100 Streets

Fine cast, great potential here but ultimately 100 Streets just didn't do it for me. I usually enjoy this type of movie, but found it too pedestrian and a wasted opportunity, because Londoners would be great subjects for a film like this.

It might be OK to pass the time if nothing else is on...but it could have been so much better.

I strongly believe that reviews can take the magic out or embrace the greatness of any movie with a few paragraphs, so I will keep this simple. Having lived in London for several years, I have to admit I was positively prejudiced about the film from the very beginning. Nevertheless, it managed to meet and even surpass my already high expectations. The reason is simple.

It was a slick enjoyable movie with a distinctive message, life is life. You cannot plan every step of they way, there is always something unexpected luring to happen. It is true that characters were not as emotional as a person would want them to, in order for him/her to find their struggles relate-able. Maybe that was the plan all along, who knows? (the director, obviously). All I know is I spent a relaxing evening enjoying a fine film.

I can simply state up front that I was not impressed with this depressing dramatic film. I was half expecting the good looking hunky actor Idris Elba who plays a retired soccer star and who is estranged from his wife and two children to meet up with his medical doctor who would then advise Elba to take two sleeping pills and four laxative pills. Now that would at least provide one funny scene would it not?

I am not saying that I want to only watch comedies but from the opening scene right through to the very last scene this film was depressing. These four seperate stories that were indirectly connected each contained misery for one or more of the men and the film just continued to get more depressing as it dragged on.

Mrs. Shullivan left the room after watching the first 45 minutes and did not even bother to ask if it got any better......which it did not, it got worse.

I can only give the film a 5 out of 10 rating and I would not recommend it to anyone.

I realize the title does suggest a anthology of stories, In fact the movie technically should be called Three Streets as it contains three stories about three different people who you could say live on three different streets in London (talking more socially and culturally) .

From the trailer, I was expecting just one street with Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton. That could have been just me knowing who these two people are and just focusing on that part or it could have been a trailer met to draw in Americans with two faces we would recognized.

Either way, Elba and Arterton's street take a side step for me, as the most interesting street was about a guy named Kingsley (Played by a British face that I've seen before but can't place) who just got out of jail and does not want to go back into the life of a drug dealer so he gives acting a try after befriending one, but the streets keep trying to pull him back in (Oh wait, this dude is Firestorm on the series, The Flash).

The other story was a touching love story about a loving couple who are having trouble extending their family though adoption.

But I say all this not to suggest that Elba's performance as an Ex-Rugby player dealing with life off the field, which causes him to screw up royally with his wife (Played by Arterton), was not a great moment in the film, I mean it's Idris Elba, but it was not my favorite.

100 Streets three stories work very well as a whole movie and it's worth seeing.

http://cinemagardens.com

Netflix suggested I watch this after seeing 'Brighton Rock' and I can see why. The intensity of the characters' demise and their struggle to make sense of what happens makes for compelling viewing.The setting is everything, from the local football club to Battersea Bridge and all streets in between. While the characters don't cross over too much (which might make it a bit of a soap opera) they make subtle references which keeps the viewer guessing. I guess the theme is around disintegration and how we all cope when things seem to deteriorate. A really absorbing film, well worth a watch.