My Brother the Devil

MBTD has a great cast, not a single complaint about it. The young actors are truly phenomenal. The story of two brothers in Gangland London doesn't ring that right to me. This is not gangland London. What the producer wants to show is the under layer of society where kids too mature for their age get in the lowest ranks in the hierarchy of drug dealers and their rivalry to make it big or make it out. But it's too clean, too polished and too polite.

El Hosaini goes methodically by a list of what are considered controversial topics just enough to charm but not offend the audience. Events are nicely sown together to make festival goers feel that this movie is "deep". Played out in sleek designed apartments and clean street scape instead of rough neighbourhoods governments neglect and fail to maintain . The director doesn't really understand the dynamics although apparently she spend 5 years doing research for the script. It looks like she spend a lot of time reading about it. The world she tried to capture is far more gritty than this. It's a nice watch but in no way La Haine where you see desolation, despair and boredom with a life that will have nothing else to offer. If I could I would rate this 8 for the cast and 5 for the script.

Seen this film at Sundance and was absolutely amazed by the acting in it. This film is so authentic, I loved that some of the cast are people from the streets of London. Listening to the director even prior to the screening talk about being excited screening in front of "real" people instead of the usual Sundance industry crowd was refreshing. Can't wait for some of her other stuff. The film feature some amazing cinematography. The scene with the younger brother on the tree with use of sunlight is beautiful.

See this film and watch out for everyone involved.

P.S. I cannot believe Fady Elsayed who played the younger brother hasn't acted before. That guys gonna be a star!

You could cynically call this another "drug" movie that plays out, while using the backdrop of a family. A family that has more than a few issues obviously. But you wouldn't be fair to the movie if you did that. You might not be in the mood for the movie or you might have seen a similar formula being used before, but the movie is more than decent.

You got two brothers (title is a bit of a give away), one deep inside the "business", the other one seeming to be too naive to be able to comprehend any of it. Still you can see that there is a lot of seduction (money, women, "fame") and it's difficult to resist. Or is it? Obviously things happen and evolve. While there is no nudity, sexuality plays a role, in case you were wondering.

There is a lot more to this movie than the title/synopsis tells.

Very well directed, but the consistent high acting from everyone especially the teenagers, is amazing. The character development(and changes) catches you off guard....in a good way.

It is advertised as two brothers on the streets of London, but it is really a coming-of-age story about how environment/people influence what we are and what we do. It is a slow-moving movie, so do not expect 'Gangs of New York' or some type of gangster action movie. This movie is for those that enjoy a good drama that you can remember after watching it.

Recommended those like good old fashion movie-making, without the CGI, high body count or overpriced actors who can't act.

James Floyd and Fady Elsayed rivet your attention as older and younger brothers, UK-born of Egyptian parents, who have hopes and, therefore, frustrations living in council-houses London. As with so many young, poor males in that milieu, the only immediate path to some kind of decent income is in the gang activities commonplace in their part of town.

And yet this movie avoids every clichéd turn of plot suggested by the familiar premises of the story. The drama is consistently fresh. The developments, though surprising, are invariably right. This movie will hold your attention and its characters your sympathy from the opening scene to the last blackout.

I'd also mention that a lot of the movie is in closeup so it helps that James Floyd is very easy to look at. The most perfect nose without rhinoplasty I ever saw. Jim Smith