Hard Shoulder

A nasty Brit chiller, concerning a family held hostage by a group of inbreds. Another completely well worn story but engaging at times and with a decent twist at the end. Directed by nicholas david lean, lol an memorable for disturbing the mind.

well where do i start, Jamie Foreman from east enders is in it so it could be good, well i'm afraid it is not as good as i thought.i was expecting a lot more from this film. it was not bad, but really i was hoping for something far better. it was like nothing i have seen before,it started of with promise and then sort of went downhill from there the plot seemed OK at first, but it in my opinion went sort of off track it wasn't what i expected, the acting was good and there is a surprise to the ending which made me think what have i just wasted my time on this film? would i recommend you watch it no i wouldn't but make your own mind up. i was disappointed 4 out of 10.

I had the pleasure of attending a private screening of Hard Shoulder through a friend.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the director Nicholas David Lean's film debut, but I was very glad I got to watch it.

When the Hard Shoulder starts out you're not sure what to expect, another film about an unhappy family? No. This is after all a psychological thriller. After setting the scene of a unhappy family trying to hold things together, the film gradually builds up the tension and takes a very dark, disturbing and violent turn. Then just when you think you have a grasp of what's going on there is a brilliantly unexpected twist.

There is some great acting turns in the film from the likes of Lucy Drive, and Jamie Foreman. Jamie now better known as Derek Branning from Eastenders.

I'm not sure when this film is out on general release, but if you get the chance, go see it!

We are often reminded that we have have the best film technicians here in the UK and indeed we have a solid movie history but so often we have trouble marrying that expertise with well produced movies. And this is a prime example. This was looking dire from the outset with the woefully amateur acting but I thought I'd stay with it until the end but it turned out to be clichéd, unimaginative drivel. It's just a complete embarrassment from start to finish and apart from Jamie Foreman I did not recognise anyone else in this mess so maybe the rest of the ensemble were hired on the cheap to play the Hillbillies? Do we have Hillbillies in the UK? Anyway, don't waste your time.

Having seen the screener for hard shoulder my first reaction was....run it again...right now! I wasn't sure to expect from a relatively low budget movie by a rookie but I was mesmerised from start to finish. What, on the face of it, appears to be a psychological thriller/horror/fantasy type film, actually runs far deeper and is so cleverly written that even those looking out for it will feel they have missed some of the pieces of the puzzle. As a professional psychotherapist, I found the story line and portrayal insightful and accurate. As a film lover, I found it thrilling, captivating, even shocking in places. Talking to some of the cast after the screening, I was touched by the loyalty each and everyone had for the writer, director and producer, Nicholas David lean. It would seem that they admire his talent and creativity but also hold him in high esteem for his integrity and dedication to the profession. One actress said to me that she had never realised just how many layers where involved in the film, even though she'd played a main character! If you love psychology, horror, characters, some of the actors or just a brilliant film that leaves you wanting more, Hard Shoulder is a must- see.