standeman1984

first off, all the people claiming this to be an important and accurate piece of social commentary on todays Britain are way way off the mark. yes there are council estates where nasty characters such as those portrayed in this film do reside, and yes they are a deplorable stain on our society, BUT that does not mean the answer lies in shooting them all in the face!

The straight forward knuckle-headed logic within Harry Brown and the eagerness of audiences to cry out their approval (people were whooping and hollering in the screening i went to - mostly, i may add, middle aged) demonstrates a shockingly widespread and simplistic view of this problem. People have no interest in the problem itself, no desire to hear of back-story (which in fairness to the film-makers was probably left out to not convolute the plot too much - though the film suffers greatly from this entirely one-sided approach) of the kids on these estates or to hear ideas of long term solutions - not that i'm suggesting i know better than others, but surely there's more effective answers than the Rambo styled 'let's go shoot all the bastards!'

The broad strokes with which the characters are drawn in this film works great for the plot. From Plan B's gang leader to the gun-selling-cannabis grower, all are horrendous and utterly despicable people - making them easy to hate and feel little sympathy for when Harry does away with them - 'always maintain your weapons' being the best scene in the film. After that it all goes rapidly down hill.

The comment on the police force is confused, seemingly wanting to say that they are ineffectual and provocative in areas like these but without going into any reasons or intelligent thought on the matter. Just that they are. That seems to be what Harry Brown is saying all over - that they just are bad and that he is good and we like it when he kills them cos then he can walk under the road safely. The End - except its not is it? you can't shoot a social problem to rid it, life is not that simple. We may all wish for an easy answer but this isn't it. Trust me, i'm from a ghetto-ised area of Sheffield, I have seen firsthand the effect guns and violence have had on my area and it is not good. It says a lot about British people's mentality that this film has done so well, and while i don't blame the opportunistic film-makers, i am worried about the state of our nation who have greedily lapped it up.

On the plus side though, the film looks great.

It's rare that a horror film shocks me beyond all belief, but this was one of them. Not for everyone but an incredible ride nonetheless. I hated almost every second of it yet found it to be peculiarly enticing, a great story that keeps you guessing and thoroughly disturbs throughout. I'm still in shock! The idea of martyrdom expressed here is to the furthest most extreme and something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I'm appalled, absolutely disgusted, but in a good way. much credit must go to the makers and their originality, and to the cast who must have endured so much just during the filming, let alone the living with their experiences there after.

I know this ain't real, but it sure does a good job making it feel so, and not since switchblade romance have i felt so uncomfortable and in need of a sick bucket, BUT also had a satisfactory ending that delivers along the lines of the narrative set before it. An awful idea, great film!

This is not a 'things that make you jump' horror film, despite an early red herring. It's more of a suspenseful and brutally violent horror that makes you squirm in your seat, taking advantage of the recent 'horror' stories of gangs, asbos and knife crime. We're all afraid a group of mean looking kids will randomly choose us to inflict their sadistic hatred on, though as this film acknowledges early on, as long as you keep to yourself, they might be annoying, but they won't hurt you. This is the clever aspect of this film, while it has the usual blood thirsty chases in the woods, there is an issue and a point this film is trying to address. Why are these kids like this? Are the parents to blame? Or any other adults? What role does the media play? The film makes many points and hints without ever singling out a definitive reason, until, perhaps the ending. What is clear though is the high number of innocent casualties, a clear indication from writer-director James Watkins of the real effects of this violent culture. It is often the unassuming bystander who falls victim to this sort of thing, as happens here, though also with varying degrees of guilt. Not since The Descent have i seen as effective a Brit-horror as this. Aptly, James Watkins is working on the sequel to that brilliant film, so i hold out hope it will be a worthwhile sequel. Eden Lake is by no means on a par with Descent, but is a worthy follower, and even makes a few nods in its direction - the disgusting bin scene anyone? There are problems such as how easily the violence escalates and the ease with which the kids are led and the lack of anything redeeming about them, save for Turgoose's character. This leads to some problems with the reading of the kids as victims themselves, but this is a minor fault. Kelly Reilly is great, as is Fassbinder. The gang are almost believable, but there are moments of misjudged acting - too snarly or not snarly enough, and they feel slightly clichéd and two dimensional at times - save for Turgoose. So yes it scared me, in a squirm in my seat kind of way but also felt like a well-plotted essay on youth-violence, especially with the chilling ending. Eden Lake - approach with caution!