Gritty British thriller starring Michael Caine. Harry Brown (Caine) is a widowed ex-serviceman living a quiet, modest life on a London housing estate. When his only friend Leonard (David Bradley) is brutally murdered by a gang of thugs on the estate, Harry becomes intent on avenging his death, and resorts to his own brand of vigilante-style justice in an increasingly lawless neighbourhood that has become overrun with gangs, guns and drugs. However, his attempts to clean up the estate inevitably bring him into conflict with the police, led by investigating officer DCI Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and Sergeant Hickock (Charlie Creed-Miles).
| Starring: |
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen, Jack O'Connell, Liam Cunningham, David Bradley, Raza Jaffrey, Charlie Creed-Miles, Sean Harris, Joseph Gilgun, Chris Wilson, Klariza Clayton |
| Director: |
Daniel Barber |
| Run time: |
103 minutes |
| Languages: |
English |
| Distributor: |
Lionsgate UK
|
MyMovies
Set in the kind of council estate synonymous with news features about drugs and gun crime, "Harry Brown" tells the ...
Set in the kind of council estate synonymous with news features about drugs and gun crime, "Harry Brown" tells the story of a retired Marine and widower who seeks revenge for the murder of his best friend by the local teenagers.Michael Caine plays the titular character - a modest, law-abiding citizen who spends his time playing chess with his best friend Leonard (David Bradley) and visiting his ill wife in hospital. As the story unfolds amidst the background of teen violence in Harry's neighbourhood, his wife passes away and members of the local gang kill Leonard. Forced to confront the new and frightening world in which he finds himself, Harry searches for a way to make sense of his environmentUsing his experience in the Marines that he has tried to repress for so many years, Harry sets out to find the perpetrators and dispense his own brand of justice. Meanwhile, a detective investigating Leonard's murder (Emily Mortimer) quizzes the local gang members suspected of killing him and becomes embroiled in Harry's conflict.Director Daniel Barber's debut feature is an uncompromising and visceral look at 21st Century Britain that pulls no punches. As expected, Michael Caine's performance is the highlight of this film. Caine taps into the cold-blooded focus of "Get Carter" and delivers an authoritative performance, which is also genuinely affecting as we see him grieve over the deaths of his loved ones. Naturally, the film and Caine's performance will be compared to Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino", and the Brit more than holds his own. Yet, "Harry Brown" is not without its flaws and they become apparent whenever Caine is not on screen. The young thugs do their best to seem intimidating, yet come across as caricatures, while there is little attempt made to explore any of the underlying issues of why such social deprivation exists. Drugs, knives, guns; it often seems like the front page of the Daily Mail come to life. Meanwhile, Emily Mortimer's performance is so dry you would be forgiven for mistaking her for an Emily Mortimer cardboard cutout. Still, this is Caine's film and he's an old man in good shape.
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Press Association
Hip indie director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) is an odd fit for Roald Dahl's classic children's ...
Hip indie director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited) is an odd fit for Roald Dahl's classic children's story. The film-maker certainly brings his offbeat and distinctly adult sensibilities to bear on Fantastic Mr. Fox, creating another portrait of familial dysfunction and miscommunication. Anderson imprints his personality so indelibly on the script, co-written by Noah Baumbach, that it's hard to see children enjoying the film. The simplicity and sweetness of the original story, which ran to less than 100 pages with illustrations from Quentin Blake, becomes obscured by rewrites and additions. Unlike his previous films, Anderson chooses stop-motion animation as his medium here and it works a treat. Visually, the months of painstaking effort have been worthwhile, including fast-paced action sequences of the wily vulpine sneaking around farmyards in search of a tasty treat. Mr Fox (voiced by George Clooney) is never content with his life, always looking to move up in the world with his long-suffering wife, Mrs Fox (Meryl Streep). He plots a daring raid on the chicken coop only to get caught in a trap. "If we're still alive tomorrow, I want you to find another line of work," seethes Mrs Fox. Two years later, Mr Fox has followed his wife's dictate and is the bread-winner for his family, including a disgruntled son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) who just wants to win the respect of his old man. Tension between the generations flares when nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) comes to stay and puts poor Ash in the shade. Mr Fox cannot completely shy away from his animal instincts, and he turns to stealing from farmers Bunce (Hugo Guinness), Bean (Michael Gambon) and Boggis (Brian Cox), ropi, ng in Kristofferson to his hare-brained schemes. Having been humiliated by the fox, the trio lay siege to the trees where the family resides and open fire on Mr Fox, shooting off his bushy tail. Luckily, neighbouring critters including Badger (Bill Murray) rally around Mr Fox in his hour of need to help him elude the pursuers. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a visual triumph, let down slightly by a screenplay that doesn't know to which audience it is trying to appeal. The articulated characters have plenty of personality and there are some neat flourishes like when Mr Fox compliments his wife, "You're practically glowing, maybe it's the lighting", and her head is suddenly illuminated from within. The climactic escape is mind-boggling, leading to another cute gag reminiscent of Wallace and Gromit when Mr Fox races towards Bean's motorcycle and sidecar and drives away in an exact miniature replica hidden behind the hulking machine. The vocal performances from Clooney and Streep lend warmth to their warring couple, with fine support from Schwartzman, Murray and co, who are all regular collaborators on Anderson's films. For its technical ingenuity, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a film you admire and marvel at rather than unreservedly love.
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