seany_c

Watched this at the Cinema months back and hadn't seen it since, so I decided to buy it the other day on DVD. A brilliant film, not entirely original but a fresh take on a done subject. 'Offender' stands comparison against the great British films of today, such as 'Kidulthood', 'Adulthood', 'Harry Brown', 'Ill Manors' and so on. After a blistering opening sequence, the film continues to impress with its bleak vision of prison life. Joe Cole stars as Tommy, the good young lad who thrown into hell when his girlfriend is assaulted. He's out for revenge. Need I say more. With his moody baby face and mental transformation, Joe Cole is sensational as Tommy. You can feel his pain and anguish and you want nothing more than for him to get his revenge. The other performances are good too. English Frank is both laughable and menacing. The soundtrack is superb at times, the settings feel genuine and the violence is swift. While this isn't cheery stuff, it's sure to impress and entertain certain viewers. Cole really delivers and I hope he goes far after this. ****/*****

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. ****/*****

Caught this late last night with the missus and it blew my mind. There were only a few people in the cinema, but they were loving it. I knew as soon as I saw the trailer I'd love this and I wasn't wrong. It's the basic story of a group of Elite cops on a mission to nail a brutal crimelord. They are sent in to his high rise building to catch him. But first they must get through the increasing number of vicious bodyguards. Simple, but more than effective. It's best described, as one critic put it, as a cross between 'District 13' & 'Ong-Bak', but just as good as both. For its budget it looks incredibly good. The score works perfectly, all actors perform well (especially the lead and the 'Mad Dog' character) and it's definitely one for the lads. But when it boils down to it most people are going to go to this for the action. And f*ck me does it deliver. Bodies explode, limbs fly, throats get cut, guns blasted, heads pummelled, all done in an intricate, breakneck (get it) pace. Amongst some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. All so unbelievable it almost seems unreal. Pure murkage. Any action film this year is going to have to work really hard to beat this film. My girl loves chick flicks etc.. but she's always game for these films and she loved it. She even said it made her want to dropkick someone on the way home. Yeah, it's that good. ****/*****