Console best movie i've ever seen.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

eddie_baggins A film of raw, unrelenting and passionate power, This is England remains underrated director Shane Meadows greatest singular achievement and one of Britain's all-time great feature length films.Spawning a collection of worthy mini-series follow ups in the years that followed its critically praised initial release, This is England not only deals with a politically charged time in the United Kingdom's Maggie Thatcher lead period of the 80's but examines the deep undercurrent of racism often present in otherwise civilised western countries all the while being a touching coming of age story of Thomas Turgoose's 12 year old Shaun.Meadows, who has also displayed a power as a filmmaker to make uncompromising films of almost documentary style realism, evidenced in other standout efforts like A Room for Romeo Brass and Dead Man's Shoes, directs This is England with both an unflinching eye and a compassionate hand as his believable and lovable characters experience life changing events all the while surrounded by a country that has reached a boiling point of tension and rage.Led by Turgoose's incredible well-constructed debut turn as the vulnerable Shaun who finds himself a part of a ragtag group of skinheads and rascals, This is England's cast that includes such recognisable faces as Joseph Gilgun as the lovable larrikin Woody, Vicky McClure as the deep thinking Lol, Andrew Shim as the Jamaican/British Milky and a young Jack O'Connell as feisty teenager Pukey, is one of the Britain's best ever assembled casts, the case of the perfect performers coming together as a whole that proved it was no lighting in a bottle occurrence when the large portion of the cast returned again for Meadow's award winning TV follow-ups.As good as both Meadows and his cast are in This is England, this film is owned completely by one of the modern eras most commanding and attention grabbing performances by Stephan Graham as the racist, tormented and charismatic Combo.A performer who has proved time and time again that his one of the best working in the business, yet a performer who has yet to receive his just rewards, Graham's Combo is a creation that's hard to describe, a fully inhabited incarnation that can only be achieved by actors at the very top of their game.When Combo makes his entrance into This is England's characters somewhat carefree lives at the 30 minute mark of the film, Meadows film marks its change in direction and tone and enters into an hour or so of cinematic brilliance as we're driven along by Graham's tour de force turn and a story that may seem on the surface to be simplistic, but ends up flooring us with a knockout punch that will linger days after initial viewing.Encapsulating the time and place of this period incredibly well, a landscape full of checkered shirts, suspenders, shaved heads, Doc Martins and a killer soundtrack, Meadows team-up with his performers, that is steered on its powerful course by Graham, create the world that makes This is England such a special and in many ways important film experience.Final Say – Far from an easy watch, This is England may not be everyone's cup of tea but Shane Meadow's gut-punch of a film remains to this day one of the most deceptively powerful and memorably casted films of the 21st century that includes an outstanding debut performance from Thomas Turgoose and a career best turn from Stephen Graham.5 Ben Sherman shirts out of 5

bonzojade-51764 I watched this film in Film Studies not long ago and it is only my second Shane Meadows film, however as soon as the teacher said who's film it was, I was excited. I'd seen 'Dead Man's Shoes' and loved every second of it.Now, I expected a similar film, it is in some ways. For one, the gritty, realistic and sometimes uncomfortable subject matter and portrayals are all very similar. However, This is England also manages to capture the fun that teens/young people manage to find in the 80s through the most random of ways (smashing up houses and shooting each other with air guns). Almost every character is likable and most are well-fleshed out (with the exception of Pukey, Kes and Meggy who are given less screen time).The leader of the apolitical skinheads is Woody played by Joe Gilgun and he plays the role spectacularly. He is a kind-hearted guy, trying to help Shaun (the protagonist) after an emotionally tiring day. He seems to be an authority in the group, followed by Milky (Andrew Shim). Milky always seems to back up Woody's decisions and is equally warm-hearted.The accuracy (from what I've researched into skinhead and mod culture in Britain) is brilliant, obviously due to Meadow's experience as a boy.It is at first light-hearted despite some bullying of Thomas Turgoose's Shaun. However, at a party the mood changes when an old acquaintance of Woody's and Lol's shows up after being released from prison. However, it is told that he did time for Woody. Therefore you expect him to be just part of the gang, albeit a bit older, unfortunately you would be wrong. Combo is not a pleasant guy to stomach during this film, almost immediately he asserts racist views in front of the whole group. This is not only despicable in and of itself but when he spots Milky (a black man) he apologizes but still uses slurs. The music eventually overshadows this as it is clear the party has gone sour now.The whole film focuses on Thatcher's reign and the Falklands War, with many references, diegetic radio announcements and clips at the beginning of the film and towards the end after (MAJOR SPOILER!!!) Combo has beaten Milky, almost to death.Overall, if you like quirky, warm films with serious undertones and cultural references, you will love this. The whole cast delivered stunning performances and it worth a watch, honestly.

MisterWhiplash This is England is a hard-hitting look at an outsider's youth, and what comfort comes when there are others around - however it may be a brutal sort of 'others' as here. I liked Meadows' unflinching camera, his use of close-ups on faces, the ska music (unexpected that, I thought it'd be skin-head punk rock but only UK Subs shows up), and the performance by newcomer Thomas Turgoose, and Stephen Graham, who seems to be in every British film right now.I wondered why the film just ended the way it did, where it seemed like there was more story to tell, or at least a resolution to go after (and subsequently I learned Meadows did TV spin-off since the film's release with many of the same characters - which is fine, though as a film in and of itself it feels incomplete somehow, even with a predictable ending of a flag thrown in a river).All the same, it's riveting, raw, personal cinema that can resonate with any youngster that's ever felt they didn't 'fit in' - or that they found a place to fit in, whatever the circumstances.

willcundallreview Rating-8/10This Is England is a strong drama about skinheads and the affect it's members can have on youth and other such things. The drama is strong but the ride is worth it making you think long and hard and really ponder what can turn humanity to certain things and what some people were like in the near past and even today. I felt as many others did that the film was very good, I think some will absolutely love this film, it isn't enjoyable(that is the wrong word), it is a moving drama, and here's why I think it was a very good one of that.The story is a good pace and doesn't really drag at any points in truth, by the end you think about what you have seen and if you truly watched it then it should make you think about how crazy some people were in this film, and all the way through you can kind of get annoyed with how some people in this are manipulated so easily and forced to join sides. With some fun characters in the lighter moments, the film makes for a sweet main plot with the main character Shaun, but a dark and very dark of that vein with Combo, truly worth a watch if only for them two.The acting is good and Stephen Graham as the maniac of a skinhead Combo is great and although doesn't dominate the rest of the cast, probably gives the best performance. I felt the entire main gang are good and do there job really well throughout, with quirky people and angry people it makes for good balance that can shock the viewer. To say the cast is mainly from TV work they do an excellent job in transition to such a good drama, truly worth a watch as I say.Shane Meadows directs this well with some great well directing and moves the entire cast round really well. Meadows also writes it well and basically creates the wide variety of characters we see with hauntingly brilliant vision. I loved the location as it is based on a working class estate and they find some brilliant places coupled with brilliant shots too really show off the surroundings and even some shots and editing skills make the characters move so well and it all flows together nicely.Any bad things, I felt that although no real criticism comes in, you could always argue it sometimes turns from really light moments to dark moments in a click and that certain characters are just over the top crazy. I can't really prove that but hey, it is up to you the viewer to decide truly what you thought about it so maybe you can find any major criticisms.I think those who are from these kind of background will enjoy it, and especially those from the 80's who I feel will love the nostalgic joy ride. I think for those who like good drama will enjoy and people who love darker tone films with a sprinkle of funny moments will also enjoy the parallel genres. If you dislike swearing and a lot of violence or racism in a film, then avoid it because it is full of it, it is key to the plot for it to be there but just a heads up to those who dislike it.Overall a 8/10 meaning it is Safely Very Good, I felt some will think this is great, and others will dislike it for it's tones but it should be liked by the majority I would guess. Think about the messages this film portrays, and if you are from England like myself, you will see that you can feel shocked that this kind of thing was around not long ago.