Written & Directed By: Sall El Hosaini
Cinematography By: David Raedeker
Editor: Iain Kitching
Cast: James Floyd, Fady Elsayed, Anthony Welsh, Amira Ghazalla, Said Tagahmaoui, Elarica Gallacher, Letita Wright, Nasser Memarzia, Aymen Hamdouci, Arnold Oceng
Mo is a young boy growing up in a traditional Egyptian household, but beyond the front door of the family's modest London flat is a completely different world - the streets of Hackney. Impressionable Mo idolizes his handsome older brother Rashid and wants to follow is his footsteps. However, Rashid, a charismatic and shrewd member of a local gang, wants a different life for his little brother and deals drugs hoping to put Mo through college. One eventful summer, Rashid's sexual awakening forces Mo to confront his own fears and phobias and threatens to tear the brothers apart.
A coming of age film that at first is hard to tell exactly where it is going, though once it sets its rhythms that define the changing nature of the character's world.
Soon everyone reveals their true nature and how deep their loyalty and sense of family truly are.
It's a good anti-gang film. Showing the passing loyalty and fickle judgments of a gang, that calls itself your family and the true loyalty nature of family.
While having a dual love story that explores as grows throughout.
The film showcases the bond between the brothers, but never feels truthful when the younger one feels his older brother leaves him out of the blue when he is really protecting him, To be better and more successful than him. As he feels it's too late for me. This is the life I have chosen.
The older brothers feeling of loss especially after his best friend, the only one who had any faith in him and was trying to lead him to a better life in the future dies. He has an emptiness until he meets someone else who he can be close to and be tough or cool around just to get respect. He can be open and normal and still be respected. As well as helping him deal with emotions he might have had for his friend but naturally was afraid to approach and even consider.
It is much more amazing to me. That his former friends in the gang, see it as a betrayal of his sexuality. I am guessing they are trying to make excuses to hate and kill him. They see it as a betrayal more as he was hiding something, in essence, the real him from them and are afraid. that by having him around and associating with him they will be guilty or thought to be the same as him. Ridiculous, but shows their shallow way of thinking.
As in some, it seems the event that changes everything is the death of a friend. Who was trying to straighten out his life and do the right thing. Then gets gunned down, making him realize how endless and empty his life has been.
Both of the brothers' subsequent romances are sweet and fell truthful and most importantly natural. The film gives is a look at urban England and youth culture to a degree.
There are some scenes that have you on the edge of your seat, More out of emotional thrills and threats rather than the physical ones that come up also.
The film comes as a surprise. Once the film opens you have no real idea where it is going. Only who we are following. Then once it reaches a certain point the film seems to open up and make its preference and place known. I am glad the film didn't end where it looked like it was headed. It still leaves no definite answers, but a clear understanding.
Though that the gang didn't seek him out. Nor that his reputation was sealed in his apartment complex are a bit hard to believe
A good drama that would make a good rental
Grade: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment