Ill Manors

A surprisingly well made film. The rapping narration adds an original edge to the movie. Compared to 'adulthood.' there is a lack of humor in this one. there is a darkness to each subplot. and as the film develops the moral depth increases. One one level there is the satanic message of 'vengeance is the original sin,' and the film does its best to deliver this to the viewer amidst urban blood-lust. There are a couple of references in camera-work to the Texas chainsaw massacre and taxi driver. the pacing is similar to harry brown. but without the chess like strategy. instead everything falls together like a stream of karma. where harry brown nods to the stephen Lawrence case,ill manors goes more into people trafficking.in this way it shares the vemon of ' taken.' some scenes take a culture of 'meatholes.' and 'heavy-r' and give you a side step view into this disease of female exploitation. it is done in a realistic yet artistic way. with a cultural hint of the terrible crimes towards young girls in the north of england earlier this year.

compared to eight mile this film has the same 'hip -hop.' street vibe, but this being a UK film , everything takes a more claustrophobic eeriness. with some of the footage shot on mobile phones, as a viewer i was left thinking of the similarity to cannibal holocaust in the point of view direction in parts of the movie. ill manors-a document on current the social structure of the western world and the dog eat dog mentality the fuels it.

as ben drew goes into the world of advertising i would recommend this film.as it is not a particularly marketable piece of art. and for that i respect it..

Saw this the other week at the cinema. Watch a film. Although this type of film has been done before with the likes of 'Kidulthood' and so on, but the material has never been fresher. I'm not Plan B's biggest fan music wise. I think he's very talented and my girl loves him, but I'm more into my underground grime rather than commercial. I did, however, think he did a good job in 'Adulthood' and 'Harry Brown' so I'm guessing I'm more into his acting than his music. And I'm hoping to see a lot more after this. It's the story of different characters who connect in some way or another. Each story filled with tragedy and each character dealing with issues. Plan's B's singing narration before each story is brilliant. This won't be for everyone. There's crackheads, prostitution, pedophiles, drugs and violence but there's also an incredible empathy for even the most horrible characters. There's also some good humour too. The acting's fantastic. With some faces you know and some you don't, each performance is bang on. Overall a deep, very well made film with terrific performances and a truly original style. ****/*****

Listen to the narrator's warning at the opening of the film, because a rough and dangerous ride follows as the film unfolds.

The only reason that I'm able to write a coherent review of the film is because some, but not all, of the subject matter is entirely foreign to me and to most of the people who have been around me for most of my long, adult life.

The narration is in a foreign language (hip-hop) that I never learned at school, but I'm a quick learner. If you aren't - it'll be hard to work out what's going on in the confused and disjointed lives that confront you - but persevere.. because it will make sense - eventually. Learn the language of the narrator, because he's explaining what's happening as we shift back and forth in time.

Writer and Director Ben Drew / Plan B presents a shockingly realistic portrayal and insight into the hapless lives of the damaged individuals that we get to know in the course of the story.

If society, as a whole, has not got the message that comes out loud and clear from the film, it's 'Keep drugs, fireworks, sharp instruments and unloving care-takers away from young children - if you want a happy ending in the longer term'.

This film charts the everyday outcomes which follow early exposure to forbidden fruit and the inability of people to recover from exposure, later on in life - whether due to premature death or permanent, irreversible psycholgical damage. All the way through it's a long catalogue of unhappy endings without any hope of remission.

An old story, well-told; dressed up in the newest generation's clothes, sex, drugs and rock and roll.

I can only assume that people didn't like this film because it was too dark, or it simply wasn't their type of film.

If you like films like Kidulthood & Adulthood I can promise you will LOVE this.

I personally thought it was better than the above said films.

Not only was it very well produced and directed, the acting was top notch! I've never seen (or noticed) Ed Skrein in a film before, and he played his part perfectly - Totally believable, and basically a right nasty piece of work.

All the other parts were played excellently too(with maybe the exception of Kirby's character)

It had a great story that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end, it is shocking, harrowing,and some good humor was thrown in too.

After it finished, I text a handful of friends (who I knew would like it) and told them to watch it asap.

Nuff said, 10/10

This film quite literally blew me away and had I listened to some of the posts off here, I possibly could of missed out!

Personally, judging by the posters who have come on here to discuss this film, I think the film has inadvertently aimed itself or been swept into the wrong market. It seems it is being judged by the people who are unfortunately incapable of grasping the brilliance of it all.

Despite being set in a similar environment, this film is not another 'Kidulthood' and tackles much more deeper questions about morality. 'Kidulthood' was aimed solely at the people it portrayed such as the teens and young adults who live in these areas. For me, 'Ill Manors' is for a more mature market and is a harrowing message that should be seen by the masses and the more privileged of us out there who need a window to peer through in order to grasp the horrors that take place right on our doorstep. It is also for the real movie lovers out there who want to be taken on a roller coaster ride and really feel the angst and despair that these true to life characters have to go through just to survive. Without question, this film will take you in from the first minute and drag you into the hurricane that is the working class of London where you have no idea how or where you will end up.

From a spectacle point of view, this film is breathtaking one minute and the so raw the next that you will feel the need to look away.

I can quite readily say that I did not expect nothing close to what I saw and I am extremely glad that I took the time to check this brilliant film out.

9/10 for me.