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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)

Memento, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Memento
Year: 2000
Director: Christopher Nolan
Rating: R
Length: 113 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Guy Pearce
Carrie-Anne Moss
Joe Pantoliano
Mark Boone Junior
Russ Fega
Jorja Fox

Plot:
The revenge thriller gets an unforgettable new twist with Memento, an intricate crime story about a man with a damaged memory chasing a murderer whose identity he cannot possibly ever know for sure. Directed by newcomer Christopher Nolan, Memento has blown the minds of audiences around the world - by deftly forging a reality in which neither the lead character nor the audience know who is pulling the strings...until every thing that seemed true flips upside down.

Leonard (Guy Pearce) suffers from a rare brain disorder - the inability to form any new memories. He can remember in detail everything that happened before his injury, but anyone he has met or anything he has done since that fateful night, simply vanishes.

Who are his friends? Who are his enemies? What is the truth? In Leonard's world, the answers to these questions shift and change from second to second. And the more he tries to figure out what is true and real, the deeper he sinks into a multi-layered abyss of uncertainty and surprises.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
'Memento Mori' - original short story

My Thoughts:
Well... two movies in a row to make your head swim a bit. I think I will have to watch something I won't have to think about much next! Once again it is one I enjoyed quite a bit... but it is definitely one you really need to give your full attention to. I don't know how real such brain damage is... but I couldn't imagine trying to get through life with such an illness. Definitely worth checking out if you never seen it.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVDs on August 1st, 2010)

Valentine's Day Episode Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Season 4 Episode 15: Love in Bloom
On Valentine's Day, Sabrina has to find a way to get Josh to stop vying for her heart before it causes her to break up with her boyfriend Harvey.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this one quite a bit... it didn't even bother me too much that Roland is in this one. It had several laughs in it.

My Rating:

(From Valentine's Day Episode Marathon on February 14th, 2010)