Earlier this week, HeyUGuys sat down to discuss Killing Bono with the film’s director Nick Hamm, and the writer of the semi-autobiographical book upon which the film is based, Neil McCormick.

Our conversation started out, as most interviews tend to, with fairly bland questions, discussing the way the book and the film differ from McCormick’s life, but moved into far more interesting territory, with Hamm lambasting the anti-Bono bandwagon jumpers, and discussion of the insanity of the eighties music scene.

HUG: Obviously the book is based on your life story, and the film is based upon the book. How much have you edited, altered, made more dramatic as it were, because obviously in the film there’s all sorts of crazy…

Neil McCormick: There’s all sorts of extra, added drama. It’s like a Chinese whispers version of my life, and it gets worse with every retelling. There’s a lot of added things. There’s a lot of psychological and philosophical ideas bubbling under my book, told through disjointed anecdotes and internal monologues, and everything internal in a film, has to be externalised. And what is a metaphor, which is the metaphor of slaying your dragons, which is the very idea of Killing Bono, started to become a physical reality. So it’s a very different version of my story, my life in a parallel universe. I still don’t get to be a rock star, but I get played by a really handsome actor.

HUG: Nick, you’re translating, as it were, the book to the screen. At what point whilst reading these ‘disjointed anecdotes’ were you thinking, ‘right, these ones work, these ones definitely don’t’?

Nick Hamm: When you do a film like this you’re not telling a story of someone’s life, you’re telling a story of a character based on someone’s life, and you’re extrapolating from that all of the comedy you could get out of it, and you’re also condensing into an hour and a half of straightforward narrative, rather than a series of incidents that happened. So some of the film is authentic, some of the film actually happened: the U2 auditions, the stuff in the school, the hype tracks and all of that, that’s authentic rock and roll history. Neil did some of the other stuff, but proportionally quite small. There’s a fictionalisation, if you like, of what the character might have done in certain scenarios, and then used certain incidents. So the movie takes fact and fictionalises it, and takes fiction and makes it fact, but you kind of play with it, and you make it authentic to what it is at that moment, if that makes any sense. So you steer that course to try to get that narrative journey going.

HUG: Getting back to the real life cross over, Neil, are you still in contact with Bono at all?

NM: Yes, I’m in contact with Bono on a fairly regular basis. I wrote U2 on U2, I was his ghost writer. In fact, I lost contact with Bono for a few years, because he weighed down too heavily on me. His success was just a bit too big and overwhelming, and my failure at that point, the end of the band, was just a bit of a bitter pill that I had t o swallow and get over. There was a period of about five years where I just didn’t see him, but in the mid nineties we connected somewhere, it was actually at the funeral of a mutual friend, Bill Graham, a great writer, and after that we stayed very much in touch. I realised he was not this rock icon bestraddling the world, he was the same person I went to school with. When you’re in that position like his, you’re surrounded by a lot of voices; sometimes the older voices, the people who knew you before you were this idea, are the ones you can trust. He always knows I’ll l give him an opinion about anything, and he’s not afraid of opinions.

So we stay in touch, and he really liked the book. I discussed the book with him when I wrote it, and he loved it when it came out, because it’s the first time he had read himself, and recognised himself in print, because I knew him from a different bunch of dimensions than most people would ever see him. He was very in favour of the book, and he asked me to write his own book, so I went from a point in my life where the last thing I wanted to do was be involved with U2, to actually becoming his ghost writer. I spent two years hearing him tell me the story of his life, the whole lot of them, and seeing the U2 organisation from the inside. That was very interesting. It was interesting for them to tell their own story, because I saw so many points where everything was in jeopardy and it could have gone so wrong for them, and they might have just evaporated, and not become U2, and that’s what people forget, in those struggles, they weren’t born U2, a lot of things happened, and some of those things were accidents that made them the band. So I stay in touch with Bono, and he knew about the film, he even saw a script and he talked to me about it. He’s delighted with the idea of it. I think the big thing for all of us is the early stuff, particularly the school disco scene, which really just feels completely authentic, when the two bands are playing before you’ve become who you are, when you’re about to set out on that road. Practically everything in U2’s life from 1980 on is documented, there’s lots of photographs, and there’s demos and there’s videos and everything, but that’s a time before they became U2, and nobody was documenting it, and now here it is to be seen.

That scene just took me back, that pulled me back in a brutal way. It was like being in that disco, and watching our debut, and watching The Hype. I just loved that band, I loved that song. It’s a song that doesn’t exist anymore, and there it was, and the first time I heard them doing it, I still knew every word and nuance of it, because those were gigs. I must have seen U2 a hundred times before they even left Ireland.

HUG: You’ve clearly got a lot of affection for the band, and for Bono, and that translates onto the screen, but did you ever feel perhaps that, Bono in the film, is the nicest man on earth. He certainly comes across as such, and I wondered whether that was a decision, to offset him against the meanness, and the mean-spiritedness of some of the other characters on the screen, or whether it was accidental because he’s your friend.

NM: In my life he is a really nice guy. You talk to the other members of the band, about this image of Bono as a saint, and they’ll laugh at you, because in the rehearsal room with Bono, I think there’s a better chance that he might punch you than lift you up to heaven, but in my life, he’s my friend, and he’s tried to help me. I have always been reciprocal of that help, but I see him as a good guy, I’ve always seen him as a good guy I really think what he’s done is amazing, and the way his image has, in some ways, been demonised in a cartoonish fashion. I’ve seen too much of the other side of that; I know the truth, and I think it’s nice to see him presented as an actual, good natured human being, which is what he is.

NH: I don’t actually think that’s true that he comes across in the movie as a saint-like figure. Number one, I actually, personally find all of this anti-Bono stuff tiresome, and quite intellectually boring, and so ‘too cool for fucking school’, if you’re somehow, yeah, this is the bandwagon and we’re gonna… I mean grow up, for God’s sake. Have a fucking thought of your own once in a while. It’s nothing to do with any of that. This is a movie about the notion of failure. Represented in the movie is a guy who has success. This is his role in the picture, and I had no intention of being hyper-critical of somebody’s work who wasn’t a part of the movie.

HUG: I think you may have misunderstood my question.

NH: No, no. It wasn’t about you. That comment was about the rather fatuous comments about the title. If I read another crap thing on the internet about ‘I wish he was dead’. You just think, really, is that the extent…

NM: You know, Bono came up with the title. He understands that he’s not in control of how he’s perceived anymore, but he tries not to let it get in the way…

NH: You know, we’re obsessed with celebrity in a way which is like, you know, we laud these losers on a regular basis on tabloid television, and destroy talent with the same thing. We must address this. The movie isn’t about that, the movie’s just a romp.

HUG: Following on from that, one of the things that did strike me along the same lines of Bono being nice, it seems that Robert [Sheehan] and Ben [Barnes] are going through it as very normal guys, and throughout the film they meet people on a spectrum of utter bizarre. Peter Serafinowicz is amazing, but he’s a complete caricature of a man.

NM:  Do you think so? I can’t agree with you. The eighties were nuts…

NH: I can walk you down the street and sit you in the middle of Soho now… I’m gonna introduce you to fifteen producers he’s less of a caricature than.

NM: I went into one place, I can’t say where it is, the head of A&R, we went for a meeting in the middle of the day, and he had all the lights down. He was lying on the sofa with his sunglasses on, and he’s like ‘hey man’. Twenty-one year old guys off the boat from Ireland, and this is what your being introduced to…

NH: Let me tell you about the eighties. The eighties was cocaine on the table, and lines at night, and if you think that’s an exaggeration, then Jesus. That’s an underplayed version…

NM: There was a guy called The Captain, who was the head of A&R at  Island, and actually signed U2, and he used to watch the cricket while he was listening to your demos…

NH: Peter was way, way less caricatured than that.

Killing Bono is out in UK cinemas today.

Yes, it is true.  Some royal a-hole stole the final cut of Jodie Foster’s latest film, The Beaver, from Mel Gibson’s mailbox.

According to Deadline, a final cut of the film was delivered to Gibson’s house by Summit Entertainment, the distributor of the film, so that he could screen it in the comfort of his own home with a courier to pick up the DVD the next day.  When the courier arrived in the early afternoon the DVD was found missing from the mailbox.

I’ll be curious to see if this person uploads it online or just wanted to make everyone at Summit worried. The question is what kind of revenge this person wanted or was it simply some guy who wanted to see the movie?  Either way it sucks for all parties involved.  I’m hoping the movie is good though, it is expected to hit theaters on March 23rd in the US and February 11 in the UK.

One of the things about working at a film festival is that you don’t always have the opportunity to watch the films at the festival.  That was the case when I worked at the NY Film Festival back in September and why I wasn’t able to see the well received film, Of Gods and Men.

Opening in NY and LA on February 25th, director Xavier Beauvois has assembled an excellent cast for this “quietly powerful” film…or so I hear.  The film stars Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach, and Jacques Herlin.  I suggest you check out the trailer below because it is quite good for a drama of this caliber.  Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Eight French Christian monks live in harmony with their Muslim brothers in a monastery perched in the mountains of North Africa in the 1990s. When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, fear sweeps though the region. The army offers them protection, but the monks refuse. Should they leave? Despite the growing menace in their midst, they slowly realize that they have no choice but to stay… come what may. This film is loosely based on the life of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria, from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996.

HeyUGuys brings you the latest in World Cinema film trailers in association with Film Dates UK.

Each week we’ll be showcasing some of most anticipated foreign releases as well as highlighting a few hidden gems which may have fallen off your radar. It’s no surprise that Hollywood has turned to World Cinema for inspiration in recent years with the number of remakes getting more and more popular.

Whilst it remains to be seen how many of these remakes go on to succeed or stay true to their original story counterparts, we decided it was high-time we turned the spotlight onto the next wave of foreign films to grace our screens.

This week we have two new movie for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Yamla Pagla Deewana

UK Cinema Release Date: Friday 14th January 2011

Synopsis: The film begins in Canada, travels to Banaras and eventually makes its way to Punjab. The Father Son duo of Dharam Singh and Gajodhar Singh (Dharmendra and Bobby Deol) are the biggest conmen in Banaras. Their happy go lucky existence involves drinking and pulling off hilarious cons on unsuspecting people. The only hitch in their perfect albeit notorious life arrives in the form of Paramveer Singh Dhillon (Sunny Deol). A brawny and honest NRI from Vancover, Paramveer lands up in Banaras claiming to be Gajodhar’s elder brother separated at childhood. The duo willingly accepts Paramveer into their fold only to exploit his muscle power to serve their con games. Meanwhile Gajodhar falls in love with Saheba (Kulraj Randhawa), a beautiful Sardarni from Punjab. As their romance reaches its peak, her brothers arrive and forcibly take her away. Paramveer saves the day with a crazy plan to win the girl back for Gajodhar which leads them to the rustic heartlands of Punjab. What follows is a rollercoaster ride showcasing the Great Indian Joint Family, Eccentric Relatives, Marriage Mayhem, and a classic case of Mistaken Identities.

Isi Life Mein

UK Cinema Release Date: Friday 14th January 2011

Synopsis: The movie revolves around the life of two teenagers Vivaan (Akshay Oberoi) and Rajnandini (Sandeepa Dhar) who wish to live their life on their own sweet terms. With big dreams in their eyes, Vivaan and Rajnandini pass out of college to face the harsh real world. The movie perfectly depicts the desire of today s youth to fulfill all their dreams in this life itself, Isi Life Mein. Fearless and strong, they are not afraid of failure and try their best to reach their aims. But will Vivaan and Rajnandini be able to surpass all kinds of obstacles?

Check back next week for more trailers!

How does one actually go about Killing Bono?  A man that has grown to such stardom that he is nearly untouchable to the world, let alone his school pals who are simply trying to achieve rock stardom just as he did.

That is the basic premise of Nick Hamm’s new film starring Ben Barnes (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), Robert Sheehan, Krysten Ritter and Pete Postlethwaite…minus the actual killing of course.

The latest poster for the film has just been released and, thanks to Empire, we now have access to the mugshot looking poster.  When you look at it it kind of looks like the Burlesque poster with two extra faces added to the mix.  I’ll let you be the judge as to whether or not that is a good thing.

Check out the poster below and be sure to leave your comments in the section below.  I’ve also posted the trailer for you in case you’ve missed it.  Killing Bono hits theaters on April 1, 2011.

Earlier today, Alex put up some new stills from the new Nicolas Cage movie, Season of the Witch and this afternoon, Digital Spy have revealed the first UK poster for the movie which is directed by Dominic Sena and also stars Ulrich Thomsen, Stephen Graham, Ron Perlman, Robert Sheehan and the legendary Christopher Lee.

It’s due to be with us 7th January. Check out the new poster below which you can click to enlarge. Be careful though, ‘All Hell is About to Break Lose’!

Synopsis: Behmen, a medieval knight, undertakes a mission pitting him against a devious witch and making him the last hope for the world against an ancient and dark force. His faith broken by years of battle as a crusader, Behmen returns to central Europe to find his homeland decimated by the Black Plague. While searching for food and supplies at the Palace at Marburg, Behmen and his trusted companion, Felson, are apprehended and ordered by the dying Cardinal to deliver a young peasant girl believed to be the witch responsible for the Plague to a remote abbey where her powers can be destroyed. Behmen agrees to the assignment but only if the peasant girl is granted a fair trial. As he and five others set off on this dangerous journey, they realize with mounting dread that the cunning girl is no ordinary human and that their mission will pit them against an evil that even in these dark times they never could have imagined.

Now a days it has become so difficult to tell how good a Nicolas Cage film is going to be.  The man has been super busy trying to get out of debt that the quality of his films have become so inconsistant you may as well just buy your ticket and cross your fingers.  After seeing the trailer and some of the still below though, I may just be willing to take the plunge, especially since I’m a sucker for movies based around the Middle Ages.

Yesterday, Relativity Media sent Shock Till You Drop three new images from Dominic Sena’s upcoming film, Season of the Witch.  I have posted two of the three images below.  You can find the third over at STYD‘s website.  I chose a dramatic Nicolas Cage witch encounter and one of Ron Perlman doing work with a sword.  Check them out below and let us know what you think.

Xavier Gens’ apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, The Divide, has just released its first poster via IMPA.  Gens, responsible for films like Hitman and Frontier(s), is hoping to continue the improvement of his films with his latest high concept endeavor where to survive the end of the world, [everyone] must first survive each other.  It’s a simple yet effective tag line that I believe works extremely well.

The poster below, which I think is pretty cool, looks a bit too much like the poster for the Solaris remake with George Clooney, with the exception of the color and what we see reflected in the glass of the mask.  But luckily for the type of film it is, it actually does work even if it isn’t the most original thing we’ve ever seen.

The Divide stars Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, and Michael Eklund and is expected to be released sometime in 2011.

In case you missed the teaser I’ve posted it below for your viewing pleasure.

Although the film is based in Italy, the studios decided the French should have their own boring poster.  You know they only did it because Depp lives there.  I’m just kidding my French friends, we love you all.

Below you will find the rather bland and ordinary French poster for the upcoming “comedy-drama thriller,” The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Paul Bettany and Timothy Dalton.

Synopsis:

The Tourist centers on Frank (Depp), an American tourist visiting Italy to mend a broken heart. Elise (Jolie) is an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Gareth Edwards’ Monsters and how he was able to create such a wonderful monster movie for such a low budget. We saw the film at Edinburgh earlier this year and you can read our review here.

With the film hitting theaters on October 29th, Magnet, the genre arm of Magnolia have released four exclusive images to  in anticipation of its theatrical release.  While it has already hit VOD, I’m pumped to see it on the big screen.

And now, without further ado I present the new BTS Images from Monsters from the guys at /Film. You can see the other trailers, clips, posters and images from the film here.

Acting as both writer and director for his latest film, Tyler Perry’s new poetic drama, For Colored Girls, has just released its latest poster.

The film is an adaptation of the play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, and features an excellent female ensemble including Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Kimberly Elise, Macy Gray, Thandie Newton, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, and Whoopi Goldberg.

Below you will find the poster for the upcoming film due out on November 5th.

Comingsoon.net has just debuted a new clip from James Gandolfini’s drama, Welcome to the Rileys.  From what I hear, the movie isn’t too bad and if this clip isn’t an indication of some of the awkward scenes to come from the film than I don’t know what awkward is anymore.

Below you will find details about the movie along with the clip.  Before you watch the clip, make sure you read the synopsis because it makes it a lot easier to understand the time that the clip takes place in the film.  Check it out below.

The film, directed by Jake Scott, stars James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and the popular Kristen Stewart.  Welcome to the Rileys opens in NY, LA and Boston on October 29th.

Synopsis:

WELCOME TO THE RILEYS is a powerful drama about finding hope in the most unusual of places. Once a happily married and loving couple, Doug and Lois Riley (James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo) have grown apart since losing their teenage daughter eight years prior. Leaving his agoraphobic wife behind to go on a business trip to New Orleans, Doug meets a 17-year-old runaway (Kristen Stewart) and the two form a platonic bond. For Lois and Doug, what initially appears to be the final straw that will derail their relationship, turns out to be the inspiration they need to renew their marriage.

Life as We Know it, the new comedy from Warner Bros., has just debuted its new poster, and I’ve got to say it’s diapertastic and rather ordinary.

The film, directed by Greg Berlanti, stars Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Christina Hendricks and Hayes MacArthur in a movie where two mutual friends are left to take care of a baby after a mutual friend is killed in an accident.  This kind of reminds me of an episode of Family Guy I saw recently…except they ended up aborting the baby because Lois was just carrying it for the parents that just died…hmmm.

Anywho, below you will find the new poster and a synopsis of the film.

Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) is an up-and-coming caterer and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) is a promising network sports director. After a disastrous first date, the only thing they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter, Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in the world, Holly and Messer are forced to put their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they’ll have to find some common ground while living under one roof.

Life as We Know It hits US theaters on October 8.

Harry Brown is an unassuming name for what may become an iconic character in Michael Caine’s career.

That Caine is able to embody a man of frustration and sadness whose inaction turns to violent action with fluidity and pathos is a testament to the talent of the man and the capability of the film’s director Dabiel Barber.

Make no mistake, Harry Brown is a long and hard look into the dark heart of British society, and no one can stare into it for too long without closing up into self-defeating denial or taking a stand. Complex and unafraid, this is so much more than a British Gran Torino.

Barry reviewed the film on release and you can read his take on Harry Brown here and I’m going to give my verdict here on the DVD experience.

Daniel Barber’s first feature is brutal, and sets out its play with a truly nasty opening scene utilising the device of a video shot on a mobile phone camera and instantly we are thrown into a world which, despite the Daily Mail hysterics, actually exists and one that is not often shown on screen.

I believed in the passion Barber and the assembled cast and crew had for this story, as there is an urgency and willingness to show life on the estates of London as bleak and slow and Barber’s camera begins as voyeuristic as Harry himself, standing by while the gang of kids harass, deal drugs and kill unconcerned while the police do nothing.

We follow Harry’s journey from fear, to nervous action to determined revenge and all the while our morals are kept in check the unrelenting cast of nasties who patrol the run down estate, and when the violence is handed out by Brown there is nothing we as an audience can do except watch its awful cycle play out.

And it is mesmerising, and it is uncomfortable and some people will not want to see this play out, but a stunning turn from Caine and great support from Liam Cunningham, Ben Drew and Emily Mortimer make this a raw and relevant film, with some standout scenes (the drug den is a great example, and include a line every bit as iconic as any in Caine’s career) and an inventive use of camera and location that elevates this one. It is highly recommended.

The DVD and Blu-ray extras are comprised of:

Interviews with cast and crew
Deleted Scenes
Music Video
Feature audio commentary with Sir Michael Caine, director Daniel Barber and producer Kris Thykier

And it is the commentary which provides the most enjoyment, though having the three men laugh and joke their way through such a bleak film is an unusual contrast but Caine especially is a great voice and his anecdotes about this film and others in his long career make for a very entertaining watch.

About ten years ago, three promising young actors were working to secure a place amongst the Hollywood A-list. Natalie Portman had finished her first major acting role, as Mathilda in Luc Bessons Leon. She would go on to make her major breakthrough in the Star Wars prequels. Tobey Maguire had small roles in respected films like The Cider House Rules and Wonder Boys, then also got his major break in a high budget franchise, winning the role of Spiderman. Jake Gyllenhaal came to public attention through his role in sleeper Indie hit Donnie Darko, then hit the big time through a combination of big budget popcorn in The Day After Tomorrow, and critically acclaimed drama in Brokeback Mountain. Next week in the US, these three actors, firmly A-List, come together for Jim Sheridan’s brothers.
 
Brothers is a remake of Susanne Bier’s Danish film Brodre. Tobey Maguire plays Captain Sam Cahill, a family man, married with two young daughters. Sam is sent overseas to Afghanistan on his fourth tour of duty, and goes missing during the fighting. Maguire showed he was capable of good dramatic work early on, with parts in The Cider House Rules and Wonder Boys. He hit the big time with Spiderman and it’s sequels, but has struggled since to land good serious roles. With a compelling drama like Brothers in his hands, he’ll be hoping to use the chance to re-establish himself as a talented, well rounded actor.
 
Natalie Portman plays Sam’s wife Grace, who has to struggle to take care of daughters Isabelle and Maggie when her husband is overseas. Portman in contrast has done a great job of shaking off the stigma of the underwhelming Star Wars trilogy, in which she played a major role. Since Revenge of the Sith she has shone in movies as diverse as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Darjeeling Limited and V for Vendetta.
 
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Sam’s drifter brother Tommy, a charismatic rogue fresh out of prison. Gyllenhaal has continued to mix dramatic and commercial roles since he came to the fore, including great performances in Sam Mendes’ downbeat Jarhead, and Zodiac. Tommy moves in to the family home in Sam’s absence, to take care of his brother’s family. However, with no way of knowing if Sam will ever return, a relationship develops between Tommy and Grace.
 
The ill-advised union raises eyebrows amongst their extended family, and is sure to tear the family apart if Sam does ever come back. Brothers also stars An Education’s Carey Mulligan, tipped to become the next big thing in the coming year, with roles in Wall Street 2 and Never Let Me Go also on her slate.
 
Irishman Jim Sheridan is no stranger to dramatic movies, having directed the critically acclaimed My Left Foot in 1989, then later 1997′s The Boxer. Having helmed the ill-advised Get Rich or Die Tryin’ with Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson four years ago, Sheridan will be hoping this latest film will be a return to his past excellent form.
 
The screenplay has been adapted from the original Danish picture by writer David Benioff. Benioff has a past record of mixed quality. He was responsible for so-so epic Troy, and the awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It’s not all bad news however, as the scribe also produced cinematic gold in well received drama The Kite Runner. With a good source film to work with, all are hoping this script will be more comparable to the latter.
 
As a small dramatic piece, box office could run very slow for Brothers. Sheridan doesn’t have a lot of name value amongst mainstream movie-goers. Furthermore, despite having had lead performances in movies that grossed hundreds of million dollars, none of the three young actors are a proven draw. Spiderman and Star Wars are big franchises that would have grossed big with any cast. Similarly, Emmerich’s big budget disaster flicks have a history of making lots of money with almost B-list casts. Disney will certainly be hoping that Gyllenhaal shows some kind of cache here, as he is the star of their next big franchise hope Prince of Persia, due next year.
 
Sheridan has had a taste of Oscar with nomination for My Left Foot as best director. He’ll be hoping all the elements will come together to enable him another stab. Certainly he has the talent, as do the young cast he has put together. Decide for yourself if it looks like it has what it takes with the trailer here,  the TV Spot here, and some images here.

Brothers is released in the US next Friday 4th December, and in the UK on 22nd January.

Bazmann – You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/baz_mann

Harry Brown is old. He lives in a tiny flat, on a run down estate. He eats jam on toast. He has a wife in the hospital, and he spends his days playing chess with his only friend in his local pub.

Harry Brown is scared. The estate where he lives is run by the out of control kids who live there. They deal drugs, are armed, and are prone to committing random acts of violence. Harry is so intimidated, when his wife takes a turn for the worse, he still takes the long way around the main road, because he doesn’t want to go down into the subway. His friend Len is also frightened, and is sick of it. He’s armed himself with an old bayonet, and is threatening to use it. Harry gets the news the next day. He has now lost everything, and despairs for the world around him.

Harry Brown is angry. The kids are getting away with murder, and the police are seemingly powerless to stop them. A chance encounter on the tow path pushes Harry to the edge. Is this what his life has come to? Harry decides to buy a gun. Is it for self defence? Or revenge? With nothing left to lose, what’s to stop ex-marine Harry from dispensing a bit of justice himself?

The early word on Harry Brown was that ‘it’s a bit like Gran Torino’. Be under no mis-conceptions, this isn’t your Hollywood fairy tale, a story of a man who learns to overcome his prejudice and love thy neighbour. This is drama. Dark, bleak, uncompromising. Filmed on a low budget, partly financed by the lottery comission, and directed by British first time director Daniel Barber, Harry Brown is a gritty exploration of the youth in revolt you might find in any working class estate, in any town in Britain.

Drugs, violence, sexual abuse, this film is at times difficult to watch. Difficult because of the nature of the violence yes, but more so because it’s all so… real.

We’d like to hide our heads in the sand, and pretend this is an extreme view of the world, and isn’t really happening. But it is. It’s happening every day, somewhere in your town. The no mans land of the subway may sound a little cliche, but that’s because it’s true. We all know that underpass, or that alley, or that park that we walk around, for we dare not enter. Daniel Barber has shot Harry Brown very well. An opening shaky-cam sequence foreshadows the chaos to come. The violence is filmed in several different ways, all very effectively. A gang attack seen from a high window, vicious with eerily muted sounds. A happy-slap style mobile phone video. Scenes are darkly lit with stark yellow streetlights, but the violence is clear as day, and menacingly real.

Director Daniel Barber also takes a real poke at the ineptitude of the police force too. Caught up with ideas of crime fighting initiatives with names like Project Lion, their ineffectiveness at grass roots level is hopelessly exposed. Never more so than in the run up to the climax, when the police attempt a handful of arrests, but arriving short-handed trigger a terrifying riot in the estate.

Michael Caine doesn’t need to work anymore. He’s worked in the business for six decades, performed in every genre, won awards, semi-retired, then done it all again. This means that when you see his name in the cast list, you expect something special. And it is a great performance from Caine. Known for being a vibrant and humorous character, it makes his convincing portrayal of a timid old man in failing health all the more remarkable.

However, as a movie, Harry Brown is deeply flawed. There is a real pacing issue, particularly in the middle part. Harry’s descent has to be a slow burn to be believable, but as he is present in every scene, it slows the movie down to a crawl. One scene in particular, as Harry sits in a squat trying to buy a gun, starts off tense, but as the sequence drags on, and you wait for the switch to flip, you’re left waiting too long, and the tension ebbs away.

The other major problem is that whilst Harry is a well rounded character, his youthful nemeses are unforgivably two dimensional. There are a couple of scenes explaining away their motivations as being a product of the abuse sustained from their paternal figures, but we see very little of their interactions with each other, no development of their personal relationships. One line in the film gives it away. Harry tells DI Frampton that at least in Northern Ireland he was fighting for something, and that these kids are just doing it for entertainment. That’s the view being expressed here, that the antagonists are just animals.

Ironically, these two major issues could have been rectified at the same time. If the story of these kids had been explored more deeply, those scenes could have been intercut with Harry’s journey, providing a more balanced account and solving the pacing problems.

Caine won’t have been paid much, and it’s obvious he took this role on because of his belief in the message the film maker is trying to put across. Before the screening, Sir Michael explained that it was a film about violence, but not a violent film. He went on to say that it was not meant to glamorize violence.

Harry Brown nearly lives up to this, until the final scene. I don’t want to give too much away, just to say that when someone is shown to have made their own life better by violence that they have perpetrated, for me that is a true glamorization of violence. Barber has tried to make both a film with an important message, and an entertaining movie. Unfortunately, he has not succeeded on either count. He has shown enough here however to suggest he can become a very good director. The problems with this film are down to inexperience and a bad script, both of which can be overcome. Harry Brown is worth watching, if only to remind you how lucky you are.

Harry Brown opens in cinemas in the UK this Wednesday 11th November. No word on a US release yet. Hey, we got Harry Brown, you got Boondock Saints 2.

Bazmann - You can now follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/baz_mann