Genres

Visitors Review

a.v. boy 2013-06-15 03:00:22

Bravura Performance. Finest Movie Ever Made for TV.

Tim Roth blasted to the forefront of edgy screen actors with this bravuratour-de-force performance for British TV in 1982. Perhaps the finest workof an actor who has had many great performances since. It's a crying shamethat most of his fans in North America have yet to seeit.This film blows me away. First saw it ages ago when Public TV in NYCdaringly broadcast it unheralded and only one time. They've never shown itagain, nor has it ever been shown elsewhere in the US to my knowledge. Iwas ecstatic recently when I managed to view the film again, for the firsttime in over 10 years, via a European DVD. Anyone who has seen this filmknows what I mean when I say it is insane for it NOT to be released on thisside of the Pond. Movies about violent youths and skinheads are not unknownover here, just not this good. The recent American History X, as fine as itwas, doesn't manage a fraction of the raw intensity of Made in Britain.Trevor, a bright, autonomous, 16 year-old is also a seething, out-of-controldeeply antisocial skinhead. He's not part of a gang, not part of a clique,he's a totally alienated individual who sees himself as part of a movement. It's not enough to say that Roth is totally believable in the part. Thepart itself is way, way beyond your expectations when watching a film. Trevor "acts out", but Roth doesn't "act" Trevor, Roth IS Trevor for theduration of this film. Seeing Tim Roth for the first time in this film, youwouldn't initially be sure you were watching an actor play a part. For awhile you might believe you were watching a real documentary about a berserkyouth committing petty crimes and mayhem and oblivious to the camera. Onlythrough the dramatic pace and development of the film and the inclusion ofother, mere mortal, actors might you let the magic slip momentarily andsuspect you were watching a fictional movie, but the intensity ratchets upagain, and before you know it you're looking at the end-credits andwondering why it's over and wanting more, more!Trevor on the surface is a deplorable human being: hateful, racist, selfishand violent. At the same time, he is resourceful, intelligent, and in someways, fragile, yet in others, daring, nothing-left-to-lose. His behavior isself-destructive, his future is bleak. In short, he is fascinating and youspend the whole short 73-minute film alternately shocked, transfixed,amused, bewildered and yet, pulling for him.If you've seen Tim Roth's other work, and you respect his abilities, you oweit to yourself to do whatever you have to do to see this film. You won'tregret it. Meanwhile, someone should cut a deal to release this in NorthAmerica so all of Tim Roth's hungry fans can see it!

Mark Hulme 2013-06-14 20:32:55

Brilliant British Drama

I was lucky enough to get this on DVD for £5 and when I bought it, I knewlittle about it. Upon first viewing I was amazed at the performance of TimRoth playing Trevor because he was believable and he brought realism tothecharacter. I could see how this created controversy being broadcasted ontelevision but this is commendable. The script is excellent by DavidLelandwho went on to co-write Mona Lisa starring Bob Hoskins. It is these sortsoffilms and actors that make me proud to be British and I recommend this toeveryone if you can find it. 9 out of 10.

Ricky Lee Grove 2013-06-13 10:03:59

Outstanding Social Realist Film; Great Ensemble Performances.

Tim Roth is wonderful in this early film in his career. However, its theensemble acting in this great piece of social-realism film-making, thatgives it fire. Shot in the over-the-shoulder documentary style of FrederickWiseman and Pennebaker, the look is gritty and dirty. The passionate actingare what makes this film great. Sadly, the writers chose to make Roth'sskin-head rebel into and example for social change instead of a man with adestiny, which is what Roth portrayed. We are left at the end of the filmwith the feeling the British conservatives want us to feel- skinheads arefreaks and must conform. I think the writers should have re-read "ClockworkOrange" again. Still, an excellent 70 minutes of cinema. Well worth yourtime, and not just for Tim Roth

2013-06-12 21:10:16

Tim Roth tour de force

Directed by Alan Clarke and scripted by David Leland, this is an excellent one off play/film about a deliquent 16 year old called Trevor played by Tim Roth who refuses to conform to the laws. He gets in trouble with authority but doesn't heed the warnings until he is finally 'dealt with' by the powers that be. At the end of the film, we see a frightened but not cowed teenager who must face punishment for his crimes. I remember seeing this film when it aired on Channel 4 in the UK in the 1980s. At the time, it had a big impact on me as I was a teenager myself. Down through the years it is still being hailed as a very important piece of work regarding its social commentary and is mentioned in the same breath as Alan Clarke's other play 'Scum'. It also bears striking similarities to Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange' and Shane Meadows' new film 'This Is England'.The best part of this film is the performance of Tim Roth who showed his talent at a young age in this his first major film. Roth has gone on to excel as a movie star since then. It really is worth watching this. Roth appears in nearly every frame of this 73 minute film and it makes for compelling viewing.

toy_soldiers 2013-06-09 09:25:06

This movie was rotten.

To those of you who gave this movie a good rating, you can go on allyou want about how the characters shocked and captivated you all youlike. I was bored out of my freaking mind, not to mention disturbed.Nothing about the performances were memorable. Nothing about thecharacters enticed me. It was 70 odd minutes of cursing, spitting,growling. The character of Trevor was hardly intelligent orresourceful. He was just a dumb sack of feces that liked to tossbricks, and kick and spit like a mongrel. His lines were not clever, infact everything about him was pathetic. There was no mood, the lightingwas flat, the way it was shot and directed was as stiff and drumming asthe social workers and councilors in the movie.If you want to experience human (and cinematic) garbage in all itsglory, go ahead, waste your money and life and see this movie.

Steve Potter 2013-06-08 13:51:59

A must see

I saw this film a couple of years after 'escaping' from East London,duringthe Thatcher regime, to Canada. I was not like Trevor, but I knew morethanone person who was just like him. I recognized the "What's the {bleep}point?" frustration and anger in him. "Trevor" was never far away frommanyyoung people in Britain in those days. This film may shock you. You mayfindTrevor's story hard to believe. It IS believable. Tom Roth's performancewasexcellent! A must see!

alfiebeaut 2013-06-06 18:40:48

The ending was disappointing

Although the film was OK, I thought the ending wasn't very good. I getthe whole 'stand-up for what you believe in' stuff but it doesn't tellyou what happened after he got smacked in the private parts with abaton at the end. I mean, did he go to Borsal and clean up his act? Ithink I wasted a good 1hr 15mins watching it. I suppose I expectedsomething similar to 'scum' or 'this is england' and it disappoints meto say the film let me down. It had no real ending at all and all itgives out is a message that racial slurs are bad and you should keepyour opinions to yourself. Yes, the shock factors there but all in all,it was a great disappointment considering it had lots of good reviews.

Tim Kidner 2013-06-06 16:08:51

Early Tim Roth....

I've always admired and liked Tim Roth, believing him to be one of theU.K's finest acting exports. I found this DVD at a local CashConvertersfor 99p and it sat on my shelf for a year.Finally seeing it, it did not surprise me that within ten minutes, notonly had skinhead Trevor (Roth) stolen a car but was also sniffingglue, with his room-mate from the open assessment detention centre thatthe Court had only just sent him to.I so wanted not for this to be a catalogue of 'let's be as nasty racistcriminals as we possibly can' but couldn't see how it would not be. Asa pertinent statement on Thatcher's Capitalist Britain it certainlyhits hard, with Roth being very believable and natural, his facialconfigurations often being a whole act in themselves.The film does try and breakdown how the bright Trevor got to this stagein life, which to do in a credible way, is commendable. The 4:3 TVratio, the natural lighting and '80s slightly dingy images suit thesubject perfectly, having a near documentary feel. There's also a solidsupporting cast of social workers, case workers etc that are familiarto British TV drama audiences.The strong dialogue with 'f' words aplenty seem natural and often usedwith anger and menace. Made In Britain will be many people's worst kindof nightmare viewing, but let them keep their cosy Sunday night gentle'drama'. This is true drama, not cotton-wool wrapped in caramel gooeystuff that is far too prevalent. For those who want - and appreciate -a roller-coasting journey down Reality Street, then this is the realdeal.

2013-06-05 09:23:21

Ultra violence

This review is from: Made in Britain (DVD) Yes this movie stars a young actor that now plays the main doctor on the hit show "Lie to Me". If you want to see this actor as a violent skin head out to destroy society, this movie will surely make you laugh. Also appealing to the National Socialists out there.

shoddy 2013-06-04 22:00:06

Brutal tragedy with an incredible performance by Roth

This is an absolute stone cold classic. I had this on videotape in the1980s and could quote virtually every line of Trevor's at the time.Clarke and Roth created the perfect contemporary folk devil in Trevor'scharacter. He's no simple racist, he hates EVERYBODY. Roth's incredibleperformance as a rebellious and difficult skinhead embodied thealienation and rage felt by many young, white males, myself included.Like Clarke's other brutal masterpiece, 'Scum', 'Made In Britain' is animportant antidote to the slick 'brat pack' flicks that came out ofHollywood during the 80s and an important social document of howThatcherism (and its New Labour descendants) dealt with itsdiscontents.As a teenager, Trevor was my hero. He didn't simply stick two fingersup to everyone in authority, he grabbed each one of them by the lapelsand butted them in the face. Now I've grown up a bit I see him as arather more tragic figure. Despite the efforts of others to tame him,Trevor is a wild beast, unable to put a lid on his anger or use hisintelligence to prevent his own destruction.If I have one criticism, it is that Trevor is supposed to be 16 yearsold, yet Roth was 21 at the time that he played him. While a youngerlead would not have put in such a strong performance, Roth's age madeit difficult to picture Trevor as an adolescent. This is a minor niggleabout what is otherwise a powerful, essential critique of the darkerside of the Thatcher era.

givnaw 2013-06-04 06:55:11

Unforgettable

Saw it years ago by accident on PBS. Thought it was a documentary. They'veonly shown it once, to my knowledge (probably because so many complainedabout the foul language and nasty attitude of Trevor. Very unappetizing toAmerican mid-western WASP sensibilities.).An absolutely stupifyingly mind-blowing performance by TimRoth.Once you see, you won't forget.

TheMovieMorgue 2013-06-03 14:18:20

Raises many notes but never reaches it's crescendo. Roth's powerful performance feels wasted

This is the TV movie which kick-started the career of Tim Roth,directed by Alan Clarke, the director of the Ray Winstone-featuredBorstal drama "Scum". "Made in Britain", however, does not compare toClarke's previous effort at all. It's a very short film - just overseventy minutes long, and it follows the efforts of social workers asthey attempt to steer a 16 year-old skin head named Trevor back ontothe right track. Trevor is heading for prison if he keeps this attitudeup: stealing cars and throwing bricks through the windows of immigrantand assaulting them. Trevor is disillusioned with society and theoppressive education system he fled from. He has a swastika tattooedbetween his two eyebrows and his forearms are heavily tattooed. CanTrevor revert his ways, or will he continue down this dangerous path? JClocking in at just over 70 minutes long but it feels longer at points.The script feels very underdone and a lot more could have been donewith this I think. Tim Roth is amazing as Trevor, and it's no wonderthe lad went on to make a name for himself in the States. However,apart from Roth, there isn't much commendable here. If you want to seethe definitive British skin head film, I recommend 2006's "This isEngland". For the definitive American and Australian skin head picture,see "American History X" and "Romper Stomper" respectively. But avoidthis one.

craignewman2006 2013-05-31 13:11:20

@: play333r (lukenny32@gmail.com)

'In particular, the finger on the bell scene at the end of the moviehad me in hysterics because of Trevor's sheer lack of respect foranyone else.' You obviously have never been in the nick mate! now takeyour pretentious, self absorbed vapid remarks about a great film, andstick them up your arse (to quote Trevor) ;-) oops the Nazis at IMDbwont post this unless i get 10 lines, so i'll carry on with my tiradewith 'play333r' (oh the irony) This film, (if you grew up in the 80's)has resounding effects on people just like me (i.e i'm NOT middleclass) Luke i wish you all the luck in the world (i'm sure you'llinherit a good amount) but to dismiss a great bit of British/socialfilmaking is just ignorant... /rant@toy_soldiers This is why British filmaking is supperior to American, you sir/madamare a div... (with very bad tatse)

John Taylor 2013-05-31 00:01:16

Roth shows his talent at an early age.

Made in britain is a gritty play/movie that shows the mentality of some ofthe youth during Thatcherite Britain when the Tory Government were aboutgreed and cared nothing for the high unenmployment rate and crime rate.TimRoth plays a youth who feels that the system has let him down and rebelsagainst all authority and anybody who wants to help him.The language is very hard which only adds to the quality of the film and theacting from Tim Roth is of the highest standard especially considering thiswas his first big project.It is suprisingly fresh and has not dated and is a good reminder of howthing were for some people in the early eighties and also how the youthdidnt want to help themselves because they felt society owed them somethingbecause we had the worst government of the twentieth century.8 out of 10.

2013-05-29 00:33:49

I've seen BETTER skinhead movies

I can't believe I wasted my money on this movie. It was not interesting at all, but rather boring.'This is England' and 'Romper Stomper' are better movies. I suggest you watch those, instead of wasting time on this movie.

Sakab 2013-05-28 10:52:43

great movie - great act

The movie doesn't emphasize to the reasons that led anti-hero Trevor tothis situation but shows the uncontrollable anger of a young man who'sdealing with everything that surrounds him (historically that time wasvery tough for the English people due to Thatcherism). Obviously thedirector is attending to the English viewers so some may misunderstoodhis well-meaning intentions. Trevor has no any political relation withfascism or Nazis. Try to remember that scene where Trevor says to hisblack "fellow" Errol that he's leaving because he has to find hismates. There are no mates! His not going to find his mates. He hascreate in his mind a pseudo-world of fighters against society no matterwhat kind of fighters they are, no matter what's their politicalbackground. He have to express that anger in a way that has no matterwhat truly represents. If you see Trevor looks much more with ananarchist than a Nazi (it's not accidental that the intro song is fromthe anarchic band "The Exploited"). Even Errol is so confused in thatconfusing time in British history that he's willing to do harm to hishomeopaths that is Paki's. Yesterday I saw the film "This Is England"which is close to the main subject of "Made in Britain". It is also amasterwork and i recommend to everyone!

2013-05-23 02:36:18

MADE IN BRITAIN THE MOVIE

This review is from: Made in Britain (DVD) THIS MOVIE IS A GOOD MOVIE STARTS OFF SLOW BUT IF YOU LIKE DECENT MOVIES THIS ONE IS NOT BAD I WOULD SAY BUY IT IF YOUR THINKING ABOUT IT IT'S WORTH IT!

debi 2013-05-22 13:47:28

unforgettable

I saw this movie late one night on PBS while living in Denver, Colorado, ineither 1988 or '89. It made quite an impression! I was thrilled to seethisactor in later movies and I remembered him from this. That actor, ofcourse,turned out to be the now-famous Tim Roth. The most memorable scene in thefilm occurs when the social worker tries to talk some sense into Trevor,andTrevor replies with a barrage of cursing which was truly inspiring to my,then, 13-year-old mind.

Lost_Soul58 2013-05-18 10:10:45

As upsetting as it is entertaining.

Gritty and raw to the bone. Tim Roth knocked it out of the park withhis intense performance, which is arguably on par with De Niro inRaging Bull in terms of sheer ferociousness, and this was his firststarring role. This is the type of neo-nazi film I like to see, onethat feels real and doesn't attempt to preach to the viewer, andinstead just allows the viewer to decide if he or she wants tosympathize with the main character or not. It also didn't feel like itglamorized the lifestyle, at least to me; it's simply a hyper-realisticfilm that comes off like a documentary or home video footage.If you want to see a semi-similar film about the black gang lifestylein Los Angeles, definitely check out "Gang Tapes", it won't disappointand is even more bleak and hopeless.

Lina 2013-05-17 17:51:35

Good film, especially for Tim Roth fans

This is a TV film by Alan Clarke but is just as good, if not better, thanfor example "The Firm" or "Scum" (I know many people might not agree onthat) You can sense from the start that it's a film by Alan Clarke and like MikeLeigh, the actors always seems to be at their best when working with AlanClarke. This is true especially for Tim Roth in this film (his first role bythe way) who has never been better. In fact I don't think I have seen abetter performance by any other actor in any other film than Tim Roth´sacting here. This is partly due to the demanding role where he can show offhis skills (a lot of anger) and because of Alan Clarke`s directing Isuppose. After first seeing the film I thought that Tim Roth really was likethis and that was the reason for his amazing performance. After seeing"Meantime" (by Mike Leigh) where he plays a quiet retard I realized that itwasn't so... And for the film´s sake it's lucky that Tim Roth did as well as he didbecause this film had never worked without a good actor to portray Trevor.The whole film evolves around him and there is no real plot. It sometimesfeels more like a documentary than a film and the one thing I can complainabout is that there is no real story. But still it must be a good filmsince I still remember it this strongly. The film is about the angry Skinhead teenager Trevor who seems to be in warwith the world and hates everything - authorities, school, Pakis... After throwing a brick through some poor Pakistani shop´s window he is sentto an assessment center, and it's here the film begins. I'm not sure what to give this film. A part of me wants to give it 10/10because I have seen it ten times and are still fascinated by it, but when Ithink and compare it to other good films I notice its lack of story and feelit might only deserve 5-6/10.I can also feel like it romanticizes racists and racism but I guess that isonly in the eye of the beholder... I'll give it 9/10