Flicks, Andrew Hedley
This Is England is an engaging look at the England of the 1980s from a thirteen-year-old’s perspective, featuring some compelling performances and a good dose of gloomy overcast atmosphere.
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This Is England
It’s 1983 and school is out. 12-year-old Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) is an isolated lad growing up in a grim coastal town, whose father has died fighting in the Falklands war. Over the course of the summer holiday he finds fresh male role models when those in the local skinhead scene take him in. With his new friends Shaun discovers a world of parties, first love and the joys of Doc Martin boots. Here he also meets Combo (Stephen Graham), an older, racist skinhead who had recently got out of prison. As Combo’s gang harass the local ethnic minorities, the course is set for a rite of passage that will hurl Shaun from innocence into experience.
Best British Film; BAFTA's 08 | Best Film, Most Promising Newcomer (Thomas Turgoose); British Independent Film Awards 07
98 minsUK
Drama
This Is England / Reviews
Variety
With its knockout lead perfs and taut if slightly familiar construction, this '80s-set dramedy about a skinhead gang reps Meadows' most fluently made film so far...
Full reviewThe New York Times
A modest, near-flawless gem, This Is England is the fifth feature by the young British director Shane Meadows, doing his best work since he first hit the festival scene in the mid-1990s with his hilarious, raw-hewn shorts “Small Time.”...
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Premiere Magazine
This Is England may be best summed up as a "coming-of-age" story that puts aside the clichéd baggage often carried by the description and ultimately ends up being moving, genuinely funny, thought-provoking, and highly recommended...
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New Zealand Herald
Hard, often shocking, film about punk life in early 80s Britain has great performances and some very funny scenes...
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Newshub
Known for casting non-professionals, this film is worth seeing for the stunning performance from first-timer Tommo Turgoose who is all of 13-years-old, and just brilliant....
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Los Angeles Times
The writer-director brilliantly juxtaposes the personal and the political, bookending a stirring coming-of-age drama with the provocative opening and an equally affecting end sequence...
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