TwentyFourSeven

Hoskins is superb,again. Ranks up there with Mike Leigh's Thatcher films. Gorgeous photography-great music-a little thin on background for an American to comprehend the full drama.

"Twentyfourseven" is not an easy movie to watch, actually I found it quite difficult, but well worth it. The story chronicles one man's attempt to bring meaning and purpose to a group of working-class youths in a grimy English city. Bob Hoskins plays Alan Darcy a sweet, well-meaning man trying to do good against insurmountable odds. Shot in black-and-white the visual despair of the public housing projects and the almost bombed-out urban landscape highlights the dark mood of the film. Why should these unemployed young men care about Darcy's dream? They're on the dole and have their alcohol, drugs and football. Why bother? This is Darcy's challenge.

The excellent ensemble cast brings life to the rather loose, not-so-good script. But the actors pull it off admirably and provide us with a good, although disturbing film. Definitely not Saturday-night-lite, rent-a-video with the family stuff, but still very good. If you're in the mood.

A gritty black & white film from the 25 year old director, Shane Meadows. Darcy, (played by Bob Hoskins in one of his better roles since MONA LISA & THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY), decides to take a bunch of restless teenagers off the streets and into the boxing ring. Then we go through the process of the bonding and the struggle as the boys come good. It begins as a realistic social drama and ends that way. I was glad to see that it didn't sell out.

Shot in sumptuous black and white,this is one the most energetic films I've seen in a very long time.Bob Hoskins(in the kind of role Robin Williams can play in his sleep,and often does)is at times funny,at other times dead serious,but always real in this story that centers around the boxing club he has built to give the young men in his small town something to do instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves and throwing their lives away.All the performances are first-rate,but the family unit of Danny Nussbaum,Bruce Jones and Annette Badland are particularly strong.If this movie had been made in Hollywood it would have been over-produced,over-cast and overdone.The film never lowers itself into the cheap sentimentality that this genre of film often falls into.The way that Bob Hoskins brings these guys into his confidence one by one by convincing them they're the ones keeping the other guys in line is awe-inspiring.And there's a great soundtrack to boot.Mr Meadows,I know the money can be very tempting but resist the call of Hollywood as long as you can.The concessions you'll have to make to get your work produced just aren't worth it.Bravo,Shane,you're one helluva filmmaker.

For my money this is the best film of the year. Best in that it didn't cost a fortune but packs as much of an emotional wallop as any blockbuster with 200 times the budget. Bob Hoskins plays Darcy, the burnt out soccer coach whose past history is told in flashback through his diary. It tells of how he trained up a team of no-hopers into becoming boxers with something to live for. Shot in luminous black and white, the feature debut of Shane Meadows is a remarkably sensitive, blisteringly funny portrait of hopelessness in Nottingham. The city has always had its problems but is also one of the most vibrant places on earth and Meadows captures the balance perfectly.

The sulphurous black and white photography adds much class to the production and the team of largely unknown actors handle things admirably.

The movie also features one of the most realistic fight scenes ever committed to celluloid when Hoskins and Coronation Street's Bruce Jones (Les Battersby) lay into one another. Both actors walked away with broken bones and this is jut one element of why 24/7 is a cut above the average movie. It's life captured on film with few romantic films. But the message is as powerful as one of Hoskins' punches in the ribs. Meadows will inevitably get more money for his next picture and will no doubt be sucked into the Hollywood mainstream which will probably be the death of him. If that happens, let's hope he doesn't lose sight of the genius which he embedded into every frame of 24/7.