Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing
Precious
Theatre
Ian McKellen is captivating throughout. He delights in the play’s gallows humour, yet is also maudlin and poignant
Waiting for Godot
Theatre
Slight quibbles notwithstanding, this will set the West End’s stock riding high
Enron
Utterly, utterly brilliant. You really are in for a treat
Though 'Trilogy' has won rave reviews, I personally found myself exasperated after about an hour
We went on a quiet sunday evening and the food was excellent, but the experience let down by the service and ambiance
London,
Derek Malcolm's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Penny Woolcock.
Cast: Dylan Duffus, Chris Wilson, Yohance Watson, Ohran Whyte
Description: Drug dealer Flash is preparing his latest batch of crack when his supplier Angel calls to say he is being released from prison early and wants the immediate return of ¿500,000 that he entrusted to Flash for safe keeping. Unfortunately, the dealer doesn't have all of the money to hand - in fact he is ¿100,000 short. So Flash joins forces with Old Street Crew pals Apache, Kite and J.B. to raise the money.
Country: UK. 2009. 102mins
Mean streets: 1 Day's portrayal of young black men is deeply depressing
“Something terrible is happening to young men in our inner cities,” says Penny Woolcock, whose new film, made on the unlovely streets of Birmingham, is labelled the first British hip-hop musical.
Her characters are almost all black males armed to the teeth with knives and guns.
Apparently they speak several languages — school English, street talk, code and patois — and here, they use a mixture of the last three, which means the lack of subtitles makes things difficult.
The protagonist is Flash (Dylan Duffus), who deals drugs, has five children by three mothers and gets into trouble when Angel (Yohjance Watson) comes out of prison and demands the £500,000 he left him to look after. You can imagine what follows.
The point of the film is elsewhere, showing us a picture of young black men that will make most of us deeply depressed.
Undoubtedly well acted and shot, and with a rip-roaring hip-hop score, it’s impressively non-moralistic, just showing us how it is. That may be why Birmingham’s cinemas have refused to show it.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Morning:
3°c
