Neds

"You are a swat Mister Mcgill"

Peter Mullan's Neds has become one of the small number of electrical Scottish films that have been made within the last 20 years. As it goes Peter Mullan has always been interested in directing and from my point of view has a Ken Loach appeal about it when it comes to writing and producing scripts.

NEDS a film which portrays a young mans will to succeed in any circumstance and every hurdle which is played by society must be dealt with-in an appropriate 70s fashion. Living in Scotland not only is there defaults within any of the class systems but a constant bombardment from Parents,Police and Schools to do well. John McGill (Conner McCarron) becomes victim to this. He has the potential to fulfil any career prospect which is becomes knocked around by his unstable nuclear family and his authoritative teachers.

I have read some of the reviews on here and are somewhat critical. It is hard to understand what living in a poor background with an alcoholic father, a troublesome brother and horrible weather if your not partial to any of the surroundings. If you do not reside in any of these categories then it will be hard to acknowledge why (NEDS) want to fight each other over a measly piece of unfurnished turf which they themselves have no own-age rights.

If you liked Small Faces,Sweet Sixteen then this is a must. All credit to Peter and Cast. Please make more films in the future.

Yes, not everyone exists under an environment conducive to success & achievements. This is the discomforting reality 2010's hard-hitting drama Neds spotlights. Here, Peter Mullan conveys without remorse, the downward spiral of the initially promising John McGill, set against the backdrop of hooligan culture around the 70s Glasgow youth. With this premise, John's descent, ushered from societal pressure & personal demons, was then quite the tragedy to witness. Mullan's unrelenting screenplay paves the way, as he captures the brutal consequences brought by systemic failure, toxic masculinity & class warfare, unearthing the violent world of street gangs which is easily the picture's most gripping facet. Where the picture makes a point but also succumbs to cinematic question marks is its refusal to give its characters redemption, teasing audiences at every possible opportunity. This undermines the efforts for authenticity, for the sake of perceived melodrama.

Of course, the performance of Connor McCarron deserves mention, carrying Neds engrossing beats through fantastic portrayal of internal conflict and transformation. He conveys the state of lost innocence with depth and captivating intensity, worthy of our emotional distress when Mullan takes the confrontations a notch more haunting.

In case not clear, Neds is far from the heartwarming kind. It is a discomforting watch experience, with Mullan's searing portrait of youth that comes devoid of morals. Nevertheless, this is a must see for those enamored with raw performances & poignant themes while those squeamish from violence, should probably steer clear. 7/10.

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

John (Connor McCarron) excels as a child in his studies, but the rough, hard environment around him soon has an effect on his personal character and, as he grows up in 1970s Glasgow, he moulds into one of the pack, as problems at home and school breed the violent character within him, going up against the hard drinking, knife wielding thugs that are the sworn enemies of the hard drinking, knife wielding thugs he's in with.

Glasgow still holds the notorious accolade of being 'the knife crime capital of Great Britain', so this could have been just as hard hitting and unflinching as it was setting out to be being a modern day drama. Instead, director Peter Mullan has presented a sprawling, overlong if I'm brutally honest, exploration of a young man's despairing, senseless dessension into mindless thuggery, possibly based on his own experiences. As a result of this, it comes off as very hard to get into to start with, lost as it is in it's own mood, atmosphere and style. But it's these same things that somehow manage to make it a more absorbing experience if you stick with it long enough, slowly drawing you into the life of this troubled character and the various ups and downs he encounters as he trawls through the rough landscape of his youth. Still, this feels like quite an undisciplined effort from Mullan, which veers into outlandish, arty moments (such as the lead character duking it out with the Lord Jesus Christ) that only serve to make it an even more alienating experience than it already is. ***

I haven't really watched many (any?) Scottish films but I am familiar with Peter Mullan, having seen his completely depressing TYRANNOSAUR previously. NEDS is equally grim, but also uplifting. It's a film with a nostalgic '70s ambiance and an autobiographical feel, featuring the misadventures of a shy, chubby schoolboy who ends up becoming a fearsome teenage gang member.

NEDS is a lengthy, slow-paced and frequently hard-hitting movie that tackles some uncomfortable home truths. It's a little off-putting, with sometimes impenetrable dialogue from the Scots cast and a simmering undercurrent of violence that sometimes erupts on the surface. This is very much a realistic movie that tackles cause and effect without sugar-coating the answers.

I found it compelling and often heartfelt, managing to elicit pathos and humour from the grim situation. Conor McCarron delivers a quietly effective turn as the put-upon lead and Mullan himself has a strong supporting role as the frightening alcoholic father. But it's the young cast who really shine in their parts, giving performances so authentic that this feels like a documentary at times.

A good film that gives a very accurate portrayal of what life can be like for a young kid growing up in Glasgow. The film is set in the 70's but the main themes are just as applicable for youngsters in 2011 (trying to fit in, feeling like part of a group/gang).

The highlight of the film is the performance of Conor McCarron as a bright student who makes the wrong choices and finds himself part of a young gang. Peter Mullan does a good job of keeping the film at a high tempo and he avoids all the familiar clichés that are common in these types of film.

However, the last twenty minutes or so are a bit of a struggle as Mullan seems to find it difficult to find a suitable ending to the film. At just over 2 hours, it could be argued that "neds" is a tad too long. Perhaps omitting the "Jesus vision" would have been a good start.