Neds

This is the sort that wins lots of plaudits and it's not difficult to see why . It's like jumping in to the Tardis and finding one self in a distinctive time and place so much so you sometimes find it difficult to believe that you're watching a mere film and genuinely believe you're stuck in the time zone it's set . Then suddenly the social realism of the film starts over doing things a little and the hyper realism starts detracting from the reality

There does tend to be an element of British cultural bourgeois mind set called " The cult of the proletariat " . By this I mean the bourgeoisie have an instinctive intrigue of all things relating to the lower working class environment but have a dread of ever experiencing it . It's no coincidence that protagonist John McGill is academically gifted and instead of pursuing the academic dream of attending University starts descending in to a path of crime and self destruction . There's no convincing incitement for any of this and the fact McGill could have been someone instead of a no one is quickly forgotten . All this gives the impression that McGill's life is a Shakespearian tragedy

From a technical point of view there's absolutely nothing wrong with Mullen's film and shows what can be achieved with a small budget . It's superbly and convincingly acted by everyone especially by Conor McCaron as John McGill . The problems lie in exaggeration . When the film was released Mullen was on record as saying what violent times the 1970s were and he's not wrong . The strap was commonly , perhaps too commonly used by teachers at school but yet would you ever hear a teacher swear ? The dialogue might be authentic but the Glasgow vernacular constantly using the F word and the C word and ending nearly every spoken line with " Man " will make it very difficult for a non working class Scottish audience and one suspects the working class Scottish proles may not be the target audience

Peter Mullan's film about Glasgow's Non-Educated Delinquents is not quite as straightforward as it may at first seem: there are some fairly common elements (the bright kid trying to learn his way out of poverty, the drunken father, the violent street gangs) but also some odd, surreal imaginative scenes, and an overall narrative that grows more opaque the longer the film lasts. It's the scenes set at school, which showcase the diversity of approaches employed by the teaching staff, that are most powerful, making the point that if your rear children as animals, animals are what you're going to get out the other end. The almost total absence of any positive virtues: humour, love, progress are all absent from the narrative; ultimately make for hard watching. Mullan himself is mesmeric in a small role, but the failure to make that role more central is just one of the film's narrative oddities; as a writer, Mullan could have done with some help to better shape his material.

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. ***

Not an original film in many ways, and not the most uplifting movie either, "Neds" is one film that will not appeal to everyone.

For those not au fait with Glasgow patter, a ned is basically a social delinquent or casual. Clichés of shell-suits, drink bottles, smoking and loitering in parks and you get the idea of what a "ned" is meant to be.

Peter Mullan makes this partially biographical film about the slide of a precocious teenage boy from star pupil to the dregs (in the 70s). Filmed without taking any shortcuts, the crew all speak undiluted Glaswegian (with no vulgarities cut) and use cutting humour. The film show physical abuse as it was, first in the classroom, then at home and finally in the streets (gang fights and the like). It doesn't dwell or linger on the violence which is thankful (avoiding pandering to some) but it is strong when it comes.

Acting is exceptionally good and the story is intriguing, plus there is a good soundtrack that captures the period very well. In some ways, it's a film that follows in the same sphere as "This is England", but it follows its own path nevertheless.

If you want social realism, then I'd say this is a good film to watch. Won't appeal to everyone, but most people will find it of interest. A good watch.

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.