Genres

Visitors Review

Mike Lovell 2012-05-21 19:43:34

A Bleak Perspective?

Looking through the reviews of Harry Brown, there are a lot ofreferences to Death Wish, Taxi Driver and a myriad of Mike Leighmovies. This is no bad thing, as all the aforementioned are held ingreat esteem by the majority of 'serious' moviegoers.And I guess that's a good word to describe Harry Brown. It's a seriousfilm that tackles quite possibly the biggest social issue in the UKtoday - youth crime. While others simply sit by and hope theantagonists will 'go away', Harry (Michael Caine) becomes the unwillingrepresentative of his community - and with Marines experience, even athis twilight age it is evident that none of his training has evadedhim.Harry sets out to wreak vengeance on those who have taken the life ofhis long-time friend, and who inadvertently caused him to miss being athis wife's side before she died in hospital - and he certainly doesn'tpull any punches.The basic premise covered, let's get to the meat and bones of it. Whilethere are some rather hackneyed techniques on display here (notably the'washed out' look that permeates the whole film, RE Seven, etc) and theseemingly pointless 'middle-class copper trying to justify herexistence by putting herself in harms way' character, the film reallyis a treat.Caine does what he does best, carrying the other actors and story withsuch ease that you forget that the notion of a pensioner taking on agang of ruthless, relentless street thugs is preposterous - in fact, hemakes it completely plausible and believable. There are some superbperformances here, the backdrop is truly bleak and the direction andcinematography as a rule is top notch stuff.This film will certainly make you sit up and pay attention from theoutset, and there are lots of issues tackled here - from homosexualprostitution for drugs to murder for kicks. The idea of police turninga blind eye to local vigilantes isn't a new one and is re-enforcedhere.It's a bleak perspective, but one that will ring bells with mostviewers. Superb stuff. 8.3/10

ilania_a 2012-05-21 09:37:42

Michael Caine Excels

The first half of this film is much too slow, it becomes too shockingwith human cruelty and foul language is prevalent. Not to be watchedbefore going to bed or when tired. I continued watching the film thenext day, because Michael Caine gave a superb performance as theelderly, ex-marine, widower who loses his only close friend to a bunchof thugs who invaded the "Estate" dwelling. The music is terrible butsuitable to this plot, the grim environment and living quarters ofpeople in the "Estate" are oppressive. They live a life devoid ofcontact with nature or beauty, except for a few photographs of lovedones from the past. The realism in this film is almost exaggerated.When the film ended, it was hard to decide whether it is a movie worthwatching, and even harder to fathom why anybody would wish to produceit. However, there is a message there, and the acting is high caliberincluding Emily Mortimer as a detective. The Director Daniel Barber,whose other direction effort, a short film (Tonto Woman) won someacclaim, probably needs further experience with a full feature film.

chicagopoetry 2012-05-17 03:15:18

Old Man Vigilante Kicks Butt

Well, they ended up calling The Boat That Rocked "Pirate Radio" somaybe they will wise up and give Harry Brown a title more reflective ofwhat this vigilante thriller is all about. It stays pretty much withinthe plot of the original Death Wish but what else should a vigilantefilm do? I was worried that a movie featuring old timer Michael Caineas a vigilante against a bunch of ruthless thugs wouldn't be plausiblebut for the most part it is. Very rarely am I satisfied by a vigilanteflick. I don't know what's wrong with producers of vigilante movies.Here's the opportunity to really give the bad guys what they deservebut usually these films wimp out. Although I wouldn't call this onewimpy, it kicks some serious butt in fact, it still could have gone abit farther. There could have been a scene or two of Michael Cainereally kicking some serious butt before the ending turned all seriouswith a bout of emphysema and a street riot and cops getting shot and soforth. Anyway, this is really well made, downright suspensefulex-marine loses wife and best friend by the hands of some thugs andthen goes out to kill them all film. Not bad at all.

2012-05-16 12:52:51

Terrifying and Compelling

HARRY BROWN is a film that escorts the viewer into a world we would all rather not believe exists, that filthy place where misguided youths spend their days and night on using, pushing, selling, buying, and killing for drugs. It is a horrid place and writer Gary Young and Director Daniel Barber take us therein as realistic a fashion as anyone has been able to capture on film. This film is definitely not for the faint of heart as it is full of violence holding no bars telling a tale of no redemptive values. Yet despite the grunge and stench of the setting the actors bring into focus a very real and very contemporary problem we must all address.Harry Brown (Michael Caine in a brilliant portrayal) is an elderly poor man whose wife Kath (Liz Daniels) lies comatose in the local hospital. Harry spends his days, when he is not at his beloved Kath's beside, playing chess and drinking with his old friend Len (David Bradley) in a bar owned by Sid (Liam Cunningham). Len is becoming terrified at the gang violence in the estate (a housing project) and warns his friend Harry (an ex-Marine) of the danger of the streets. Two events alter the routine of Harry's life: Kath dies and is buried next to Harry's daughter, and Len is murdered by the kid gangsters. Harry works with the police - DI Alice Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and DS Terry Hicock (Charlie Creed-Miles) - hoping to assist in finding Len's murderer, but the police in general say it is a useless cause when they bring in some of the gang (Ben Drew et al) for questioning and there is too little proof to arrest them. Harry takes the law into his own hands, buys a gun from a filthy trashed out druggie Marky (Jack O'Connell in a mesmerizingly realistic role), kills Marky and his colleague, and goes after the rest of the gang. How Harry Brown works his own brand of vengeance - with some assistance form Alice Frampton - frames the end of the story.Michael Caine is wholly convincing as Harry Brown, making the viewer hope that he achieves his vengeful goals. Liam Cunningham in a surprisingly turn of a role is excellent as are the rest of the cast. No, this is not a pretty film to watch, but it does drive home the ghastly world of youth and drugs that infest our cities and also the anguish suffered by the elderly senior citizens who remember better times. Grady Harp, September 10

TheMarwood 2012-05-14 02:42:57

Angry Old Man: The Movie

Oh dear. Where to begin with this one. This kind of film is my favoritekind of bad film. It's competently made, has nice cinematography andthe actors are talented -- but the screenplay is lurid rubbish -- andeveryone took it seriously. There are so many unintentionally hilariousscenes, I feel a new cult classic is born. How about the scene whereMichael Caine's old friend almost gets asphyxiated from poo in aflaming paper bag and starts screaming "bastards!" into the night sky-- while tragic dramatic music is playing. But that's nothing comparedto the not so subtle criminal youth. Blisters; rotten flesh; bags undertheir eyes that fall past their knees; weird tics that make LooneyToons characters seem tranquilized in comparison.The half baked detective subplot is funny for all the wrong reasonstoo. This villainous youth gang occupies an underpass tunnel for mostof the film's running time and commit heinous murders in this tunnel,yet the police can't seem to pin a murder on these junkies. Or thepolice won't pin a murder on these junkies. They are junkies in atunnel, not a rich mafia crime syndicate.For a good laugh, watch Micahel Caine fight crime. One can only hopefor as many sequels as Death Wish. Personally, I think Harry Brown 5:The Face of Death, would make the world a better place.

rabbitmoon 2012-05-13 13:08:17

Nowhere near as good as it thinks it is

The greatest tragedy of this film is that its a wasted opportunity.There are only so many films that can be told about the chav situationin Britain before it becomes a cliché, and this film could have becomethe classic. But its simply far too flawed, it just doesn't 'add up'.The story itself is not new. People cite Gran Torino and Death Wish,but I felt Jodie Foster's 'The Brave One' was the closest - especiallywith the subplot of sympathetic police on the tail of the vigilante.Here are the problems: Although the direction feels paced, thoughtfuland subtle to begin with, there is nothing beneath the surface here, nodepth. The chavs are shown as pure-and-simple evil monsters trying toevoke the hatred of the audience, but this is irresponsible in myopinion and will actually only add to the fear, misunderstanding anddivide of social groups in Britain. Eden Lake hinted at the parentalinfluence and peer pressure, This is England showed the misguided humanat the centre of a skinhead. But in Harry Brown, all the kids carryarmed weapons which the police don't seem to notice even when they'rearrested. The scene involving a couple of drug/weapon/girl dealers intheir marajuana filled 'abode' was a ridiculously over-the-top attemptto be 'gritty' and 'real' but felt more like a spoof of the Drexl scenein True Romance. Really, as if such drug dealers would happily invitesomeone like Harry Brown into their home to witness what he did.Its this kind of unbelievability clashing with 'realism' that ruinsHarry Brown. Towards the end, a character twist reveals someone Harryknows to be related to one of the youths, who then tries to kill twopolice officers and Harry. Its just ridiculous, and all of a sudden,the weak and vulnerable 'realism' gives way to Hollywood stylenonsense. The policework feels ridiculous and TV drama style. A riotthat features at the end feels like it is from another film altogether,is completely ludicrous, and doesn't fit at all with the supposedmessages of the film.The final shot shows Harry waling under a subway that was previouslydominated by chavs. The message - its all OK now. No more chavs. Whatan absolutely ridiculous and dishonest conclusion to the film.Basically, its OK for old men to go stabbing and shooting people. Thepolice will overlook it if they agree with your motive. Chavs are justa temporary problem. The way to deal with chavs is to simply launch apolice riot against them, then they will all stay at home. It hasnothing to do with parenting, socio-economics, a government thatignores youth, or a country that has lost its pride and self-esteem.Ultimately, this film has no point at all. Its too depressing to be athriller, too dishonest to be a social commentary, to stupid andshallow to be thought-provoking. To be perfectly honest, the mostaccurate way I can describe it is as a chavspoitation film.I would have loved Shane Meadows to rewrite and make somethingworthwhile out of this.

GD Cugham 2012-05-12 04:14:48

A Dark Knight From the Daily Mail

The overseas-funded, "British Cinema" has seen an increase inbox-office receipts of late, while standards steadily decline – point acamera at a skinny, scarred chap in a football training shell-suit andyou have a hit. Harry Brown' is the cinematic answer to the plethora ofthe Danny Dyer/Nick Love engendered chavsploitationers. In it, Sir Michael Caine plays the eponymous Harry, an ageing man on asinkhole housing estate where gangs of unruly youths rule over all withgleeful guns and gangs abandon. Harry's wife is dying and his bestfriend is besieged by the youths on a nightly basis. The film slowlybuilds to the cathartic deaths of these two characters on Harry's life.An ex-marine, Harry's muscle memory snaps into life when confronted bya crazed hoody on a canal towpath. The hoody's blade flashes and thenis visited back upon him as Harry plunges it into his heart.So begins the path to vengeance as Harry mounts a vigilante campaignagainst the hoodies who have his estate in the grip of terror. At thispoint we enter the proletarian criminal underworld as envisioned byreaders of Britain's 'Daily Mail' newspaper. A Draculean pimp and druglord is dispatched among his "evil" forest of cannabis plants, whileHarry rescues his girlfriend. The death scene of an old man at thehands of the gang involves him being punched, stabbed then urinatedupon by the gang who Harry sends to hell by way of an arsenal ofmilitary grade hand-weapons. This is "angry from Romford" with an Uzi,a right-wing fantasy that can be savoured as shoot-em-up entertainment- hoodies being the new zombies, gun fodder for peeved pensioners, anidea sired but not fully realized in Edgar Wright's 'Hot Fuzz'.Unintended comedy is evoked in the scene where Caine's character spieson his quarry through a lace curtain, summoning instant memories ofPaul Whitehouse's British sketch show character 'Michael Paine – NoseyNeighbour'.After a bloody climax, Harry's antics are said to have reduced crime onthe fictional estate by thirty percent. This air-punching affirmationof the film's right wing agenda is chilling. One smiles less when Matthew Vaughn, the Cameron-conservativesupporting film producer's name appears on the end credits. Hang, nolonger hug, hoodies. The 'revenge thriller' has become a staple ofmodern cinema. It began with 'Death Wish' and there are echoes ofMichael Winner and Charles Bronson's schlock classic here. 'HarryBrown', however, must be watched as popcorn entertainment framed inKen-Loach-style verite and never seen as a solution.

Robert Saxon 2012-05-12 03:50:52

A couple of hours you'll never get back

On hearing of a British movie starring Michael Caine and EmilyMortimer, it's probably natural for avid film fans to skip to thecinema in the hope of finding the kind of gem that Venus turned out tobe a few years ago. A tiny movie of unqualified class that would, for amodest budget, entertain its audience with a good story well told, turnthe heads of the cinematic world, earn praise for cast and crew, andpossibly major awards nods for those involved. Though it's fair to saythat Caine delivers a solid performance as the titular lead in HarryBrown, to suggest that the film itself was anything but poor would be amassive inaccuracy.There is no doubt that many comparisons will be drawn with tales thathave trodden the well worn path this film follows, from the belligerentDeath Wish to stylish Gran Torino. However, this is not Harry Brown'sgreatest flaw. That is an honour reserved for the Americancop-movie-cliché ridden script directed with the kind of twodimensional, unimaginative heavy handedness one would expect from firstyear film students. Or Guy Ritchie. It is paint by numbers film making,delivered by people who have failed completely to do their homework orthink beyond anything they have seen on and absorbed from the smallscreen. Since most of that is clearly from across The Pond we arefitted with this strange hybrid coat that never sits comfortably onBritish shoulders.Caine does his considerable best with what he has to work with, and attimes shows a deeper understanding of his character than the scriptdeserves. As such he is a gemstone set in lead. Emily Mortimer isbaffling as Inspector Frampton. One cannot help but wonder how such asimpering and weak woman - intelligent though she may be - rose to be apolice officer of senior rank when she has such an utter lack ofbackbone. She is no Jane Tennyson, and is surrounded by a police forceportrayed as being utterly devoid of saving graces, lacking respect,understanding or intelligence by a writer and a director who have noknowledge or comprehension of police training, procedure, methodologyor character.Everything about this film - with the exception of Caine - is poor. Itis a shallow pool filled with stale regurgitate, utterly pointless andthoroughly distasteful, that serves no purpose whatsoever. It lacks thepower of Sweeney, the intelligence of Cracker, the depth of PrimeSuspect, and with the exception of Michael Caine's character study ofthe protagonist, is drivel of the worst order, aping films of muchgreater stature that come from a culture similar but alien to our ownand whose overriding characteristics will never apply to Britain or itspeople. Poorly observed, badly written, sloppily directed and served ona bed of hyperbole, this in microcosm is why British Cinema is in sucha parlous state. It fails to convince on every level, and a strongperformance by Caine is betrayed by too many weaknesses that no actor,however brilliant, could possibly overcome.The only wonder of Harry Brown is that enough people in various fundingbodies were persuaded to release the significant funds required to makeit.It is said that Caine hopes for an Oscar for this film. It wouldn't beunfair to suggest that his disappointment is likely to be as great asthat of his audience.

2012-05-07 03:09:19

Worth the wait

This review is from: Harry Brown (Amazon Instant Video) No synopsis or noteworthy review here - just my recommendation that you watch the film. I've been waiting for months to see it - mostly because Michael Cain has never disappointed me. It was worth the wait. This story was emotionally gut wrenching and the violence was brutal, but the saddest part was that this the reality that too many people are living with throughout the world. I don't need to drive more than 20 minutes away from my little farm town to find a neighborhood that is overcome with drugs, rape, murder, gangs and a total disregard for innocent bystanders and law enforcement.

Lee Eisenberg 2012-05-07 00:52:23

better than average

A lot of British movies that I've seen ("Shopping" and "This IsEngland" for example) make England look like a cesspool of gangwarfare. Now, Daniel Barber's "Harry Brown" adds to that number.Michael Caine plays the title character, an elderly widower who takesthe law into his own hands after his friend (David Bradley, aka ArgusFilch in the Harry Potter movies) gets murdered one night.Caine previously played a tough guy in Mike Hedges's "Get Carter", as acop investigating his brother's murder. However, his character here ismore like his interpretation of Harry Palmer: a man forced to gettough. After career in which he played a womanizer in "Alfie", aburnt-out professor in "Educating Rita", an OB-GYN in "The Cider HouseRules", and now co-stars in Christopher Nolan's movies - it's becomehard to see Caine as anyone other than Batman's manservant - the mostfamous cockney actor plays a retiree forced to get REALLY nasty (notthat he doesn't have a reason to do so). Seriously, some of HarryBrown's actions look like torture.But all in all, I'd say that this movie is better than most movies ofthis genre. Rather than an excuse for brainless high action, the moviehas a specific plot and shows why the character does what he does. Andabove all, I like it when movies reject the image of England as a landof "civilized" aristocrats. No one who bore the brunt of the Empire'sbrutality would consider it a civilized society. Worth seeing. Alsostarring Emily Mortimer, Jack O'Connell and Liam Cunningham.

sol 2012-04-29 03:56:52

Dirty Harry

***SPOILERS*** Living out his golden years alone when his beloved wifeKath, Liz Daniels, who was on life support at the local hospital passedaway Harry Brown, Michael Caine, ended up becoming a "Death Wish" likevigilante when his best and only friend Leonard Atwell, David Bradley,was set upon and brutally murdered by a gang of street punks. Thishappened during one of their sick initiation ceremonies in the housingproject underpass where Harry and Lenoard lived.it wasn't as if Harry didn't see it, Lenoard's murder, coming since hewas always complaining about how these vicious punks were making hislife a living hell over the last few months. Telling Lenoard to see thepolice for help didn't help Lenoard either with them too busy orhandcuffed, by the law, to do anything until he was either attacked ormurdered my them; which is exactly what happened! It was Lenoard'smurder that set Harry off in his resorting to his past as a toughBritish Royal Marine who cut his teeth, as well as a number of IRArebels, during his service to the crown in strife torn NorthernIreland. Casing out the punks and where they operate out of in thehousing project Harry now plans to make them pay not only for what theydid to Lenoard but every other decent hard working law abiding personthere in the kind of street justice that their, in nobody willing tostand up to them, not used too! The law of the street or better yet thejungle!Incredibly brutal revenge action thriller with Harry Brown dropping allpretexts to lawful and human conduct by taking the law into his ownhands to take on the roving streets gangs who seem to be immune, by thepolice doing almost nothing to stop them, to it! At first icing twodrugged out drug dealers and stealing their cache of weapons Harry getsone of Lenoard's killers to not only admit to his crime, by working himover, but handing Harry a cellphone video of the actual murder! Nowputting a face, or faces, on Leonard's killers Harry tracks them downand makes them pay for their crimes not in a court of law but in a hailof hot lead.There's also London detectives Alice Frampton, Emily Mortimer, andTerry Hicock, Charlie Creed-Miles, put on the case who for the mostpart are more of a hindrance then a help to Harry's blood splatteringactions in taking out the vicious street gangs. Hicock in fact is verysympathetic to what Harry's is doing in him doing the job that thelocal police, who are under orders to hold back, won't! It's Framptonwho's gong ho to get Harry, or the unknown vigilante, arrested forbreaking the law in using a firearm and exacting justice without alicense by not being a member of the local police force or courtsystem. It's later that Frampton changes her mind about Harry when hesaved her life when she was about to be raped and murdered by a father& son team of the street punks that she was trying to protect fromHarry's vengeance!Feeble and scared at first in confronting those who were raping beatingmugging and murdering at will in his community Harry finally got his"Mojo", or courage, back as the tough as nails Royal Marine that heonce was when he had nothing left to lose but his life in confrontingthem. And his life wouldn't be worth living if he had to live it underthe conditions that he, like his murdered friend Lenoard, found himselfliving it!

Robert W. 2012-04-28 23:09:59

Another Death Wish, with a Death Sentence, with The Brave One...I could go on

Harry Brown is not a bad film. Far from it. It is very entertaining,full of emotion and violence and gritty dark scenery. The problem isthat many films fall victim to is that we have seen this so many timesbefore done very similarly and just as well in some cases. The threethat come to mind are listed in my description and all good movies intheir own right. I visit Toronto, Ontario once every few months and Ialways take in a host of films and I try to see the movies I can't seeanywhere else so I went in with zero expectations. In fact I knewnothing of the film, had never even heard of it. I have read now thatapparently there is a lot of political and historical implicationsregarding the real area in London where this takes place. However, tothe average movie goer they won't know anything about this and mostwon't care really because it isn't well known to anyone. The story isextremely well done and well filmed given its comparatively smallbudget. The setting of the film is the best thing about it next to theimmortal Michael Caine. Both things make this a must see but don'texpect anything that will blow your mind.Michael Caine is of course a legend in every sense of the word. Hegives a really powerful and emotional performance as the titlecharacter Harry Brown. Watching him deal with the death of his wife,his best friend, and the violence plaguing his home will literallywrench your heart. He carries this film and makes it far more than runof the mill. Emily Mortimer is a good actress but her performance asthe officer in charge just doesn't feel like it really stands out. Shespends more time looking like a deer in the headlights than showingeven near the emotion Caine does. The rest of the cast have small butvital roles in supporting areas but they deserve mention. David Bradleyhas an amazing gut wrenching part as Caine's dearest friend. LiamCunningham is decent but underused as the pub owner on the take of thegangs. British musician 'Plan B' Ben Drew is also very good, and verydisturbing as the leader of the local gang causing absolute terror tothe neighbourhood.The performances in this film do not make it deserve a 7, especiallythe lead by Caine. Unfortunately under performers by Mortimer andCunningham leave the cast feeling a little stale. There are some trulyriveting scenes such as the brutal scene where Caine purchases hisweapon from some really shady guys. And of course the end scene ofCaine's final stand. However, there is also some slow moving areas inthe middle that leaves you waiting for more. A director with virtuallyno experience noted on his page Daniel Barber certainly does somebrilliant cinematography. From the opening scene shot with a cell phonethat really establishes the feel of the film, to the disturbinglyviolent death scenes. Harry Brown doesn't break any new ground but isstill well worth seeing especially if you love the genre of filmdeveloping known as the revenge flick. 8/10

2012-04-26 04:48:09

BORING VIGILANTE FILM

Michael Caine (Harry Brown) once again demonstrates that actors with British accents are overrated. Does Caine really need the money that bad to be doing this kind of movie? Michael Caine doesn't really kick butt in this movie. He uses a gun and when he moves too fast, he falls down. The realism of aged Harry Brown's inability to play "Walking Tall" is the downfall of this film. It is over promoted as an action film. The movie starts out slow, real slow, i.e. two guys playing chess slow, trying to remember who they are, slow. The action and killing scenes are only slightly better. I about died when the British hooligan about to be arrested says, "Please Sargent, let me talk to my Mum. She's very upset." Then there is a riot scene with a large force of English cops don't have any mace or rubber bullets or for some reason don't use them. Fans of "Death Wish" might want to stay away from this one. This is one of the worst vigilante films out there, unless your old and British, then add a star.

ianlouisiana 2012-04-25 22:58:14

Talking about my generation........................

I went to a seminar titled "Social Work as subversive activity" manyyears ago when the Council Estates in parts of London were alreadybecoming "no - go" areas for the police and the phrase "significantlocation" was the buzzword amongst a Met hierarchy intent on abdicatingresponsibility for enforcing the law regardless of fear and favour andadvocating the abandonment of the overwhelming majority of decentfolk,mainly elderly,who lived in these "significant locations" to thetender mercies of the nihilistic youths who lurked in the rat runs.As Ilistened to the Trotskyites,Stalinists,Anarchists and various other"ists" outline their vision for a Brave New World where everybody woulddo what they like and there would be no need for pigs,I sat back in myseat and told myself it was all a silly fantasy and that these"Community Activists" would be seen as the dangerous lunatics theywere.Tragically I was wrong.The net result of thirty - odd years of non- judgemental,anti - authority,moral equivalence preaching,politicallycorrect social work in the poorest areas of the country have producedthe results seen every day in the newspapers. Harry Brown and hisneighbours,most of whom are frightened to leave their homes even duringthe day,are plagued by a gang of uncontrollable inarticulate,violentand dangerous young men who control the Estae where the remit of thepolice has not extended - either through fear or disinclination,formany years.When this gang murder Harry's best friend and the policeappear powerless or disinterested,Harry takes what he considers to beappropriate action.As a former Marine with service in Ulster,Harry'sdefinition of "appropriate" might not sit well with that of the SocialServices or the police. Sir Michael Caine,brought up not a millionmiles from Walworth where this movie was filmed,knows only too wellthat it is the the fate of many of his contemporaries to live in suchconditions.His Harry Brown is an eloquent spokesman for hisgeneration.He is smart,clean,confident,well - disciplined and sprightlydespite suffering from emphysema.He respected his opponents in Belfastwho he killed because he had to.The estate gang kills because it's fun.Late in the movie,barricaded in the estate pub with two badly - injuredcops he tells one of them"Over there they were fighting for acause,outside here,it's entertainment". "Harry Brown" is flashy,noisyand violent,it's set in a world awash with drugs and guns populated byyoung people without any moral restraints,a world absolutely alien tomany,but one that is only too accurately represented. I have sat in onmany interviews with apparently psychotic youths revelling in theiropportunity to scream abuse at the Old Bill whilst their briefs looksmugly on dreaming of their Legal Aid wedge. No wonder the cops think"Blow this for a game of soldiers,let them get on with killing eachother". "Harry Brown" is terrifying,disturbing,terribly depressing andabsolutely outstanding.Worth a dozen Guy Ritchie wannabe gangster epicsand a further dozen Mike Leigh hymns to the underclass,it shows withhorrifying reality what life is like for many working class Brits inthe 21st century.Instead of claiming duck - houses on theirexpenses,MPs should be forced to watch this film and ask themselvessome serious questions.

JustCuriosity 2012-04-22 17:42:37

An Excellent British Version of Gran Torino

Michael Caine only gets better with age. Caine's acting is superb inthis gritty performance that shows the difficulty of dealing with gangsand drugs in tough urban neighborhoods. Like Eastwood in Gran Torino,Caine plays an elderly vet who gets fed up with the gangs and takesthings into his own hands. The filming is very dark and powerful. Whileit could be argued that the film supports vigilantism, I think itreally speaks to the need for people to work to achieve justice whenthe law is unwilling or unable to do so. Emily Mortimer also does anexcellent job in the role of police officer caught between wanting towhat's right and what's legal. The film was very well-received at theSXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX and I hope that it gets widedistribution in the United States.

2012-04-22 04:55:09

Good acting-Death Wish remake

Michael Cane is always compelling. That is the main reason for watching. The vigilante plot is predictable but enjoyable. I really like lone wolf justice dating way back to "Billy Jack". Fun to watch, shallow characters.

jaime_kirton 2012-04-14 00:14:01

disappointing

I expected a full on, British, mean streets, up the oldies type film.As it is, all I got was an un-convincing Micheal Caine, anun-necessarily lewd plan B character with a pretty unstable story linerunning through it. The only thing the film managed to do well wasdepict the dark,desperate atmosphere in some of our estates in Britaintoday. The atmosphere of the flats and the hospital were dark, drearyand cold and did actually add to the atmosphere, but on the whole, itwas a complete let down, and Caine needed a bit more fire in his bellyto pull off the character. I found the film to be long winded and feltmyself fading half way through it. I felt that I was more effected byHarry's personal circumstances, than he was himself. There was a partin the film just as it was getting to the end (thank god) where Harrygoes into the subway with Mickey and confronts plan b n his mate, Harryshoots plan b's mate and then plan b runs off???????even though he'sgot a gun in his hand and, apparently, the overwhelming desire to dobad things. I found this rather lame and unbelievable. If your going toplay a depraved youth- you should at least carry it through.

vinnieboards 2012-04-13 17:36:02

Death Wish on Acid

The ageing vigilante format is very tired so I wasn't expecting a greatdeal from this movie. And it's so nice to be wrong sometimes! I foundthis movie very difficult to watch (for the right reasons). It looksinto the depths of social poverty in Britain where drug crazed gangsrule the housing estates and people live in fear without having anyrealistic route of escape from this social hell hole.Whilst highly exaggerated (the violence and drug scenes are shockingand vivid and at times a little too OTT), there is a real sense of'today' in this movie, with the underlying tone that we can expectthings to get a great deal worse. So not exactly uplifting then? Butthats the point.Michael Caine does what he does best - be Michael Caine and he gives anassured performance as Harry, the ex-Royal Marine who has basically hadenough. The format of the film was always going to be predictable (leadactor loses friend/love ones, lead actor is confronted, lead actor goeson killing spree), but it is expertly handled from start to finish andwhilst good overcomes evil in the end, you are left pondering thethought that this kind of thing is happening every day on the CouncilEstates throughout Britain.It introduces the commonly shared notion that the authorities can'thandle and have no long term effective solution to the problem. It alsoemphasises the fact that whilst there is a human rights act in place,the basic human rights of normal, law abiding people are being violatedeveryday whilst the perpetrators benefit most from this law.Sir Michael (or should it be Sir Maurice), plays his part with anunderstated and committed performance. If I were being picky, I doubtvery much that a 75 year old ex Royal Marine would find it that easy toturn a knife on a drug addict in the blink of eye but he wouldcertainly be able to shoot people. And shoot he does.A gritty and uncompromising piece which is uncomfortable and disturbingat times but very relevant. And it really does make Charlie Bronson'sefforts look tame in comparison.

2012-04-08 05:40:17

British Grand Torino

There are two types of Britain in film/TV land: the anodyne version as portrayed in Love Actually and Doctor Who, and the squalid version as portrayed in Trainspotters and Harry Brown.We're thrown into a world of mindless violence, in which teenage thugs wreak terror though possession of illegal handguns. This is the underclass of British life - dead-end lives eked out in dilapitated high-rise housing estates. Think Chicago projects or Parisian banlieue. This is a world in which the sub-human prey on the weak and the old. This is, in short, a perfect setting for the old wild western hero, the man who stands alone against the bad guys with the odds against him. Harry Brown is a modern version of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns but in this case our anti-hero is a pensioner. And it's entirely appropriate therefore that this is basically an English version of Eastwood's valedictory Grand Torino. Caine's protagonist is more likable - and infinitely more vulnerable - than Eastwood's retired auto worker, and the acting is definitely in a class above, but the basic themes are the same. An old man takes on a teenage gang in order to make his little corner of this wide world a slightly better place. As might be expected from a British script, there are nuances and subtleties totally absent from Eastwood's movie, but the violence is actually greater - and the more distressing for being so accurate, as when one of the gang urinates on the dying body of the old man they've just stabbed. Hollywood wouldn't tolerate such a scene - it might adversely impact popcorn and ice-cream sales to the audience. If realism, brutality, and bleakness are your cup of tea then this is a much better movie than Hot Fuzz or Bruges. The script is tighter, the direction more compelling, and the acting is superior. But in the end it's a very depressing look at modern Britain and I doubt the UK Tourist Board was very happy with its release.

ajs-10 2012-04-07 10:13:45

Great performance from Michael Caine in this revenge thriller.

I have always been a fan of the work of Michael Caine and Iunfortunately missed this one when it came out. This film described hasas many things, 'Death Wish for geriatrics' was one of my favourites.What it is is a revenge thriller with some vigilantism thrown in forgood measure. But more of that later, here's a short synopsis first.Harry Brown is an ex marine; he lives on a high-rise estate in London.His wife has recently died and he has just one friend, Leonard, left onthe estate. There is a lot of trouble with teenagers using drugs andcommitting crimes around the place and the police seem incapable ofdoing anything about it. Eventually Leonard decides he has had enoughand confronts some of the youths. Unfortunately this does not go welland he ends up being killed. The police, in the guise of D.I. AliceFrampton and D.S. Terry Hicock call on Harry to break the news. Theinvestigation gets bogged down in red tape and Harry decides it's timeto take action. Using his military training, he begins to take revengeon those who murdered his friend.Now, I have heard that the level of violence depicted in this film istoo high. To me it's about right. The level of violence used by HarryBrown is entirely justifiable in my opinion. If anything, the characteris very restrained compared to the low-life's he's up against. But Idigress, great performances all round, particularly from Michael Caineas Harry Brown, I thought he was outstanding. Honourable mentions mustalso go to; Emily Mortimer as D.I. Alice Frampton, Charlie Creed-Milesas D.S. Terry Hicock and David Bradley as Leonard Attwell.I found this film very engrossing; I felt for Harry's character andcould sense the frustration of Alice. The bad guys were veryintimidating as well which added to the tension. A very well made filmwith some great performances, if slightly too violent for some. Overall, recommended.My score: 8.2/10