My Brother Tom

An incredibly compelling film which had me glued from start to finish. As someone personally affected by the abuse issues raised I felt so much empathy for the characters who were portrayed fantastically by the young actors. Uncomfortable viewing at times, particularly for those with such experiences in there past, but essential non the less. The harsh reality of adults, especially those in powerful positions, reluctance to see what is going on around them is shown brilliantly. Yes it shows a dank view of the world, but talk to 10 young people in your life and its almost guaranteed that at least 5 of them would have experienced similar acts, with no one to turn to.

A film were you need to look beyond such aesthetics as SFX or high budget locations and accept that this stuff really does happen everyday!!!!!!

One of the most moving and hard hitting films I have seen in a long while. It deals with issues very rarely brought to the film going audience. The topic of abuse is the thread that holds the screen play together, and it is an issue that is used without it being sugar coated for the audience. At times I felt that I should not be watching; I felt that I was trespassing on something private and unseen.

Though the camera work is shaky and the film so dark as to seem almost black and white this adds and I believe does not detract from the overall message.

'My Brother Tom' is neither enjoyable or entertaining to watch. Rotheroe does the same as Tim Roth does in 'The War Zone'; he broaches issues that deserve a representation in celluloid. I recommend strongly that you see this film but do not expect an easy movie experience, instead expect to shocked by realities that you would rather less confront.

I found this film very disturbing. I had to watch it until the end.

The acting was such that I had to remind myself that it was acting sometimes. I feel that some actors are very brave to take on certain parts.

I think that in some darker places in the world (e.g. USA), elements of the population would confuse the actor with the part and abuse him. Congratulations to all involved for an excellent performance. The tension is never "Watch out behind you" but "Please, please, not that".

If this film causes just one adult to reflect on how his actions may damage a child then it is very worthwhile.

very surprised, too, to read so many bad comments. this is, at the very least, the best british film i ve seen this year. very strong, very emotional, very black&white: if u don't like that, do not go. else: IT S A MUST. (ps: FANTASTIC phtography by robby mueller. yes, handheld camera, nevertheless: FANTASTIC)

-funtoosh

'Teenage love is rarely this painful.' said the blurb outside the cinema. 'My Brother Tom' is a film full of pain and sadness. This film has not been written for fun, as entertainment, nor as a job of work, but has been wrenched out of the reality of someone's suffering. It shows life from the perspective of a child who has experienced and seen things more painful than her tender years can accommodate. But it does not leave one without hope. The director has been courageously faithful to the script and the challenging roles are fulfilled without self-consciousness. The film bears a degree of honesty that is rarely seen in life, let alone on screen, and perhaps for some viewers it will be too much. 'Man cannot bear too much reality'. It also carries an exhilarating sense of freedom - the two children have been let down by society, and understandably and with true childlike spirit they abandon it. They choose for their home the 'good wood', and the film's sense of hope comes from nature. Society may be 'f***** up', but mother nature is a refuge, full of nurture and protection and love.

Theologically speaking - for though in a sense iconoclastic the film is not secular - it is the product of an age in which the Church has become a shrine to its own conventions, and has lost sight of the 'living spirit' which was once its source. Thus far from being offensive to the religious, 'My Brother Tom' is on the side of the Spirit, desperately wanting to resurrect the Spirit from the sepulchre of conventional 'religion'.

As for the hand held camera, I did not once find it an irritation or a distraction, as I did occasionally, for example, in 'Festen'. On the contrary, it suited the film, adding to its wildness and immediacy in a way I never really believed that this technique could.

If you regard film as primarily for relaxation and entertainment, this is clearly not a film for you. If, however, you are someone ready to wrestle with all the truth and pain that this world holds, and if you regard film as a fit medium for this wrestling, then do not miss 'My Brother Tom'.