By: Heather Seebach
Eighties babies like me have been anxiously awaiting J.J. Abrams Super 8 with promise that it will recapture the spirit we got watching films like The Goonies or E.T. - movies wherein kids ran the show and thwarted danger without any assistance from their clueless parents. Little did we recognize that such a picture has already landed in the U.K. - Joe Cornish`s Attack the Block.
Like a faster-paced, gorier cousin to Super 8, this British sci-fi film pits violent youths against vicious extraterrestrials in an urban South London setting. Despite its hard edges, Block evokes the like feeling of childhood adventure and danger captured in all those Spielbergian 80s flicks. It also recalls horror films from that era, such as Gremlins or Critters. What more could one ask for?
Moses (John Boyega) leads a pack of teenagers who get their kicks mugging helpless adults. When his crew encounters an unknown creature that has fallen to Earth, they defeat the wolf and drag it about town like a trophy. This does not appear to delight the other aliens, as the giant, black-haired creatures then get on the satellite in droves with their appetites set on Moses & company. While on the run from killer aliens, the kids inadvertently team up with a stoner (Luke Treadaway), a pot dealer (Nick Frost), and a lady they mugged (Jodie Whittaker).
So, yes, the shoot has adults, but they are perpetually out-shined by the minor actors, including Boyega, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, and Alex Esmail. All are relative unknowns but they persuade the movie with ease. Together, these kids find "the closure" and that includes fending off any nasty alien intruders. Boyega in particular exudes a substantial presence as the troubled gang leader who struggles to exert control without his guilt for the people he`s hurt getting in the way. This is not only some punk kid - he is a case with genuine layers, which are especially apparent in his scenes with the mugging victim played by Whittaker.
Through Moses and the other kids, we see the exposure and innocence hidden behind these chavs` harsh exteriors. The violent tendencies of these inner city youths are never sugar-coated, but through this sci-fi romp, we too get a sensation of writer/director Cornish`s socio-political commentary on the country of offence and young in London. It is never overbearing or distracting - just an inevitable and truthful footnote in an otherwise fun flick.
Speaking of chavs, some people have worried that the deep South London accents and slang would not translate well in the United States. Having seen the movie in a Maryland cinema, I can assure you that everybody understood the kids` dialogue fine and rarely lost a joke. Hell, sometimes the interview was laughing at something I did not work out - and I`ve watched (and understood) Trainspotting, Nil by Mouth, and the Red Riding Trilogy! Once the picture gets going, Americans should make no trouble keeping up.
So, how do the aliens look? Simple but damn effective. And better of all, the film relies mostly on practical effects - that is, men in suits. Of course, there is some CGI enhancement but it never looks cheap. The bloody stuff is too practical and occasionally quite graphic (get excited, gore-hounds). Cornish manages to perfectly balance this stage of force with a kid-centric storyline. The man definitely has skills behind the camera and I am eager to see what he does next. The movie is jammed with exciting action sequences, backed to perfection by Basement Jaxx`s hip-hop score.
Joe Cornish has long been associated with friend and Attack the Block producer Edgar Wright, but with his debut feature, he has officially distinguished himself. There is no reliance on Wright`s visual style or humor here. Cornish has delivered something only his own, and it is bound to be a cult classic worthy of repeat viewings and midnight screenings for days to come - that is, once Sony Pictures gets off their asses and gives the cinema a proper stateside release!
No comments:
Post a Comment