The quality of British cinema has long been up for debate, with filmmakers such as Francois Truffaut and Satyajit Ray claiming that no such thing even existed. The truth is there have been several great films to have emerged from the UK but these have been overshadowed by a tradition of farcical Carry On... style comedies or oppressive social dramas. Whatever anyone's opinion it's easy to trace a definitive view of Britain through its cinema: in the South everyone worries has good jobs and worries about relationships (see Richard Curtis), whilst in the North everyone is working class and a victim of social-politics (see the British New Wave). Shane Meadows, however, is from the Midlands, and so he subscribes to neither school of filmmaking, instead creating distinctive, authentic and engaging films about people who are not defined by their social status and who have complicated relationships stemming from awkward friendships rather than romantic woes.
'A Room For Romeo Brass' follows two boys, Romeo and Gavin, whose friendship is upset by the introduction of an emotionally unstable man, Morrell (Paddy Considine in his first film role), whom they befriend and who has designs on Romeo's older sister, Ladine. Also present is Romeo's father, who has returned to form a relationship with his children, and Gavin's visits to the hospital for physiotherapy and an operation on his back.
Meadows began his filmmaking career shooting short films with his friends and this collaborative attitude has continued with a strong sense of improvisation and authenticity that embraces the charmingly natural performances of the younger cast members. There's also a pervading sense of playfulness and enjoyment, with Meadow's making a cameo in a ridiculous wig. This does not at all take away from the more serious aspects of the film, however, and the film reaches a distressing and powerful climax, just as much of the best in British film and television treads a fine line between comedy and drama.
Meadows' closest comparison would be with Mike Leigh, with his charming portrayal of simple English lives, but he never patronises his characters and brings a real inside view of these lives. At the heart of the film is the family, even if one is broken and the other seemingly unhappy. Most of the time is spent in the two, neighbouring homes, and we are party to the complexities of adult relationships: whilst Romeo's parents are separated his father is making a concerted effort to stay involved; in contrast, Gavin's father is detached and slightly pathetic, but when it really matters he makes a bold stand to protect the family. Meanwhile, Ladine is faced with the possibility of an adult realtionship with the socially immature Morrell.
The real brilliance of this film is in the character of Morrell, and Considine's excellent portrayal. A man who begins as slightly comic and unconventional gradually reveals his menacing and unstable side, which carefully shifts the film from a coming-of-age comedy to a social drama, and we discover the underlying threat of a figure from the peripheries of society to the relative comfort of a family-based community. He infiltrates the friendship and manipulates Romeo into helping his fight for Ladine's love, with neither he nor the boys appreciating how uncomfortable his presence is. Even we in the audience aren't prepared for quite how far the situation escalates.
The more recent 'This Is England' looks like it could be a breakthrough film for Meadows and is really excellent, but it's hard to imagine him ever straying far from the Midlands and the society in which he was raised and continues to find inspiration. He is without a doubt, however, one of the best directors working in England today and an exciting prospect for the future too. A filmmaker who can produce equally commercial and artisitc films on a modest budget with such consistency and frequency is an asset to any country's filmmaking community, just as Michael Winterbottom has done before (albeit with less engaging results) - what we really need now is for a community to build around this and a new wave of authentic, distinctively British filmmakers to emerge and prove Truffaut and Ray wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment