[Movie] Harry Brown

It took a while for the nice people here at MttG to get this review out to you due to the torrent of reviews that have flooded into them since initiating this feature. This review has been sitting here for a while now, but I’ve decided to have them push it out now for one very simple reason. Michale Caine picked up a lifetime achievement award at the British Independent Film Awards last weekend. He has starred in two independent, British films this year. The first was Is Anybody There (Currently on DVD) and the other is the subject of this review, Harry Brown. Harry Brown recently left the cinemas, but to honour Sir Michael, and prep you for the inevitable DVD, here is my review of Harry Brown.
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It is almost a crime to find problems with films starring Michael Caine. He has proven, over a long and varied career, that he can bring parts to life, and he shows no signs of stopping as his time on-screen is, by his own admission, approaching its end. His latest film is Harry Brown, and whilst it is a very good film, I do have a bit of a problem.

Harry Brown Film Poster

For those who haven’t heard, this is the story of an ex-marine vs. the estate hoodies. when his wife dies, and his best friend beaten and stabbed to death, Harry Brown is left alone. He become a vigilante whose aim is to hunt down and kill those evil hoodies responsible for his friend’s death. It’s a revenge film from the point of view of a victim, and therein seems to lie the problem.

It’s being heralded as a “wake up call” in newspapers like the The Daily Mail (Well, “news”papers) and held up as an example of how these horrible hoodies need to be treated. That is to say that we should all get guns and shoot them. Or stab them, or blow them up. The film basically says that vigilantism is the way to go with these thugs, and that the police, who are displayed as overly inept, are entirely worthless.

It is an overly simplified version of what it is to be a “hoodie”. Caine, whilst researching for the role, talked to some kids on the estates that he grew up on himself many years ago, and said that it was more often than not a problem stemming from the family background than something that happens “just for entertainment”. It is touched upon in the film, where an older skin-head is in a car, forcing one of the youths to perform a sexual act on him, before Harry shows up. This youth having already had questions raised about this type of act earlier in the film. This is however only a small part of the film, and not really given any screen time beyond passing comments, and that five second scene.

Whilst Caine is on true form with this film, the same can’t be said for Emily Mortimer, although the problem there may be more that of the part than her talent. It is, however, good to see a director able to use a black screen so effectively. At a time when films feel the need to fill every frame of their run-time with something, using 3D to poke the audience in the eye, and blowing everything up with CGI it is somewhat refreshing to see Daniel Barber know how to cut to black effectively, and how to use people instead of a computer.

So whilst I can’t say that I agree with what the film says, it is enjoyable, if just to see Michael Caine on full form again, and as a break from CGI-fest, end of the world, In 3D films it is something I greet with open arms. That said, I will be going to see 2012 at some point soon, so wish me luck.

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This content is reposted from the Random Blog of Random Blogginess. The original post can be found here. It is used, with permission, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

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