Junkhearts

I've just seen Junkhearts at Chapter Arts centre in Cardiff. I saw Junkhearts solely because I'm a big fan of Eddie Marsan and wanted to see him in a lead role, as I think he's a fantastic actor with a great range and a lightness of touch. As expected Eddie Marsan was fantastic, here playing an ex-solider, and brought a freshness to quite a now archetypal character. Familiar as this archetype is, the character is normally played out in a flat depressed state that flies off the handle at a moments notice. Instead the director Tinge Krishnan chooses to create a distance between the character of Frank and everybody else, in terms of the acting, the cropped framing, the use of negative space, and specific points of focus, which works really effectively. Within Junkhearts we are also introduced to newcomer Candese Reid, who was found at Nottingham's Television Workshop – famous for Paddy Considine and the This Is England cast. Her character Lynette works her way under Frank's emotional barrier, fully realised in a spine-tingling scene where Frank cracks his first smile we've seen, bathed in gorgeous sun light. The performances of Frank and Lynette felt truthful and authentic and I felt sympathetic to each character and that's a testament to the director. Furthermore, the execution of the script really engaged me throughout. It was incredibly shot by Catherine Derry, I loved the self-defence/dance scene seeped in sunflare, the lovely bokeh in the bar scene with Shaun Dooley and Romola Garai, the bleak scenes in and around the tower block and lifts, the uncomfortable framing with Eddie when he's having flashbacks, the lovely slow-motion when he dances, and I loved the practical lighting, and the strip lighting inside the flat. If you like the work of Lynne Ramsay, Andrea Arnold, Mike Leigh, and Shane Meadows, Junkhearts could be right up your street. One to watch in 2012.

A great film with original characters and distinct empathy for those we forget to care about.

refreshing and original performances from the cast with each drawing you into their respective perspectives and conflicts

The film progresses with expert subtlety and authenticity that affords the audience the opportunity to develop an opinion on the controversial and intimate aspects.

But it does not sugar coat or hold back; the plot development was artfully punctuated with a strategic deployment of the quietly powerful moments and the raw and charged

I'm loving these gems of contemporary British cinema

Quite well made on a low budget; I did like the use of visual effects though, focus, the use of close-ups and lighting mostly, but quite effective. The performances were all pretty good; I found Eddie Marsan quite believable as Frank and Tom Sturridge was suitably intimidating as Danny. Newcomer Candese Reid as pretty good as Lynette although I'd like to see more of her work before I make a judgement on this performance. Finally there's Romola Garai who plays Christine, another character, more of her in a moment, she was pretty good also.

An interesting film with two parallel story lines; one involving Frank and Lynette and the other involving a well-heeled woman called Christine. She is a single mother with a young daughter; she's seeing a married man and her mother is taken ill. The thing is we don't see anything more about Christine until quite near the end of the film. I found myself wondering just what was the point of showing us those little fragments of her and then nothing more for about and hour (or so it seemed). But back to Frank; I guess I was hoping for a film along the lines of the rather excellent 'Harry Brown', but sadly not to be. Although there are parallels, this one doesn't take the same course and (I felt) it suffered because of it. It does have some good points though but be prepared to be a tad disappointed by the end.

SteelMonster's verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 6.0/10

You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.

I couldn't recommend Junkhearts highly enough – if you only choose one film to see in 2012 I implore you to make it this one. I went to a showing of Junkhearts at The Renoir not sure quite what to expect, feeling compelled to go with a friend who had seen it advertised at the London Film Festival. I would have been satisfied simply to have been able to say I'd seen it if I'm honest. Instead I found myself completely lost in the lives of Frank and Lynette – an army veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and a homeless girl from Nottingham. The story that unfolds seems bleak from the outset but it completely took my breath away. Sure it's not for the fainthearted, but it's also funny, moving and showcases a script full of wonders I didn't expect.

Please, please ignore any negative comments.

I have just had the privilege of watching this film with a group of recovering addicts(drugs,alcohol and of all age groups, most of them at one time or the other had lived on the streets).

Everyone of them testified to the realism of the movie, they all recognised aspects of themselves in the film and were moved by how close the director came to understanding their world.

The cast are superb,the small spots of humour are handled gently.

The whole piece is produced with great care and thought. I will undoubtedly watch it again