Somers Town

I really dug Shane Meadows' 2006 film, This Is England. It took his film-making to the next level. Dead Man's Shoes was a worthwhile flick from '04, but This Is England was truly powerful. So with two good flicks under his belt and the lead actor from This Is England, I was confident Meadows' 2009 flick, Somers Town, wouldn't disappoint. And it definitely didn't.

Shane clearly did this film on a shoestring budget. I haven't researched how he went about making this film, but it reminds me of the way the Nouvelle Vague would shoot. Natural light, non-actors, on location, and just seemingly flying by the seat of their pants. Very D.I.Y. Very minimal. Exceedingly good.

The 70 minute film is about a friendship forged between a Polish immigrant kid, and a young boy running away from familial strife in the Midlands. They form an unlikely bond. Things are a bit sketchy at first, but good things eventually happen for the two of 'em under the grey skies of London.

The film is pretty much a two-person play, with a few supporting rolls popping up from time to time. The two young actors really pull off believable and sympathetic performances. It's rather kitchen sink, but not in the über-depressing manor you expect from such dramas.

Meadows is a great story-teller. Very human. This is well worth watching. The trailer doesn't do it justice. It's a funny, sincere, entertaining drama. Check it out.