British Independent Film Awards and won the Special Jury Award at the Rome Film Festival.
Credits
Director
Producer
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
93%- Reviews Counted: 90
- Fresh: 84
- Rotten: 6
- Average Rating: 7.7/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: Its tough but moving neo-realist approach make it one of the better British films of recent times.
Fresh: Don't expect a history lesson: Shaun's story is more than enough to grab and hold your attention.
Fresh: Humane and complex.
Fresh: This Is England may be set in 1983 but it's as relevant today as it was then.
Customer Reviews
This is England
Probably one of the best IFC movies out there, this movie is not only a great plot and amazing acting, but it sends a message that is undeniably one of the strongest out there. It shows the life of a boy, only the age of 12, and how much he can go through before seeing what he was really into. The way the movie is portrayed makes it seem like they are not acting, but actually living this way, which is one of the ways it strikes you hardest. This movie will touch the deepest part of you, a part of you that you need to have strong, and this movie will help you see the ways of the world, and put everything into perspective for you. If you are big into world politics, and also if you are just looking for a way to see things in a new light, see this movie. I'm very happy to have made the first comment about this movie and I hope many people out there will take the time to sit down and watch it. It is worth watching more then once and showing many other family or friends as well.
Amazing
You see anger, what people are led to, the feeling of being left behind and taking matters in to your own hands. If you want action, see American History X, if you want passion, see this film. I am still blown away by the acting from such a young kid.
This Is Disappointing (3.5 stars)
I would definitely recommend that you see this film as the acting is superb. The young boy who plays the lead is incredibly natural--truly amazing to watch. However, in my opinion, it missed out on an opportunity to explore the complexities of racial/ethnic discrimination more deeply. I think it could have benefitted greatly from presenting the skinhead cause in a more sympathetic light. I thought 'American History X' did a far better job of validating the use of reactionary violence, as reprehensible as it is. We all know violence and misplaced anger is wrong and dangerous. It's far more interesting to consider their allure.
Viewers Also Bought
- The Savages
- Tamara Jenkins
- View In iTunes
- Mongol
- Sergei Bodrov
- View In iTunes
- Sin Nombre
- Cary Fukunaga
- View In iTunes
- Transsiberian
- Brad Anderson
- View In iTunes
- $9.99
- Genre: Drama
- Released: 2007
- © WARP FILMS LIMITED, FILMFOUR, THE UK FILM COUNCIL, EM MEDIA SCREEN YORKSHIRE