Genres

Visitors Review

li-findlay 2013-05-17 13:52:10

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner...

In all honesty, people need to stop hating on this film and startseeing it for the simple bit of local London British genius it is.This movie is on my top five favourite movies of all time listindefinitely! Not because it's epic or because it has an all-Americancast - because it doesn't, it's just real. Admittedly if you're notfrom London or can't stand a cockney accent then this film is mostdefinitely NOT for you. Other than that I think you'll love it and ifyou don't/ didn't then I'd love to know why... I defend it to the end!I seriously thought that Eastenders would be the be-all and end-all ofPaul Nicholls but he so proved me wrong.. Whatever he does I willalways remember him for this movie! He was absolutely brilliant (andcute too). Roland Manookian is not to be forgotten either as theannoying little side-kick that everyone loves to hate. And JamieForeman is the man as soon as we are introduced to his character "Tony"on screen... What a fantastic cast!!! Call it personal preference butthere were so many laugh-out-loud moments for me in this film and timesthat I wanted to just cry... It's a roller-coaster of emotions. Irecommend this to everyone!! And if you're disappointed then Iapologise but I'm confident you won't be. Funny, sad, exciting all atonce!!!

psychojimcornell 2013-05-16 23:04:42

a great film

i'm really disappointed to read all this negativity in what is such agreat film. i can't comment on how authentic it is regarding southLondon as i am from north Manchester. the attitudes of the maincharacters is very similar to what i knew though and some of thecontent was shockingly familiar. it is the best buddy film i have everseen for one. the twisted friendship between Charlie and Justin issomething that many of us have surely been through. i found myselfshedding a tear towards the end (even though i have a skinhead, likebeer and shout my head off at Manchester city on a regular basis) as icould instantly remember when a friend had to tell me what everyoneelse said about me behind my back when i was 16. time to grow up.a really wonderful story which is very well written and superbly acted.Richard saved himself in my eyes as hector, Jamie foreman shone yetagain and Roland was awesome.one of my very favourite films.

bonedaddy 2013-05-15 22:04:59

Why are such terrible filmakers getting backing?!!

This is a terrible film. You cannot get around this fact, it is poorlyacted by Eastenders rejects (as if being in Eastenders alone is notindicative of your poor acting skills), terribly scripted and anabsolute mess as goes directing. Why are we letting such filmsget to screen let alone DVD? Because we are clambering foranything shot on our hallowed turf as a break from all the smultz ofamericanism. Lock Stock opened up the marketplace to britishdirectors and films but come on, Lock Stock was at best, anaverage film, and with such poor efforts as Gangster No.1 (I felt theneed (and pleasure) to destroy my DVD copy rather than let thisturged filth of a film pass to any other).Comon please, let's not support this sort of amateur writing andfilm making. Avoid!!

istuart0 2013-05-15 02:50:18

For Paul Nicholls fans only

I stumbled across this filler while I was skating through the late night cable channels. Catchy title, nice star, good premise, I thought. But, what was it about? It was about nothing, boys and girls, nothing.The script had obviously been forced out of the word processor because the writer must have been on a contract to produce something. Anything. There's no emotion, no passion, no continuity (and no calf muscles!).The threadbare story is this. A group of twenty-something (no-one is going to convince me that these guys are supposed to be teenagers apart from the little guy in the bike) drop-outs, burgle to keep themselves out of work (not to support a drug addiction - as the write up says - as they hardly use 'em), they fall out with each other (wow!), go to a party (or was it a waxworks museum, I couldn't tell), shoot a guy they hardly know in the leg, Charlie Bright runs very quickly and then the closing credits come on the screen.Why did I keep watching? Hmmmm, 1) I was hoping the thing was going to get started at some point 2) I was glued to the delicious Paul Nicholls - I met him once on Old Compton Street (Soho, London) and WOOF!! is he a honey!The main flaw with this length of celluloid, is that it's a list of set pieces strung together to make a film. But as the writer wasn't really into his work, it plods with glacial vigour and is pock-marked with chasmic holes. After the black guy is burgled and finds the lads, why did he give up his chase so, well, so bloody cheerfully? How did 'Hector' get the money to buy Essex? From selling houses?! Where did their third friend clear off to? Why, if the lad was so passionate about his wife-to-be/mother of his child, weren't they seen together? Was the father of the lad who joined the army old enough to have served in the Falklands? Why, when Charlie's sat next to the girl he fancies, does he just up and walk away? What did he give the gun to his dodgy mate for? Why, after using the shooter, did they run UP a block of flats with no other way out? Why didn't the police go up and get them? Why was Phil Daniels allowed on the screen again without proper tutelage of his bottom lip? I know a lot of Saaf Landan lads have gushed about this film, but boys, is this all your life's about?

framer94 2013-05-05 21:57:26

***6/10*** "TRue To LiFe TaLe oF GRoWiNG up!"

Good to see taht British Film is getting out of the 'Lock, Stock' genre, butthe film is still centred around East End devlish deeds, drugs, andcrime.The story is about a group of friends, two of them being the most popularand attractive, and one being the negative. The story follows the boy'seventual rise into east end villian society and how his other friend'sactions slowly begin to break downhis life, unless drastic action istaken.The film definately hits the good charts, but it's nothing that could standupto TRAINSPOTTING or PULP FICTION. Not one for the yanks, but woulddefinately be worth a watch for Brits.Give it a try***6/10***

Al-80 2013-05-05 11:35:27

Authentic but dull

A well made but shockingly derivative Britflick.Goodbye Charlie Bright is sometimes funny and often well intentioned, butinthe end the lack of anything fresh plunged me into deep throes ofboredom.A difficult film to dislike, but an easy one to forget about.

tommocoyle 2013-04-27 07:52:03

a bright British film

This film works as a buddy picture but also gives an insightful look atthe crime and boredom driven lifestyle so inherent in British workingclass housing estates. All the characters exist in a world where crimeand excitement feeds a void in their lives where showing love, caringor compassion is almost impossible. The character of Justin inparticular is flawed and irresponsible, yet in the end lovable. it's tothe film makers credit that he is able to make us care about acharacter who at one point sticks a gun in a 7 year old's mouth to showhow big he is. The film also manages the most impossible of tasks ofmaking the housing estate and a British summer both ' bright ' andilluminating. A major departure from the grey and downtrodden depictionof working class life so predominant in Mike Leigh's film for example.An excellent film

paul2001sw-1 2013-04-26 21:36:37

Lively but familiar

Nick Love's sparky début tells the story of two lads growing up on arough south London housing estate (possibly Thamesmead?). On the brinkof a life of petty crime, their close friendship is threatened by theimmaturity of one, and the other's lack of commitment to life on theedge, and the film follows the course of their inevitable divergence.The movie's strengths include a lively pace and a capacity to make youfeel sympathy for its characters, in spite of their frequentlyantisocial behaviour. Equally, however, there's not a lot on show herethat you won't have seen before, and the ending, which conjures anupbeat note where logically there should be tragedy, lacked (for me, atleast) the emotional power I think it was supposed to convey. Thisisn't a truly great film; but neither is it a movie without promise.

Sam Hawkes 2013-04-21 00:09:55

Worth Watching

One of Nick Love's earlier films (his second i think) and I enjoyed ita lot.The main story revolves around two boys who live on a east Londonestate and basically shows them getting drawn into the life of crimeand drugs and what this can do to you. A lot of the filming is done ona real estate in Bermondsey, South London. Which i feel adds to thereality of the film. It gives a somewhat alarming account and insightinto what life is like living in this estates around south London.It is not in the same league as the likes of Trainspotting or The FullMonty which are both classic British films and are internationalrecognised. but is still definitely worth watching.Overall a good, enjoyable film. Give it a go.

Stef de Cloe 2013-04-20 14:07:50

Poignant

One reviewer said that it would be "hard for anyone from anothercountry "to relate" to this movie...This is so not true. Of course, there are some typical Britishsituations, and being Belgian (Dutch/French speaking, but havingstudied to be an English teacher and having traveled around the Englishspeaking countries from North America, via Africa, to Asia), well yes,I had some trouble understanding "the language". But I did the "rewind"thing, over and over, and managed to understand most of what was said.This is not typical for the UK, these situations happen, everywhere. Ihave known and witnessed this, on a "lighter" scale, here. OK, about the movie: this is a really beautiful story of friendship andlove. I came upon this movie by a site, referring to it as "gaythemed", so I "had to see it".Well, no. There isn't anything "gay" or "gay themed", it is just astory of very strong friendship (probably also due to socialcircumstances) and deep love, and "brotherly love", but nothing gayrelated. OK, I am gay and I like to see gay related movies, but don'tgo looking for that here.I was impressed, very deeply. This is such a poignant story aboutfriendship. All the actors do a very good job and I will look for morefilms with the main actors, they moved me very much. This wasunexpected. Again: I was impressed. I am a fan of British cinema, and this movie is "one to see",definitely.

Roisin Moriarty 2013-03-27 16:15:10

A slice of South London life.

People wondering where the plot is in this film should stop looking becausethere isn't really a coherant one to speak of. It's a sequence of events inone teenager's life and if all loose ends aren't tied up then that isprobably because that's what life is like. One kid joins the army and that'sthat; a big black guy trying to find out who robbed him comes to a dead endand goes no further; a love interest is hinted at but never develops; anescape route for the eponymous Charlie is offered but ultimately rejected;we never find out what happens to the kid who shoots a man, whether the onewho's run over is actually dead (it's only hinted at as far as I can tell),where Charlie finally goes to - and so it goes on. All this might sound likespoilers but it isn't because there's no plot to spoil. But what you gethere is an excellent portrait of one boy's life, his state of mind, hisattitudes, loyalties and hidden hopes. I spent the film wondering why hestood by his horrible friend and, to answer the query of another review,felt that he gave that friend the gun because he'd just about given up onhim; believed that he no longer cared. Or perhaps, having been unable toshoot the other man himself but really wanting to, he actually hoped thatthe other kid would do it for him.This is a well crafted rites of passage film, beautifully filmed and wellacted (and top marks to Northerner Paul Nicholls for a faultless Londonaccent). I have to agree that South London's large Asian community waspitifully under represented and there were far too few black faces to berealistic either. As far as the film's brilliant colour scheme is concerned,I loved the director's deliberate attempt to move away from the drab,depressing way that working class London is invariably depicted. We do haveglorious summers, brightly painted doors and windows on houses, colourfulclothes, trees and flowers a-plenty and even the kind of community spiritthat the film portrayed. We have both the negative and the positive that"Goodbye Charlie Bright" contains and plenty of good looking people too!Which reminds me of another negative comment by another reviewer; none ofthe characters where impossibly handsome or beautiful and I've seen plentywalking around South London who certainly wouldn't look out of place on acatwalk. But I have to admit that I've never seen so many Millwall shirtsgathered together in one place and it's a chilling imageindeed!

purepace 2013-03-27 04:34:23

Emotional with some funny dialogue

I saw this film a couple of years ago and didn't think much of it, Ihad seen the football factory before hand, and saw that a few of theactors were in this and I would give it a watch.The film it's self builds up to a good ending and during the film youget to understand the characters and how they have grown in to theyoung men you see.I don't think much of Roland as an actor or Paul Nicholls but both givereally good performance and i almost forget that Nicholls is fromBolton.Some of the dialogue is this film is fantastic and really funnyespecially with the character called Hector/Hecky.If you want to watch a film thats easy to watch and funny with a goodending why not rent it out.

michaelmorph 2013-03-17 14:22:18

Garbage

This is a terrible. Kept waiting for something to happen of any vagueinterest. Glad it only cost 99p to watch on Virgin. It was one clichéafter another. The most impressive thing about it is Paul Nicholsaccent which is very convincing. I felt nothing for any of thecharacters except contempt. None of the scenes seem to go anywhere atall and some good actors (David Thewlis) were completely wasted due tothe incredibly drab nature of this film. Whoever said this is a BritishStand by Me is insane. They need to watch both films next to each otherand if they can't see the difference then they should stop reviewingfilms on here! Watch Kidulthood, Nil By Mouth or This is England if youwant some decent, gritty British drama about growing up in difficultcircumstances.

daniel 2013-03-16 22:04:18

worth a look, but don't miss the start!

Worth a look. As much for being a Brit flick as anything else. Gettingslightly away from the cliched Lock, Stock genre, but staying within therough parts of London, the film looks at Charlie's realisation that hislifelacks direction. Unfortunately the film never really gets to grips withthereal emotion behind Charlie's development, but there is plenty to keep theyounger, (dare I say, hipper), audience watching and giggling, especiallyifyou likes drugs and swearing.The beauty of the film is that it is not predictable. Without givinganything away, the plot often seems to be heading in an obvious directionbefore skewing off at a tangent. This is not to say that you will be ontheedge of your seats though. The plot does have its dips, and there was aperiod when I wondered just how much more of the same I would be getting.Not long after, however, the audience was treated to an unexpected andwell-played finale.The acting is great at times, and not so at others, not even Dani Behrbrings the cast down (too much), and individual characters such as Francisand Justin were particularly well-acted. I could not decide if thephotography was poor deliberately, to fit the mood of the film, or if itjust happened that way. Either way, that can be your decision!Go and have a watch, enjoy an British film, and whatever you do, don'tmissthe start!

Ken Okumura 2013-03-16 16:13:47

Good film, probably only for the English though...

I think it'd be hard for anyone from another country to relate to thisfilm...which would in turn make it quite hard to enjoyit...It doesn't pull its punches - to be honest it was kind of strange...I grewup with kids like the ones in this film, and it was like a flashback in away.This film isn't an epic, it's not a world-changer...it's just like asnapshot...a glimpse into their world. It's hard to explain...It's worth a look in - I just happened to be staying up late and it cameoncable...started watching it and carried on...Maybe go rent it if it's in your local video store.Sorry this review isn't more eloquent - my mind's still on thefilm.

johnnyboyz 2013-03-16 02:40:18

Interesting and with a certain energy but lags with its need to potter about with un-likable characters, disjointed scenes and off the mark story.

Goodbye Charlie Bright does carry a certain raw energy that makes itsort of fun to watch but do not let that fool you because for me, thefilm fell marginally short. I think it's great that a British directoris making films about British ways of living in locations Britishpeople will recognise and Nick Love has clearly been doing somethingthat impresses someone else because he's made a few films since thisone. But Goodbye Charlie Bright is a film that will appeal more tothose of the certain culture the film focuses on. As someone who livesrelatively close to London and as someone who was of these kids' agewhen the film was respectively produced, I suppose there should be somesort of a connection for me. But, there isn't and this is probably downto the fact I was not of the ilk Love is exposing for his film.Goodbye Charlie Bright is a film for the Brits and that is enough forit to garner some sort of respect from me. The kids walk around wearingMillwall football club shirts, they talk in the heavy respective accentand their lives unfold in a setting most of us will be familiar with –I can still remember the garages and apartment estate near my oldsecondary school and the sorts of people you may see hanging aroundthere at certain times. But for me not to feel any sort of connectionnor familiarity with these people or locations despite being relativelyfamiliar with them in some sort of way is quite sad. Then again perhapsit's a good thing but there is nothing on offer in terms of nostalgiafor someone who has lived through this period in Britain (2001) ofthese characters respective ages.Instead, Love gives us a realistic look at life on an estate andintroduces us to many-a caricatures of South London urban life. Thefilm is not particularly neo-realistic and thus cannot be considered asa political film nor statement on the ways of living in Britain forthose of a certain class. But Love avoids this approach, instead optingfor high energy levels, black humour and causality involving thecharacters. The obvious problem with the film is, I think, the way ittiptoes around the more important issues such as knife and gun culture(until the very end). Instead it has its characters act in aself-promoting manner under a guise of playing chess and getting intomischief made light-hearted and 'fun' when really it's all very, verydangerous and life threatening.The film is shameless in its attempt to get a quick guffaw and this isannounced very early on when a couple of lads run stark nude throughthe estate, grab a football and then run off for the sanctuary of ahidden bush. Along the way they run past a young woman and theobligatory yells and hollers soon follow. The film has more so gottenacross its need for childish humour and an outlandish scene good enoughfor a quick laugh than it has made an important point on the dangers ofthe young, bored and unemployed British white male of circa summer2001. The film also hovers around the necessity to include scenes ofpartying, partying antics involving girls and the over consumption ofalcohol. Again, this is relatively early on and offers nothing to thenarrative but does act as a scene establishing who these people are andwhat they do. The party is a send off for a character going to the Army(Aldershot, not too far from myself) but it is for a character we donot know of, have no connection to and consequently cannot care for. Iwonder if the boys at the function care that much either or is it anexcuse for loud music, girls and lager? Then there are the little things that make Goodbye Charlie Bright feellike a missed opportunity. The film's primary source of antagonismearly on is in the form of a large black man that the lads steal from.Firstly, it is a shame that it is the role of a black man that must beused for this part and secondly the strand involving this plot ofantagonism is developed into something interesting before being stoppeddead in its tracks. Then there is the friendship with Jamie Foreman'scharacter Tony which is introduced and developed but not followedthrough with. There is a little bit of antagonism with a guy who has'made it' with his pretty wife, big car, house and pool but that comesand goes without much occurring. It was interesting for me to watch outfor where the main source of antagonism was going to come from and thatended up being Phil Daniel's character Eddie who is introduced as aknife wielding, womanising racist but is then brought down to Earthwith a Falkland's War related back-story although it feels like a looseattempt to throw in some Thatcherism related politics.As I say, the film retains an 'entertaining' quality that feels realand raw but it doesn't elevate itself to any greatness. Therelationship between Bright (Nicholls) and Justin (Manookian) who areprobably both playing themselves gets too homo-erotic towards the endwith all the rolling around, head patting and frequent use of the name'the wife' (two girls at the beginning even shout "Queers!" at them)but even so, it cannot hold much of a torch to Love's later work nor toother respective nation's films about this subject matter like Brazil'sCity of God and France's La Haine.

Havan_IronOak 2013-03-14 16:42:03

Stealth gay movie?

I got a copy of this film at a Prowler store in London last year because itwas on the markdown table and any non-porno film going for 5 GBP that hadthree naked lads on the back cover seemed a bargain even if it would have towait till I got my PAL friendly DVD player. When I did finally get to see it I was quite happy that I picked it up, asit's the type of film that will never be released in the US NTSC format.Besides the format translation trouble, there's the trouble that all thelads live in council housing (the projects) in south London and speak aBritish dialect that would be very hard for an American ear tounderstand.The story deals with Charlie Bright, and his boyhood pals Damien, Tommy,Francis and Justin. These lads have grown up together since they weretoddlers and still spend most of their waking hours together, wasting time,pulling pranks, doing drugs and doing some thieving to pay for them. Howeverthey are now coming of age and drifting apart. Tommy has joined the army andis leaving soon; Francis has found a steady girl and is now drifting awayfrom the guys. Damien is the most daring thief of the lot and `would doanything for a few quid but you could never trust him.' That leaves Charlieand Justin. Justin has grown up in an almost parent-free environment and hasattached himself so tightly to Charlie since toddler hood that the neighborshave noticed the especially close relationship and have taken to referringto Justin, when talking to Charlie, as `the wife.'While none of the boys exhibit any outwardly gay actions it is this `specialfriendship' between Justin and Charlie that gives this film its gayinterest. Charlie is in fact straight and has interest in a girl living inthe same council flats but is afraid to make the first move for fear thatthe ever-present Justin will somehow embarrass him or otherwise screw it up.Justin on the other hand is content to let things go on as they have andtreats girls as a target for teasing just as he has done for years.In the end Charlie loses his patience and does something that allows Justinto do things that will force the end of their close association. How muchJustin perceives of Charlie's motives, as he smilingly carries out his endof the little drama is where the mystery and the brilliance of this piecelies. Straight folks have panned this film as being plot less and a `wasteof lottery funds' but reading between the lines I saw a heartbreaking storythat was original and memorable. I'd be interested in knowing what others think if they ever see thisunheralded movie.

davideo-2 2013-03-14 05:54:09

A Saaf Landan Stand By Me

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning** Sunday Night * Monday Morning One of director Nick Love's earlier films, focusing on the lives of agroup of South London youngsters during the summer of 2001, mainly thetitular Charlie Bright (Paul Nichols) and his unbalanced friend Justin(Roland Manookian) but also their friend Tony (Jamie Foreman), anotherlad Francis (Danny Dyer), who's drifted apart from them a bit andanother mate who's gone off to join the army. As events roll on,Justin's behaviour becomes ever more unbalanced and his friendship withCharlie is tested to the limit.Brit director Nick Love is fast gaining momentum as one of our morerenowned directors, with his new film Outlaw expecting a massiverelease later this week, but here's a film he made on a lower budgetand with less publicity a few years ago. As I said in my plot summary,it can be best described as a South London Stand by Me, with it'sthemes of how friendships pan out during a long hot summer, only withmuch less likable characters, extremely unruly, unlawful anddisrespectful, making them extremely hard to endear to. Another problemthe film faces is the amount of sub-plots it creates without creating asatisfactory resolution to. They break into a man's house to steal somethings, he comes after them only to be after the one of them who didn'tdo anything, one of the main character's has a bust up with anothercharacter, storms off and is never seen again, one of the maincharacter's is even apparently killed, but we never actually learn forsure.So it's incoherent, then, and with characters you won't exactly cheerfor, but it's quite well acted, as another reviewer has already pointedout, it shows a nicer, more realistic picture of a South London summerwith glowing flowers and a shining sun and a great soundtrack,including Kids by Robbie and Kylie, Live Forever by Oasis (though someLondoners might object to a Mancunian classic on a film about them!)and the pulsating The Bomb by Love Connection. **

Cissy-Fairfax 2013-03-12 21:37:58

Strangely OK

This was a weird film with 4 ex-Eastenders stars. Watching it felt like Ihad started watching a soap opera that was already going. There's nodiscernible beginning, middle or end to it. You just join the characterswith the no real insight into them, plenty of plots develop, but thedisappear without trace and the end only really resolves some of the plot.Ihad the feeling that if I tuned in next week to the next episodes or maybewatched a sequel everything else will be sorted out. There was slightly anover emphasis on the drugs scene and certainly excessive swearing. Butdespite all that it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout, had somegoodcharacters & acting. The vicar in Eastenders played the gangster villainbrilliantly & convincingly in a role I'd like to see him in again and I'dcertainly recommend catching this if it's on.A low 7/10

Dan B 2013-03-12 18:17:43

A real gem of a film

First of all, this is a film, not a movie - a diamond in your DVDcollection.This film goes some way to reflect real life growing up in London. Andit's more true to life than ever (even with some "Yeah but, no but..."and "Am I bothered? Face? Bothered?" moments!) Those outside the UKwill also be able to identify with this film because...This film is essentially about how a person can be such an essentialpart of your life one day and, with the passing of time, fade into thebackground. This is perhaps something we all go through especiallywhile growing up and I think this film captures that aspect of life ina unique way, which is what makes it so special.It is beautifully directed, written and produced and the acting issuperb and genuine. You only have to look at the resume of films of themain actors to see what safe hands you're in. Roland Manookian, forinstance (who I think steals the film), makes you really feel for hischaracter - and didn't we all have a friend like him once? Danny Dyer also surprises us with a very deep, personal moment -something we'd hate to happen to us and to which we'd probably react inexactly the same way.There are whole scenes in this film that could be real life. If youdon't believe me, then you probably didn't grow up in London in the90s.The soundtrack is great, too. Oasis' "Live Forever" is perfectlyplaced.In years to come this film will be studied in universities for itssociological, linguistic, and psychological themes. Feel free to quoteme in any dissertations :)