Shane Meadows became known after releasing A Room For Romeo Brass then followed by Once Upon A Time In The Midlands. He was then catapulted forward with the release of the award winning and brilliant Dead Mans Shoes.

You will notice that a lot of the same faces star in Shane Meadows films because he has been long standing friends with some of the actors. Including Paddy Considine and Andrew Shim. He also adds himself to the mix with cameo's.

The story: This Is England is a semi-autobiographical tale of a young boy adopted by a gang of skinheads in a grey seaside town. (make note how Shaun deliberately echoes Shane Meadows). Sean is a put-upon 12-year old who finds unexpected friendship with a group of local skinheads led by the sweet natured Woody. These skins are a far cry from the image of racist thuggery that the movement became known for in the 80's. It's all about the music, and of course the clothes - although Sean is too small for Doc Marten boots, he still gets the haircut, the plaid shirt and the braces. For a while, everything is sweet in Sean's world. He even shares his first kiss with a female Boy George lookalike with the charming name of Smell.

Soon, conflict arrives in the form of Combo, played by the British bulldog-like Stephen Graham, an old mate of the gang whose time in prison has left him with a strong sympathy for the National Front. The one and only criticism from me was that Combo's time inside could have been shown more maybe. Combo's racist agenda splits the gang and Sean, tragically, finds himself turning to Combo as a substitute for the father he lost in the Falklands. You will also notice an appearance from the brilliant Frank Harper who sides with Combo.

Meadows is an exhilarating filmmaker and This Is England is his best film to date - an honest, emotional, funny and deeply moving portrait of growing up.

This Is England may sound, in short, like typical grimesville British filmmaking - concrete, rain and misery. This couldn't be further from the truth. I have massive respect for films that show exactly how it is and this is one of them has it down to the brilliant soundtrack. The film is fizzing with energy and humour, powered by brilliantly engaging performances.

This Is England packs a lot into its 100 minutes, but never feels hectoring. Therein lies its power. And to mention again a terrific, danceable soundtrack, laid down with love.

Here in the UK at the time of this review being written we are lucky enough to have the follow-up to This Is England in the form of a short TV series called This Is England 86' set three years on from the film. At the time Tom Cruises Cocktail was filling cinema's, the World Cup is in full swing in Mexico and over 3 million Brits are unemployed. Split into 4 parts each running for over 50 minutes Its another one to look out for which is another piece of brilliance from Mr Meadows.

Overall: A spot on portrayal of England in the 80's 9.8/10

The story centres on Shaun, a pre-teen boy living in a working class area in a northern English city. Thatcherism is in full swing and Shaun, having lost his father to the Falklands war, is emotionally vulnerable and easy prey for bullies. Woody, the leader of a group of older kids, feels sorry for Shaun and takes him under his wing. These kids are skinheads. But they are part of the sub-culture in the original sense, which is to say, absolutely no racism. Just style, music and good times. The film deserves credit for illustrating this point. It might clear up some of the misunderstanding about how a very cool and expressive youth culture was hi-jacked by Nazis. It certainly made me think.


So, things begin to look up for Shaun. Fully accepted into the group and shown some kindness, he gains confidence and starts to enjoy his boyhood and get some fun out of life. But a dark force (namely, Combo, Woody's ex mate just home from 3 years in prison) is about to exert itself in the lives of all these truly likable kids. What follows in the second half of the film is some of the powerful and moving drama you will ever see. It is perfectly paced. The narrative shifts effortlessly between deep tenderness and horrific violence (both physical and verbal). All the performances are stellar.


I don't cry easily, but at the end of this my jaw was on the floor and I had tears in my eyes. If you haven't watched it already, check it out and see if I'm right.