Victim

The biggest shock of my weekend was finding out this production didn't star anyone from Hollyoaks. There is nothing here to suggest the 'stars' could tackle anything more taxing than a toothpaste commercial. It is also highly amusing to note the director's desperate attempts at urban authenticity, with loads of street slang, f-words and yoof tunes on the soundtrack at every given opportunity. Shame he made such a pigs ear of everything else.

It's a very earnest effort at making a teen British drama, and the moral about wasting your life committing crimes rather than getting an education is a good one. Tragically, this lesson is delivered in a scene which is more likely to elicit laughs then get the audience thinking, and against a backdrop of tedious black stereotypes swearing at each other and behaving like a bunch of morons, you're far more likely to be reaching for the OFF switch then learning how to better yourself.

Actually, I've got something to teach you... DON'T WATCH THIS MOVIE. IT'S RUBBISH. There you go. I'll even write it on a bit of card for you. Aren't I nice? 2/10

I actually really enjoyed this film, the acting was quite decent, it had an enjoyable story line, a bit of a parable. The rich father was in some of Shane Meadow's films, I've seen the black guy who looks after his sister in a recent BBC comedy drama about a bunch of diverse characters on a probation based community work group, he did a good job of the acting on that one as well.

This was made locally so it was cool to see my area but seriously nothing happens. I enjoyed most of Noel Clarke's movies and thought this would be similar. It's not. Worst movie I've seen in a while. Watch Top Boy if you haven't seen it, if you have seen it watch it again before watching this.

Victim is a small drama set in London. It follows a young man trying to cope with raising his sister alone whilst pursuing a life of crime to help him fund it. The main message of the film unsurprisingly given the title is that everyone is a victim in some way. It does raise some interesting questions though it's message that sometimes crime is the only way doesn't sit easily with me.

It's grim setting is perfect for the tone of the film. The script is a bit uneven and the relationship between the two main characters is somewhat underplayed and flimsy. However the story moves along at a quick pace and there is more than enough to keep your interest during it's short running time. The film really succeeds due to a charismatic performance by Ashley Chin as Tyson. The rest of the performances from a largely inexperienced cast are pretty mixed but there are no awful performances.

There are a few violent scenes but nothing too bad and there are a few well thought out scenes. Many films fail on there ending but this one did succeed for me, being both unexpected and poignant.

Overall, once I got past the first 15 minutes, I did enjoy this film and found it to be a worthwhile effort. Worth watching if you're in the mood for some grim drama.

The film is about a young man's attempts to move away from a life of violent crime, with the help of a wholesome country girl who comes to stay with his friend in the city, only to find himself the target of retaliation.