Pluskylang Great Film overall
PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
karl_consiglio Finally got to watch this movie. So true its worth watching even just to watch those expressions. We got a young and promising Tim Roth here playing Trevor the juvenile delinquent skin head. I watched it a second time before deciding to write this review. The first time I felt for the guy, I always felt somewhat that way for the underdog star that rebels against the straight ways of the society we live in. However watching it a second time i realized how annoying he is and how true it is that nobody was giving him any trouble whatsoever and that indeed he was always the one to bring it on himself. Everybody around him does nothing but try to help, OK he says he does not need any help, wants to be left in peace to do whatever he wants, but does that include having him allow others to live in peace? I love it towards the end he really loses it.
alfiebeaut Although the film was OK, I thought the ending wasn't very good. I get the whole 'stand-up for what you believe in' stuff but it doesn't tell you what happened after he got smacked in the private parts with a baton at the end. I mean, did he go to Borsal and clean up his act? I think I wasted a good 1hr 15mins watching it. I suppose I expected something similar to 'scum' or 'this is england' and it disappoints me to say the film let me down. It had no real ending at all and all it gives out is a message that racial slurs are bad and you should keep your opinions to yourself. Yes, the shock factors there but all in all, it was a great disappointment considering it had lots of good reviews.
BritishZombie While listing to Skinnyman's album: Council Estate Of Mind, I was curious of a angry young man swearing at cursing at everything.I bought the film since I'm also a fan of Tim Roth, and i'm very happy with my choice. Kick-a$$ film.Skinhead Trevor wonders around London, nicking cars, attacking Pakis and being a bit of a *ucker really. Glue sniffing has obviously made him go insane and you watch his last few days before inevitably going to prison.Pretty decent acting, and a great hooking plot. This is what started Tim's career.Overall: 8.2/10
Amanda Johnson I saw this film whilst studying in London, and though it isn't exactly pleasant, it does capture your imagination. Roth's performance is as brutal and realistic as everyone says, and the rough, hand-held style of the camera-work contributes to its documentary feel. I don't think I am alone when I say these things; however, I hesitate to talk about how this movie stacks up to other films about skinheads, particularly American HISTORY X. The fact that both movies include the nationality of the main characters says it all--as much as we might like to think that all skinheads are alike, insomuch as they are all equally stupid, Trevor wouldn't make sense in America and Derek Vinyard (Ed Norton's Chararter in AHX) wouldn't make sense in Britain. Each character is a unique product of their country's history, politics, racial attitudes, and ideas of self. Thus I don't think either character--or either movie--can really be evaluated in of the other. And while the lead performance is captivating, and might be worthwhile for Tim Roth fans (legend has it Tarantino was inspired to cast him in Reservoir Dogs after seeing this performance), I can see why this film has not been a big hit in the United States. As I said before, the issues discussed in the movie are specific to a particular moment in Britain's social history, and don't translate well. For example, the ending shows Trevor and his new black friend teaming up to assault a South-Asian merchant. This cross-racial animosity toward South-Asian immigrants is reflective of Britain' unique experience with multiculturalism, and wouldn't make much sense to Yanks, given our country's racial history and patterns of immigration. I would recommend this film for the lead performance, and perhaps for its potential to inform the viewer about certain aspects of Britain's multicultural history.
