This week the heat team grabbed their popcorn and Minstrels and headed to the pictures to watch the three biggest releases in Moviesville this week - Ill Manors; starring Riz Ahmed and directed by Plan B, Casa de mi Padre; starring Will Ferrell and The Pact; starring Caity Lotz.
Here's what we thought:
Ill Manors
STARRING: Riz Ahmed, Ed Skrein, Natalie Press, Keith Coggins
DIRECTOR: Ben Drew - otherwise known as Plan B (CERT 18, 121 minutes)
The plot: Following the success of Adulthood and Kidulthood, a rash of “me too” British urban flicks has threatened to capsize the genre. Will this directorial debut from Ben Drew, aka Plan B, offer something different? Drug-dealer pals Aaron (Riz Ahmed) and Ed (Ed Skrein) come up with a harsh solution when a junkie (Anouska Mond) swipes, and then can’t locate, the latter’s mobile phone: they pimp her out at bargain-basement prices. Young Jake (Ryan De La Cruz) pays a heavy price for admission to the gang of local thug Marcelle (Nick Sagar). And that’s just half of the interwoven plot lines…
What’s right with it? Informed by Drew’s own experiences growing up in east London, Ill Manors offers the same authenticity found in his music. Occasionally filling in back story through rap, and benefiting from the director’s own narration, the film achieves a poetic soul that lends real depth. The ambitious story structure – with certain events seen from different characters’ points of view – is confidently handled. And the cast is impressive, none more so than the ever-reliable Ahmed (Four Lions).
What’s wrong with it? The narration isn’t kidding when it promises “a harrowing ride”. Plus, in compressing many events into the same place and timeframe, the film relies on an amount of unlikely coincidence.
Verdict: A confident, stylish debut from Plan B, albeit a tad scrappy and overlong. Following his impressive performances in the likes of Adulthood and Harry Brown, and with a major role in The Sweeney on its way, Drew looks set to have as big an impact on film as he’s already had in<
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