This Is England

With the release of Dead Mans Shoes back in 2004, Shane Meadows’ status in the British film industry went from being one of the up-and-comings to one of the here-and-nows. As a result, This Is England has enjoyed overwhelming publicity and has gained some cracking reviews, winning a number of awards along the way, including Best British Film at the British Independent Film Awards. So would this, Shane Meadows’ sixth feature length film live up to all the hype?

In a brave move that totally pays off, Shane Meadows casts Thomas Turgoose, a youngster his crew found in an arcade, in the lead role. This kid has a massive future ahead of him, a feeling echoed by the British Independent Film Awards, who named him Most Promising Newcomer. But it's not just Turgoose that excels in this film. The whole cast is incredibly believeable and it's particularly nice to see Nottingham talent like Andrew Shim and Vicky McClure (who both made their film debuts in A Room For Romeo Brass) coming of age.

This Is England is inescapably biographical on Shane Meadows part, which is reflected in the name of the lead character, 12-year-old Shaun Fields. Set in 1983; a world of Roland Rat, aerobics, Blockbusters, Margaret Thatcher, the Falklands crisis, racial unease, and skinheads, in an anonymous grey coastal town, it’s the last day of term at the start of the summer holidays and our Shaun is at breaking point. His Dad has been killed in the Falklands war, he gets barred from his corner shop for being cheeky and he has to go to non-uniform day in a pair of flared trousers. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, he stumbles across a group of skinheads in a subway.

But Skinheads need love too, and seeing Shaun all upset they surprisingly take him under their wing and into their gang and, despite their ungainly appearance, set about making it their mission to cheer the young ‘un up! Soon Shaun finds out about things like booze, girls and of course, Doc Martins, Ben Sherman’s and braces. Things are going well with his newfound family, until Combo (Steven Graham), an overtly racist Scouse skinhead returns from prison and disrupts the easygoing comradeship, driving divisions into the group and dragging Shaun into dangerous territory and the National Front along the way.

Coming to terms with life changing decisions, we follow Shaun on a rollercoaster journey of a few weeks and through a rite of passage that hurls this twelve year old from innocence to experience. Oh, and the small matter of his first kiss in a garden shed! Memories memories!

This Is England handles sensitive issues, like race, coming of age, violence, identity and friendship with the soulful and “Real Life” touch we have come to know and expect from Shane Meadows’ films. He explores the irony of the original skinhead movement being inspired by the Jamaican Ska and Reggae bands that were coming over in the late sixties, only for the scene later to be hijacked, twisted and distorted by the National Front.

In conclusion, you got to go see the film. Not just cos you want to spot parts of Nottingham on film, or that your mate’s cousin’s uncle’s former room mate’s school friend knows one of the extras in scene 32, but because it’s a right good laugh (even the bits you know you shouldn’t be laughing at - and there are a few of those), at the same time driving home a stark, moody image of early 80’s England, or more specifically, English men. Anyone over 30 will appreciate this film no end. Having said this, I’m not over 30 and I enjoyed every single minute - I will definitely paying to go see this again. This is men, this is Meadows, this is us… This Is England!

This Is England website

Read an alternative review of this film

Check out some of Shane's other films

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