Mixing humour, warmth and unflinching, wonderfully observed realism, Shane Meadows has created a British film that you simply must see, says Beth Squires
The complicated social landscape of Falklands-era England comes alive in this film thanks to flawless performances from the main cast and fantastic attention to detail. This Is England centres on young Shaun Fields (played beautifully by newcomer Thomas Turgoose) who, having recently lost his father in the war and become outcast from others at his school, finds acceptance from a skinhead gang of older boys and men who mould him in their image.
The opening sets the scene with a montage of 80s signifiers: Roland Rat, Nightrider, Maggie Thatcher and a few other visual references to the decade that fashion forgot (and then rehashed over the last couple of years…). Turgoose is instantly lovable as Fields, showing acting skills that men three times his age dream of, the emotions running deep within his eyes show real thought and depth of character. It’s such a mature performance that you’ll be shocked when you realise that the young actor was born in 1992 - almost a decade after the summer of 1983 when the film takes place.
When Fields (loosely based on director Shane Meadows as a child) runs into the seemingly friendly group of older boys who take him under their wing you can’t help but feel happy for him. Woody, his girlfriend Lol, and friends Milky, Gadget and Smell are subtly and brilliantly fleshed-out characters, each with lovable facets of their own personalities that easily allows you to see how Fields replaces the aching loss of his father with this group of older, cooler lads and heavily made-up girls.
For a while it seems that everything is well; Fields has fun, is accepted by his new friends and it seems even a childhood romance might be on the cards as he hurtles towards coming of age. Then, one night at a house party, Combo (brilliantly played by Stephen Graham) comes crashing into his life with disastrous results. An intimidating racist from the start, he wrecks the comfortable group dynamic and dramatically divides them, with Fields eventually sticking with Combo and Woody backing off. What follows leads Fields into the darker realities of the skinhead groups, from the light-hearted naive camaraderie of the previous youthful gang to a prejudiced grown-up world of anger, racism, violence and serious consequences.
From start to finish this film is enthralling thanks to the cast’s wonderfully nuanced performances and the realism of the writing and cinematography. The humour and warmth that emanates from the first half of the film subtly and slowly darkens to build up to the confused racism and hate that fuels the finale. This Is England is a superbly observed film that you must see, and is certain to become a British classic.
This is England is showing at cinemas natiowide from 27 April.
