London to Brighton

Gritty Dramas are not usually my thing, but I saw this by chance and was very impressed by it. It's nearly impossible to make a first feature film. It's nearly impossible to make it good on as tight a budget as this was obviously shot on. The fact that it was made in such a short time is also another factor to be considered. And my consideration, after taking all these factors in to account is, this is brilliant! It is a strong story with plenty of moral interest, it has strong performances and a nicely done twist. I wish Paul every success with whatever he does next! He is a directing and writing talent to watch out for!

In a run-down public toilet in London at 3.07 am, the middle-aged prostitute Kelly takes on the 11-year-old runaway Joanne. Together they take the train from London to Brighton to escape Kelly's hard-edged pimp. The film explores the mother-daughter-like bond that forms between the girls as they are left to fend for themselves in the gritty underworld of South London.

Paul Andrew Williams has done something remarkably cool here that he did not realise until his film started receiving praise and wider distribution (it even made its way to the Stockholm International Film Festival, where I saw it). Nevertheless, we can easily tell that this is a quality film with excellent performances by its two leads Lorraine Stanley and young Georgia Groome. Although the seedy underground and hierarchies of bad guys, johns and pimps channel Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn, director Williamsm stresses that London to Brighton is "not a gangster movie", but an unflinching look at the two aforementioned characters and how they cope under pressure.

The plot is left best unspoiled because it is gradually unfolded through well-positioned flashbacks, arguably the goldmine of the film. The first half of the film has a few pacing problems as nothing truly jumps out and grabs you – but when the unspeakably effective background segments are interjected London to Brighton receives a well-deserved jumpstarting kick up the arse, continuing down a perfectly-paced path. One of the most poignant scenes sees Kelly's pimp ask 11-year-old Joanne if she is a virgin, and subsequently telling her to have sex with an older man. The amount of smoking, cursing, screaming and beating that goes on around her is heartbreaking.

This would not be the case with a lesser actress. The fact is that Georgia Groome inhabits Joanne so effortlessly and deeply that it is a sight to behold. Her crying performances wrenches your heart. Other than the perfectly-cast Groome, the director told us that he applied no seriousness to finding the 'perfect people' for the respective characters: the guy in the green jeep, for example, was cast because "he had a green jeep". In this way a gritty, unpleasant and plain cast presents itself – an ordinary pack of South London criminals. Better yet, they truly emote. When Kelly and Joanne down the sour rum & coke that the older man has given them, you can feel the bitter aftertaste of the drink.

'London to Brighton' has been likened to Mike Leigh's Naked, and perhaps this is an apt comparison. What remains clear, however, is that Williams has served up a deliciously gritty and unflinching drama in the midst of chaos, which he occasionally pauses with wonderful slow-motion captures and dreamy shots of the windy barren boardwalk of Brighton. It's bruised, realistic, harrowing and compelling – a very good watch.

8 out of 10

The fact that the Edinburgh International Film Festival bestowed their New Director award on Paul Andrew Williams is a solid enough indicator of the strengths and unique qualities of London TO BRIGHTON. Admittedly made on a shoe-string budget, and cast with relative unknowns, the film never once looks cheap or out of its depth. I was amazed when I saw it at Edinburgh by just how tough and unflinching a portrayal of the criminal underworld it is. The leads put in tremendous performances that will surprise many, and William's writing is exceptional. The film really zips along through its 90min length, and pulls the viewer in to a lock-tight embrace. In my opinion this film is one of the highlights of the year so far and a real find for the British film industry. For a first-time director working on a tiny budget, getting five star reviews in the Guarduan and Scotsman, and great praise from the Times is a hell of an achievement. I hope other people who love British cinema see it when it is theatrically released.

London to Brighton (2006)

A harrowing story, a real descent into a little sliver of the streetwalking underworld of London and the perils of little rich girls who run away from home. I don't mean to make light of any of it--the movie pulls no punches, and adds some that go beyond the usual violence, too--but this is one of those recent stories where a terrible situation is imagined, and then filmed with awful realism. The two tracks, the plot with its significance, and the raw, visceral reaction to seeing anything so horrible, are both played out to the max. And acting is really first rate. The bad guys are really sneeringly awful, and the two key females, a full grown but struggling prostitute and a young girl who gets swept up in it all, are so believable it's scary. And impressive.

And none of this is enough for a great movie. It makes for an intense experience, and there's no rule that says a movie has to be enjoyable (this is totally not enjoyable in the usual sense). But there is little here that reveals or probes, there is little of what you might call art, or nuance, or originality. It's not exactly a formula, yet, this kind of abuse in your living room, but I think it will be. There are several I've seen recently, the one that comes to mind is Julia. In both movies, young children are victims and it's difficult to really watch without detaching and looking around the living room and reminding yourself this is fiction, these are actors, don't worry.

Terrible things happen in the world, of course, and worse things. But I'm not sure we need to see them. It's like becoming an emergency room doctor because you are fascinated with suffering and blood. Movies should be like doctors, then (to stretch the metaphor) and have some purpose to them beyond wallowing.

And beyond representation. I think accurate representation is the simple motive behind the filming. The director (in this case with a short resume--I've never heard of him) makes it vivid, fast, and very real. In that sense he succeeded. But this realism could have been a means to a greater effect, a higher intention, something that takes the viewer somewhere. Anywhere.

The plot of London to Brighton is simple, the budget minimal, the actors and writer/director unknown. But the result is an unexpectedly captivating movie.

London to Brighton follows a prostitute and a young run-away as they flee from their recent past: From London to Brighton, no less. Through a well-balanced series of flashbacks, we gradually learn how they came to be running. The movie's tension slowly builds as those who are chasing them draw closer. The premise isn't revolutionary, but the delivery is robust. Half the characters spend half the time not knowing what is happening around them. Like the best thrillers, there is still enough to keep the audience guessing right to the end.

The movie is underscored by a very British portrayal of urban mob violence - gritty and selectively brutal, with language to match. The characters are explored just enough to give the movie some depth.

The issues contained within the movie are morally challenging. While there is little explicit sexual content, the mere context will be enough to make some viewers uncomfortable. It would be easy to impose "middle-class" morality, but fortunately that doesn't happen. Instead the characters react only at the extremes: The prostitute with misgivings about sex involving very young children; not the prostitute with misgivings about prostitution.

London to Brighton is notable because it places a 13 year old actor in one of the leading roles. The performance is raw and the look of innocence genuine. Yet she portrays events and emotions that she can have no experience of with disturbing competence. To paraphrase the director, "she certainly won't be allowed to see the film when it released in the cinema".

The movie is rough round the edges. It drags in places. Sometimes the acting doesn't quite convey all the emotions it could do. It is easy to find fault in the detail. But overall London to Brighton is an impressive first feature by 'Paul Andrew Williams' and most of the cast.