The Rise

OK i don't review much stuff (indeed this is probably my first film review) but i feel like this film needs a little helping hand. This film is above average for your standard Brit flick, the acting is great, the story bounces along nicely & the overall plot is clever. If you like a good honest film, with decent acting, a nice bit of revenge, a nice bit of robbery, and a nice bit of violence, get this one watched. It seems to have been off a lot of people radars but it certainly deserves a wider audience, if you liked lock stock, or the bank job etc, in fact if you like any sort of heist/revenge scenario, this is a definite for your watch list. 7* from me but i can understand people scoring it that little bit higher, it really is a good watch.

My byline up there pretty much sums it up. It an intriguing story, set in motion by a highly resourceful and intelligent lead, to rob a Men's Club, home to illicit drug funds squirrelled away there by the evil villein, whom has greatly wronged the lead. The soundtrack had good uplifting late 90s style rock, plenty of montage (which worked a treat), and the story was told using an easy to follow, and fresh, flashback technique. All the actors gave outstanding performances, working with a fast and often emotional script. It a well written, well put together movie, where all aspects are playing their part to perfection. Yes, there is a little confusion of understanding when, toward the latter half, details are delivered at a probably too quick a clip. But that doesn't dilute one's anticipation and enjoyment. Outstanding, and original, British drama.

As the credits rolled at the end of this movie I felt a sense of surprise more than anything. Surprised that 'The Rise' was a very good film, exceeding my expectations in every way. A hidden gem almost, a film that I had not heard of until I saw it on Netflix. I am a fan of the genre; the British 'indie' scene is one that I usually enjoy.

This movie is marketed as a heist & revenge movie, which is exactly what it is, but it is not your run of the mill heist flick. It is a powerful, gripping & gritty drama with a great solid plot, good characters & superb acting.

It starts very well, throwing you into the story, the lead character is being interviewed by a detective and he begins to tell the story, showing the viewer how he came to be in that situation. The movie does go down a few gears through the middle of the film but then picks up pace and the final 30-40 minutes are fantastic. I won't ruin anything, but the end of the film is very, very enjoyable. The acting is superb; you genuinely feel for the characters and certainly take sides between the good and bad. The 4 main lads are all convincing and portray their own characters well. There is definitely chemistry between the 4 leads and they do have a realistic, relatable relationship.

One negative I have is that I thought the relationship/girlfriend storyline was a little unnecessary but it is something we have come to expect in almost every film nowadays. To give credit though, it was kept to a minimum and acted more as a sub plot rather than taking centre stage throughout.

I'm not going to say much more as I don't want to give anything away. I'm not sure why this film is so hidden, it never took off and never went mainstream. I know there was a delay in releasing it and it also underwent a title change from 'Wastelands' to 'The Rise'. Overall it is a very impressive film from a novice director/writer with good acting from all the young and upcoming British stars.

8/10

I got to catch this at TIFF (My first film ever seen at the festival) and loved it. Great story, pacing, soundtrack, cinematography, writing, acting and direction. First-time writer-director Rowan Athale gets it right. My only problem was that he tries to do too much in his debut. What he does is great, but if he had tried to maybe do less in terms of covering the norms of heist and crime films, i.e. the ____ steps of committing a crime successfully. That's it. Timothy Dalton and Luke Treadway have great back and forth dialogue, and just when you think the film is over and you have unanswered questions, your questions are answered and you are given more of the brilliant story, and a great ending that perfectly ties up everything.

I'm not sure if this will appeal to North American audiences, but it looks like it could be a huge hit in the UK. I loved it, and I highly recommend it.

If by chance you happen to have read the plot summary prior to this review and also kept up with the latest British crime flicks, then please believe me when I say this. Although at first look, this may look to be yet another in a long line of dodgy Uk crime yarns. This film, "Wasteland" , is in fact, the real deal. Being an American, ever since back in 98' when "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" exploded onto the scene, I've been catching everything related to the genre and the locale. In that span of time there has been many brilliant films, but unfortunately there has also been a number of cheap knock offs made for the singular purpose of making a quick buck, again not the case here. First time writer/director Rowan Athale has delivered a fresh, smartly written screenplay and directed it in a slick, exciting manner. As the summary suggests, this formula has been delivered in the past in a variety of techniques. Despite this, Athale has taken his vision, skillfully applied it, combined it with a most capable cast, making for one fun and very engaging film experience.

So as "Wasteland" begins, it introduces Harvey (Luke Treadaway), in a bloody and bruised state, sitting in police custody, across the table from D I West (Timothy Spall). The interrogation by West is just in the beginning stages, we here Harvey is just a fews weeks out of prison after serving a year for innocently taking the fall for a local dealer which for all intents and purposes destroyed his life. Much worse, he's now being held on charges of attempted murder of local businessman Steven Roper, the man responsible for the sinister act that put him in prison in the first place. Before we get to hear much more of the story, the film then rewinds back to when Harvey was picked up from prison by his mate Dempsey, (Iwan Rheon). We are shown the brother like bond he shares with his best mates and the deep set loyalty they have for one another. The group comes up with an ingenious plan to set the record straight once and for all. In the meantime Harvey tries to reconnect with his previous girlfriend Nicola, the stunning (Vanessa Kirby) . What unfolds here is a sometimes funny, exciting, suspenseful and truly engaging story.

This is where I normally would criticize any lows the film may have possessed, such as acting that wasn't believable or up to par, production values that felt low and cinematography or editing that could have been better, but after just catching it again for a second time, I just cannot find any inferior qualities that this film possessed. Instead, I will commend other elements that had a positive affect, one being the sound department, while much of the film was relatively quiet, in the instances where it was used, it managed to provoke emotion and produce a feeling of connection to the film and it's characters. Again, much respect due to Rowan Athale, if this was his first you can count me in for any of his future ventures.