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London Boulevard
Review by Michael Tancredi
London Boulevard is a dark, brooding movie that dwells in the seedy underbelly
of London. All the main characters, but one, are damaged in one way or another
and they lead lives that are tense and neurotic. Most of the characters appear
to be suppressing a violence that sometimes bubbles to the surface with extreme
force.
London Boulevard
Colin Farrell (Mitch), an ex-con trying to go straight and struggling to break
the shackles that tie him to his past, is a man of few words. He is
respected and feared by his peers, the mere mention of his name turns
knees to jelly. But to others he is admired for his gentleness and compassion.
Farrell brings an intensity and honesty to the role and as the movie unfolds you
find yourself wanting him to succeed.
Keira Knightley (Charlotte) captures the paranoia of a young actress who has
acquired success rapidly and now finds herself in a broken marriage and a
world where she is identified by the roles she has played. She now can't escape
and leads a reclusive life hounded by the paparazzi. Mitch provides the rock to
which she desperately clings.
David Thewlis (Jordan) shares an unusual relationship with Charlotte and
provides the fill needed to understand her confused background. He describes
himself as a "polymath who prefers to do nothing" and brings a touch of dark
humour to the movie.
All the characters provide a chilling reality of life on the dark side, Anna
Friel as Mitch's irresponsible sister Briony, Ray Winstone as the cold blooded
psychopathic gangster Gant and Ben Chaplin as the somewhat sleazy, desperate
"friend" to Mitch. This is not a movie with a "rainbow" at the end. The pot is
full of coal not gold, so don't expect to walk away from this one with a happy heart.
Director William Monahan has assembled a strong well respected English cast with
a strong script in this, his directorial debut.
London Boulevard although released in 2010 in the UK has been a long time in coming to
Australia's shores in this direct-to-DVD release.
Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras: 50%
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