User reviews

I was always a fan of Jason for his roles in Guy Ritchie's flicks and his roles in the transporter series (one not two). But when i watched this film i was in complete awe after i witnessed his performance in this film,it was so real and charismatic it was spectacular. watching the beginning of the film i found it entertaining and creative and stylish but it was a specific scene that completely sold me. It was a scene with Jason Statham and Chris Evans as the two are in a bathroom( which they are in for quite some time) and the movie is an hour and ten minutes in when Jason Staham compares his pain with Chris Evans,Statham's acting in that scene will forever change the way i see Jason Statham from now on. The film was directed with style and beauty. Many scenes in this film is the opposite of beauty but the way they are put on camera is done so beautifully. In conclusion I urge people to see this film even if the story does not sound appealing please watch it for Jason Statham's magnificent role in the film. Although Jason was not the only great actor in the film, Chris Evans also played very realistically as well the whole cast overall, Also watch for Dane Cook as George or the guy that talks to London at the party.

As the synopsis shows London is a drug laden adventure which centres in a New York Loft where a young man is trying to win back his girlfriend. at first i thought. 'another cheesy movie'. i don't know what made me watch it but when i was finished i was absolutely GOBSMACKED!. 'London' is such an original and most importantly a very simple movie which is directed to its utmost perfection. Bateman (Jason Statham) is absolutely flawless in this movie as is Syd (Chris Evans). You begin to understand their characters straight away as both actors bring them to life wonderfully... i don't want to spoil the rest for you so ill finish on this note.. 'its a must see' ......

I don't have much to say about this film, other than Jason was great in it. The film basically revolves around the ups and downs of the relationship between the two main characters, played by Jessica Biel and Chris Evans. The relationship plot is pretty standard, and I felt the flashbacks of the two of them together kind of slows the film down. The more interesting scenes take place in the bathroom between Chris Evans and Jason Statham, who plays a random guy he met in a bar. Jason happens to have some coke on him, and Chris happens to be headed to a going-away party for his ex-girlfriend. So there are plenty of scenes where the two characters are just doing coke and chatting it up in the bathroom. But I enjoyed those scenes! Especially when they both get to know each other better and expose deep, dark secrets from their love lives. Evans and Biel are both fairly good actors, but they don't command the screen in the way that Statham does. So all in all, Statham steals the show! I think many people first discovered him in "The Transporter" movies. Though both films were good, he didn't get a chance to show off his acting chops. I personally liked him ever since I saw him in "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," though the movie itself didn't appeal to me much. "London" is not a bad indie flick, but it's uneven, with too many dull moments for me to regard it as anything more than slightly above average. And in case you're wondering, Jessica Biel doesn't get naked...lol. I know...sucks.

I must admit that I rented this movie for one reason: Jason Statham. Like many who watched (or want to watch) this movie, I have been a fan of his since I was first introduced to him by Guy Ritchie movies. So I rented this movie not really expecting anything and hoping for the best.

The plot of the movie revolves around a guy (Chris Evans) buying a bunch of cocaine and hiding in a bathroom during his ex's going away party rather than seeing his ex-girlfriend (Jessica Biel). His drug dealer, Bateman (Jason Statham) is dragged along for the voyage. The movie plays out like what it is, which is two guys getting high on coke and arguing about every little thing that pops into their heads, all the while playing it off like philosophy. If you get stressed out by movies, be aware that the arguments can get quite intense and a couple people I watched the movie with felt a bit stressed out by all the arguing.

Chris Evans plays the main character and is stuck with the decision of saying goodbye or confessing his love to his ex-girlfriend. We are supposed to sympathize and perhaps even do a bit towards the end but for the most part he comes off as an utmost misogynist a-hole jerk that makes you glad that he and his girlfriend are not together anymore.

Jason Statham however, starts out a bit weak and ill defined as a character. However as time goes on, he really blossoms out and shows some acting chops, and in more particular scene he shows an intensity that I found remarkable for someone who is just in the beginnings of his acting career.

So I give this movie a 7, as the ending is satisfying, despite the movie being quite catch as can. The rest of the actors are passable. However, I wished that there was more of the cutie Isla Fisher however. Jessica Biel which is the focus of the movie, basically serves as a periphery to Evans and Statham. As a result you end up rooting for Statham's "Bateman" and wishing him to get the girl. The movie is good, if you are a fan of the actors, then you should see it; if not there are better choices.

Not a bad way to spend 89 minutes. Good Script. Good Acting.

Believable, if sometimes annoying, main characters, which i think was the point of the writing.

As a side note i always wondered how they can shoot a movie in a room full of mirrors, have the actors stand right in front of the camera & not see the camera in the mirror behind them. I just wondered.

I thought both Joy Bryant & Jessica Biel were under-utilized in this film. As a matter of fact that's all the films they've been in. But I digress.

Great music by the Crystal Method.

This film makes me interested in what Hunter Richards will do next.

Pretty good movie...great performances with a really pretentious script. Some of the discussions/ conversations are a bit trite. Lots of cliché drug banter, which tend to hide the real meaning of the movie. The deeper content of the film is hearty and full of quality but isn't evident enough. I'm personally kind of sick of of being a voyeurs to the trials and tribulations of rich Manhattan 20 somethings, but again good performances. I do wish Jessie Biel had more scenes but that has to do with my personal obsession/Love for her. WARNING not a drug movie, even though it does contain lots of gratuitous drug use, which is depicted fairley accurately...or at least that what people who do those drugs have told me.

(2005) London DRAMA

Written and directed by Hunter Richards, "London" as the movie is called is the name of Syd's ex-girlfriend, played by Jessica Biel. They are already broken up, but as he is minding his own business at his own apartment, he soon receives a phone call that she is leaving the city and that theirs going to be a going-away-party. Syd then flips out, but before he arrives, he would then make a few more sales before finally inviting one of his buyers to join in and crash this party his ex is having. The buyer is Batemen (Jason Statham) and by the time they arrive, all they do is babble and tell stories in the bathroom, snorting coke almost throughout the entire film, while at the same time Syd is building up courage to speak to her or to win her back again. Do viewers want find out why London is leaving him, then watch and see.

Hunter Richards' film about a young man(evans) who is desperate to win back his beautiful ex-girlfriend, London (Biel). The film isn't deep, but i found it extremely effective in showing a simple story. The performances were real, even Biel was good here as was Evans and Statham who truly stole the show. I liked the screenplay a lot and the direction suited the film as well. I liked the cinematography from Jo Willems and the music by The Crystal Method. The film is a great 2 million dollar film, low budget, high quality, they should make more films like this.--- very good film from hunter richardsIMDb Rating: 6.0, my rating: 9/10

This film tells the story of a man who is dumped by his girlfriend before she moves to Los Angeles. He gets talking with his drug dealer after snorting cocaine.

With the big names in the film, I thought "London" would be good. Just ten minutes into the film, I was already thoroughly bored. The whole film is basically two guys talking talking and talking for hours in a posh toilet. They argue, swear at each other, and is full of negative atmosphere. And I am so annoyed by Jason Statham's wig. I just think it is wrong for him to have a wig because his bald image is just the right image for him. Chris Evan's character is called Syd, which probably stands for Sydney - and his girlfriend is called London. The other characters might as well be called Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing and New York! I could not get into the film at all. I thought it was a terrible bore.

I f'n loved this movie. awesome cast, great script work and the story is original and intriguing (sp?) this movie is set in great locations which really fit the films mood. the sound is superb there's moments with no ambient noise at all just the voices of the actors and the snuffle of a line of nose candy disappearing. the some what fresh cast worked great together and proved that the film industry will survive long after the Catharine zetas and George cloonys of today. It was nice to see Jason statham in a acting role he carried multiple scenes with ease. I recommend all see this movie and commend the cast of this wonderful film for their work.

also if you liked this movie watch

the rules of attraction

Directed by newcomer Hunter Richards, London is a complex tale of a man scorned by a traumatic breakup. Jessica Biel plays the title character, a savvy sophisticated woman who was the love of Syd's (Chris Evans) life. Since she left him, he has become a complete wreck. He now spends his days drinking and snorting cocaine. Six months later, he finds out through a random phone call that London is moving to Los Angeles. The worst part is that her friend Becca (Isla Fisher) is throwing a going away party - one that he isn't invited to. Determined to get London back, Syd decides to crash the party along with his unsuspecting dealer Bateman (Jason Statham), a banker who sells drugs on the side. When they get there, they eventually wind up in the bathroom. They snort huge amounts of coke and talk about life and love as Syd attempts to get up his nerve and talk to London. Along the way we are introduced to a number of eccentric characters, such as feisty bartender Mallory (Joy Bryant) and high-school student Maya (Kelli Garner). Each one plays a part in Syd's tripped-out journey of self discovery.

Although it features a cast full of popular young stars, London is not an easy sell in the slightest.. Audiences aren't likely to respond due to its strange and offbeat plot. It reminds me a lot of 1999's Go in this regard, although it is considerably less mainstream. It is truly a character study of many different individuals, all of them reflecting on life as the events unfold before their eyes. It moves at a slow pace but is never boring thanks to excellent performances and stylish direction.

Chris Evans is on screen for almost every frame and delivers another excellent performance. He shows his dramatic chops here and exhibits an ability for both comedy and drama. His character is very complex and has many different layers, all of which are revealed throughout the course of the film. Jason Statham, well-known for his action roles, plays against type here as the straight laced businessman Bateman. He shows his talent in both comedy and drama, and also has great chemistry with Evans. Jessica Biel is radiant and fascinating as London, a woman longing for complete commitment in an otherwise stable relationship. She has strong chemistry with real-life boyfriend Evans and her character is believable and likable. Most of her scenes are flashback sequences, so it is interesting to watch her character progress.

The supporting cast is great for a film of this size. Joy Bryant is solid as Mallory and gets the most to do of the side characters. Kelli Garner makes an impression but isn't given a whole lot to do, maybe appearing for fifteen minutes total. Isla Fisher, who was hilarious in last year's Wedding Crashers, gives another strong comedic performance here as the naive and unsuspecting party host. The rest of the actors are fairly insignificant overall, with most being reduced to mere walk-on roles (such as comedian Dane Cook).

Richards writes and directs this project and shows great promise in his first outing. The direction is stylish and he finds many interesting takes to use - making the film easy to watch and helping it from dragging on. The screenplay is also solid. It seems like something originally written for the stage, but it works on film thanks to the way each scene is handled. While there are comedic elements, there are also several sweet and poignant scenes. The best scene in the film is the final confrontation between London and Syd in an airport. The Crystal Method provides the score for the film, a techno-fringed mixture of various beats that fits well with the tone of the film.

Overall, I can see why London isn't appreciated by critics and won't be embraced by audiences. It's a strange film that requires patience from the viewer due to its slow pace. But thanks to excellent performances and stylish direction, it turns out to be a completely fascinating and involving tale.

8/10 (B+)

Self-indulgent, self-important, annoying, silly, irritating, etc. are just some of the critical words I have seen used to describe this film. Sure, it probably is all of those things. As I watched this film, a lot of those adjectives ran through my head too. When Jessica Biehl (London) lashes out at Chris Evan's character Syd's "psuedo-intelectual bullshit," many viewers probably associated that phrase with the whole film.

But so what? One doesn't have to be a cocaine-snorting rich kid in New York to see that the existential angst the two main characters (Syd and his friend Bateman) feel is shared at one time or another by just about everyone, regardless of class or context. The old question about whether life imitates art or the other way around applies. The fact that the characters may be self-absorbed or narcissistic or silly doesn't take away the fact that the questions asked in the course of their exchanges do take place between all kinds of people. Don't we all ask these questions about God and existence? Don't we all wonder why He often doesn't seem to listen to prayers? Don't many of us still cling to idea of Him for fear of death and fear of deciding that all that is anywhere or anytime is what we live day to day so that we might as well just find the nearest tall bridge as soon as possible? Are only non-beautiful down-to-earth characters allowed to act out on screen the pain we all feel at least sometimes?

London expressed the failure and pain we all feel at times in a real, if not original or eloquent way. Maybe I have just had a really bad run for the last six months in my life (which I have). London felt pretty good to me, nonetheless. Frankly, as the movie went on, I was drawn in and I screamed inside right there along with Syd and Bateman. It was like the Howard Biehl character in Network screaming out the window, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore" played out over an hour and a half with two guys doing the shouting in a bathroom in between snorting lines of cocaine. In sum, at least for me, this film worked just fine.

In New York, the drug-addicted Syd (Chris Evans) is consumed by drugs and booze missing his girlfriend London (Jessica Biel), who broke with him six months ago after a two-year relationship. When Syd finds that London's friends will promotes a going away party to her, he decides to go to the party without invitation. But first he meets the banker and drug-dealer Bateman (Jason Statham) in a bar to buy coke, and he invites his new acquaintance to go to the party with him. While locked in the bathroom with Bateman snorting coke and drinking booze, Syd recalls moments of his relationship with London, inclusive that he had never said "I love you" to his girlfriend despite her countless requests. Bateman also "open his heart" under the influence of cocaine and tells his impotence problem to Syd; in the end he convinces Syd to talk to London.

The weird "London" is an entertaining but pointless romance. Jason Statham wearing wig has a great performance and Jessica Biel is incredibly sexy and gorgeous in the role of London. However, the characters are not well developed and, for example, it is never clear how Syd can be wealthy and spend the days using drugs and booze without studying or working. Chris Evans is miscast in the role of a twenty-year old teenager (or young man), and his egocentric and arrogant character never creates the necessary empathy with the viewers or chemistry with London. Most of the dialogs and small talk are funny since most of the characters are coke-head under influence of cocaine and alcohol. Last but not the least, the story brings no message or moral in the end, going to nowhere with the open end. Like the poet says, "love is eternal while it lasts". My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "London"

'London' is a superb film that consumes it's spectator from beginning to end. The Plot line is brilliant, the directing in perfect, the look of the film is perfect. However it has some obvious flaws. The idea of two strangers stuck in a room together comparing their problems, almost competing to have the more troubled life, slowly removing their many layers of clothing and getting deeper and deeper into their psyche is pure brilliance. But perhaps Richards could've given Chris Evans' character 'Syd' a bigger problem. So he split up with his girlfriend...people are dying of Cancer! Although i do like 'Bateman's' (Jason Statham), an impotent man, because it's an issue that isn't really thought of...the effect of impotence on a relationship and on a man's ego as it literally is taking away his manhood. Also the film has many plot holes for instance where the hell does 'Syd' get his money from; to buy cocaine, and the many presents for 'London', and pay for his apartment? Also why does Isla Fisher's character have an Australian accent when she was supposed to have gone to Syd's high school and grown up in America? Most of the issues are pretty tiny anyway and can easily be overlooked. I do however think that the casting was a little off. Despite the fact that all of the actors do a grand job i feel that some of them could've been chosen better. Jason Statham acts brilliantly but i think that Bateman should have been a more 'well-spoken' character instead of a cockney. I also think that someone else should've played the part of 'London'. Jessica Biel's presence in the film, i think, makes it seem a lot more 'Hollywoody' and main stream as if Hunter Richards needed 'a name' to be in the credits. Everything i've said seems to make them film sound awful...or makes me sound pedantic...but it's not and i'm not. 'London' was a surprisingly good film to watch and i thoroughly enjoyed it, it consumed me, i felt for all of the characters and became emotionally involved. The music is perfect too. In terms of aesthetics it is perfection. It looks god, sounds good and is bloody bwilliant. Saying that, the reason i wont rate it 10 is because of films like 'The Godfather I and II' and 'Appocalypse Now' or 'Goodfellas'...they're 9's to me and i regard them as the best films ever made.

London is one of those films in which a bunch of good looking but generally talentless actors make a desperate grab for credibility by playing disturbed characters. In this case Chris Evans, Jason Statham and Joy Bryant aim for cinematic relevance by portraying coke fiends, while Jessica Biel does her best to be convincing as a slut. For a film that aims to be gritty and edgy, London fails miserably. It is, however, a vast improvement on the crap that Evans, Bryant and Biel have been churning out lately.

The film's storyline is really non-existent, London is really just a series of random, drug-fuelled conversations. Basically Syd (Chris Evans) spends the entire film locked in a bathroom, snorting coke and wondering why London (Jessica Biel) no longer loves him. Personally, the answer seemed pretty obvious - he is a drug addict loser with a big mouth. The first half of the film is rather amusing, particularly Bateman's (Jason Statham) anecdote about his S&M experiences. The second half really drags and Syd becomes increasingly annoying. When he unveiled his "pain" - not having a gigantic penis - I started to hope for an overdose.

The real entertainment comes from watching the actors try something a bit different. Chris Evans makes for a sexy drug addict. He is hampered by some ridiculous dialogue but is surprisingly good in a difficult role. Jessica Biel looks amazing (well actually, her body double does) but is generally rather woeful. I blame "Stealth" for sapping away her acting ability. Joy Bryant is equally hot and shows real charisma. Joy reminds me of Jessica Alba - but with talent. Jason Statham looks weird with hair and overacts to an extent that would shock Christopher Walken. He should steer clear of dramas and hurry up and make the next Transporter movie. Isla Fisher also manages to make an impression with a small role as the party hostess.

London is a ultimately a pretty hollow film about idiotic people. It is also strangely enjoyable as a change of pace for several up and coming Hollywood stars. If your idea of fun is watching beautiful people snort coke and talk rubbish, then this film is for you.

A movie set around a single night. A movie fueled by the dialect of drug users. A movie that doesn't do much than scratch the surface of relationships, drugs, and the manic lives of new yorkers, is not going to attract mainstream approval. I live in NY. I have done/do drugs. The movie appeals to me. The rambling dialogue hits topics like mortality, atheism, suicide, depression, love, sex, anger, pain, and make no mistake it all occurs over the high strung flow of cocaine use. The movie conveys the sense I get when Im out with friends and we have a great conversation about life. You don't necessarily remember it the next week, but you grow, slowly from experiences like that. Through what appears to be innocuous and skittish conversation, the viewer sees a morality within these characters. Its of course inescapably shallow because most of the pain and suffering is merely the result of privileged kids incapable of understanding why life does not play out like its supposed to. But for me, a 27 year old eastcoast, nyc, professional, much of the movie rings true to what happens in the big city, if its a sad social commentary, so be it....better than a glorified story that no one can relate to in my opinion.

I've been reading a lot of very negative reviews posted here about "London" in the past couple of hours. Most of the reviewers complain about rich yuppie kids with no jobs snorting coke and bitching to their therapists. Yes, this is what goes on in the background for 2/3 of the movie.

However, even though bitchy, rich yuppies are not likable characters, the movie portrays them very accurately. Having spent some time with "these people", I felt the movie was incredibly honest and dealt with pertinent issues. Maybe not pertinent to you in particular, but pertinent to these types of people in this age group.

The acting is really superb. Chris Evans strips down his likable "flaming" side to become an annoying, ego-maniacal prick. Stratham gives a powerful performance, which for some reason screams of Bruce Willis's "finer" work. Biel is the weakest of the main actors, mostly due to the script edging her out of most of the movie. All the actors are right on the money with their characters. Within 10 minutes you start to feel like you've known them for years.

But beyond the drugs, beyond the obnoxious mannerisms, lies a story of a real relationship. By way of flashbacks, but we are given some great insights into how the relationship worked, and how it fell apart. The characters screwed it up, and its amazing watching Syd (Evans) re-live both his best and worst memories. That is the most essential and successful part of the film.

London is one of those movies that seem to typify what 'modern' film-makers seem to think encapsulates modern 'melodrama' or 'social realism'. Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha……

If the objective of this film is to assemble a cast of entirely unlikeable, pretentious, self-absorbed, egocentric late 20somethings (pretending to be teenagers (huh?) of unlikely wealth & unexplained income ???), inside a single New York apartment. Played out to a backdrop of supposed 'life issues' & 'internal turmoil' (ha,ha). Wherein, this group of self-pitying, narcissistic, drug-taking, arrogant, pathetic idiots pout about the place, dispensing cod-philosophy, and whining about meaningless aspects of their obviously privileged life. Then Hunter Richards has succeeded admirably.

Even the movies tag-line manages to cause exasperatingly, wide-eyed moral offence: "One young man's incredible journey of self-discovery" errrr how so? What? by snow-balling coke all night then acting like a total W**ker. Evans's character Syd has got to be the most revolting & unsympathetic characters I've ever witnessed on screen. - I think I'd rather invite Norman Bates round for my going away party. As we are forced to sit through flashbacks of him preaching and treating his unnervingly beautiful, willing yet vacuous ex-girlfriend like s**t. We're then forced to swallow the unlikely conceit that this total a**ehole couldn't say "I Love You" to her in 2 years. (pass me the shotgun). Unbelievably, we are expected to feel some sort of empathy and compassion toward this character back in the present, as he snorts coke, and continues to treat his ex like s**t. What a total scumbag..!

It's interesting to read other user reviewers and comments, who announce in solemn and earnest tone, how this movie deals in 'strong issues', and how they "relate so easily" to Evans's character Syd going through a his break-up. Jeepers - we've all been hurt in relationships, but if I was Syd, I'd do the decent thing and jump out the apartment window. I think these people perhaps need to 'grow up a little and stop partying through their noses.

Instead, watch Cloverfield again, and delight as a similar bunch of vapid, conceited, hollow, preening morons get squashed and ripped apart by monsters…!

Loved Jason Statham's wig though……..

Surprisingly, for the type of dialog driven movie that this was it was pretty good. I think it was mainly a movie about the human psyche and how it can screw with people hardcore sometimes and screw up good things (relationships). This is also very accurate in portraying how someone with anxiety might feel and act after a very hard breakup. Not everyone will be able to relate to the guys actions here or may think it is because he's a druggie, but I think this movie is more about anxiety. When he is seemingly going nuts (around the time talking to the shrink)it was very realistic of the helpless feeling someone with panic attacks will have.

Almost every conversation, mood and situation in this movie I can relate to, and have been in before. I've had the same conversation with a few ex girlfriends when they were trying to push religion on me. So I don't think the dialog was trying to be too pretentious or philosophical at all. It was just portraying the stupid things people argue about that someone may have been very caught up in during the passion of the moment, but then thinking back to them they seem very stupid to fight about.

This is a film for bored insomniacs who think putting cocaine and poorly-written philosophical discussions in a script results in a piece of art and not trash I had to spend $3.99 on ondemand to see. Jason Statham, however, is solid. This comment, apparently, doesn't have enough lines... I apologise for making you read this far. Please don't read any further, you're only wasting your time. The dialog between Evans and Biel's characters was like watching 20-something year olds playing high school sophomores. All it did was remind me of attempting to discreetly throw bottle caps and food at the pretentious rich suburban kid table at lunch from the weird indie kid table. Is this 10 lines yet?