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A Room for Romeo Brass, a review by Jon

A Room for Romeo Brass **** Year: 1999 Director: Shane Meadows Rating: 15 Length: 87 Min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo

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12 year olds Romeo (Andrew Shim) and Gavin (Ben Marshall) live next door to each other. They're the best of mates with a shared sense of humour that helps them survive in a landscape of comic losers and broken dreams. But their friendship is put to the test by a chance encounter. After a stranger saves them from being beaten up, the boys are only too happy to help their new hero and pal in his quest to date Romeo's sister. Little do they realise they are being drawn into a world of dangerous obsession, violence and desperation; a world that threatens to tear the two friends apart. From acclaimed director Shane Meadows 'A Room For Romeo Brass' is a contemporary coming-of-age story that is as funny as it is frightening.

A Room For Romeo Brass, Shane Meadows’ second film, is a charming story of growing up that features several themes that can be seen throughout the directors career.

It’s a simple plot about two friends, Romeo and Gavin. One day they get involved in a typical scrap with some kids who picked on Gavin and they are rescued by Morell (Paddy Considine) who breaks up the fight. Morell is out of work and clearly a loner, but takes to the two boys. They spend a lot of time together, especially as Morell fancies Romeo’s older sister, Ladine, and they try to help him charm her, seeing as she probably wouldn’t look at him twice otherwise! Romeo is especially enamoured with him, because he doesn’t get on with his dad, who is trying to mend bridges with his family following what is implied to be a violent past. The story takes a sombre turn when Romeo starts ignoring Gavin in favour of the stranger.

The brilliance of 24-7 carries through to this film as the naturalistic cast have a wonderful, real banter with one another, which while being very funny with great dialogue, also feels genuine. That supports the story as it takes a more serious turn, then an even darker one, without ever losing its charm or the viewer’s confidence. Romeo and Gavin are very much the central characters and drive the narrative, even when things are happening to them, rather than them forcing it. That’s so important because what I mean is, this is just their life and it’s vitally important to them, not just some farcical caper they’re getting into; and they don’t even have Stand By Me’s built-in sense of nostalgia, which focuses on the idea that the kids will grow up… have grown up, even.
 
I can’t find a real fault with the film, except maybe I would have liked to have seen more of the storyline with Romeo’s dad, played by Frank Harper, especially in the scenes with his daughter, Ladine (Vicky McClure who along with Andrew Shim crops up in more of Meadows’ work). Harper was superb in this. You probably know him as Dog in Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, plus he was in 24-7 as a rather similar character. Therefore I was surprised to see what a layered, delicate performance he gave here as a man trying to come to terms with his past and prove to his family he had changed. It gives the cathartic ending an edge of irony too and I really enjoyed that angle. Oh, and a note for Bob Hoskins. The man is a genius. He gets a couple of very brief moments, as one of Gavin’s teachers who visits him at home, and they amount to mere seconds, but he is wonderful in them.

Filmed in the East Midlands, near my area, the best compliment I can give this film is that I know these people and I know where they come from and I never questioned that, once. It never feels sensational or romanticised, which more well-known working class British comedies like The Full Monty rely on.

That does however mean that it doesn’t pander to any particular audience, so sadly it can easily fall through a crack between genres, never to be seen again! Kids would identify with Romeo and Gavin and get a lot more from this story than they would from most stuff aimed at them, but it does take a very violent and terrifying turn. I would implore you to see it and treat it as nostalgia for yourself if not the characters, like Meadows clearly does.

(From "Fancy the pictures, me Duck?": The British Film Marathon on March 15th, 2011)

Phantasm, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Phantasm: Special Edition
Year: 1979
Director: Don Coscarelli
Rating: R
Length: 91 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.74:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
A. Michael Baldwin
Bill Thornbury
Reggie Bannister
Kathy Lester
Terrie Kalbus
Ken Jones

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Interviews
Closed Captioned
"Behind-The Scenes" Booklet

My Thoughts:
I am glad I watched this one again. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Angus Scrimm did a good job being the Tall Man. I found him to be pretty creepy. But another that I found to be on the creepy side here was the psychic woman and her granddaughter that Mike went to go see early on in the movie. The way they worked off each other I felt was very cool. And of course I liked the signature of the Phantasm movies... the flying ball. I really enjoyed every minute of re-watching this movie.



(From The Movies From Within My Lifetime on March 28th, 2011)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Doctor Who - The New Series - Vol. 1

Rose
When Rose Tyler meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor, her life will never be the same again. Soon, she realises that her mum, her boyfriend, and the whole of Planet Earth are in danger. The only hope for salvation lies inside a strange blue box...



Meet the new Doctor and his companion Rose as, together, they set out across space and time in a series of exhilarating adventures and deadly confrontations.

Having seen several episodes haphazardly I knew what to expect from this pilot, but am still disappointed when I compare it to the classics of yesteryear. The 'humour' and slapstick is laid on much too thick, and the storyline of this first episode too farcical.
However I think the combination of Ecclestone and Piper shows promise, and the introduction of how they meet and the chemistry between them is excellent.
Altogether a reasonable taster, albeit I'll always be a greater fan of the old doctors.
 


(From My PILOT Marathon on September 6th, 2009)