Film-By-Film: Shane Meadows The acclaimed British director's films profiled
With acclaimed British director Shane Meadows latest release Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee in cinemas, Empire thought it was high time to reflect on the big man's career by remembering the feature films he has released to date - none of which, strangely, fit in the category of rap-parody... WORDS SAM PARKER
Film-By-Film: Shane Meadows Twenty Four Seven (1997)
Shane Meadows' debut feature film was a straightforward but charming entry into the genre of the inspirational-working-class-drama, and the prototype for the theme that has dominated his career: the influence of older men on vulnerable, disaffected youths. In this instance, that influence comes in the form of an exceptional performance by Bob Hoskins as Alan Darcy. He's a lonely but principled middle-age man who decides to start a boxing club for the youths of a depressed Midlands community who, he writes in his diary, "have been living the same day their whole lives."
As with his later work, Meadows employed similar methods to Ken Loach in coaxing out relaxed, naturalistic performances from untrained actors to create a story that feels authentic - if a little conventional for the first two acts. However, in the final act we get a glimpse of the trademark Meadows ability to suddenly ignite and subvert the course of his narratives, when Darcy disgraces himself by kicking seven shades out of the violent stepfather of one of the boys.
For the youths, boxing comes to embody the discipline and honour lacking from their lives, and to see their teacher lose it in this way horrifies and disillusions them all over again. It is this scene that most imbues Twenty Four Seven with the promise of Meadows' career both as a director and a writer. The film performed well at the BAFTA Awards, the British Independent Film Awards and in Venice - as well as picking up a none-too-shabby 5 stars from Empire.
Key Scene: In a moment that is both satisfying and devastating, Darcy loses all the self discipline he tried to teach the boys by beating up an abusive father. Also proves that Hoskins is quite tidy for a little fella.
Posted on Friday October 30, 2009, 13:10 by Andybee76
Paddy Considine is fucking amazing in Dead Mans Shoes and most things he's in come to that (thought he was a bit weak in the Bourne Ultimatum though!) but you could have mentioned Toby Kebbell's amazing perfomance in DMS too. It is a brilliantly underplayed performance that stays on the right side of respectful. He looks like an actor to keep an eye out for cos I have only seen him in two other films (Rock n Rolla and Control) and he was good in them too! Funny that he played Rob Gretton in Control and so did Paddy in 24 Hour Party People!! Read More
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How do you choose a favourite?...
Posted on Monday October 19, 2009, 21:21 by SonnyDaze
Dead Man's Shoes and This is England were both brilliant films, with astonishing performances from Paddy Considine and Stephen Graham respectively....but I love the charm of Somers Town, and it had me in stitches at certain parts in the film, especially when Tomo finds himself without a place to stay, and after turning up at Graham's flat is told that he can stay....but he has to do him a few favours from time to time..."What sort of favours....like.....sexual, or..."...
"NO, NO, nothing like that"....
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