{"id":399,"date":"2010-11-03T00:51:24","date_gmt":"2010-11-03T00:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=399"},"modified":"2010-11-03T00:51:24","modified_gmt":"2010-11-03T00:51:24","slug":"lff-neds-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/drama\/lff-neds-4\/","title":{"rendered":"LFF: Neds – 4*"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Scottish Actor\/writer\/director Peter Mullan<\/a> (The Magdalene Sisters<\/em><\/a>, Orphans<\/em><\/a>) may well have struck gold with his first internationally marketable feature, Neds<\/em><\/a> \u2013 even though its broad Glaswegian dialect takes some getting used to, and resulted in subtitles at its world premiere in Toronto. What Mullan gets right every time that translates, regardless of language, is his casting and his actors\u2019 performances, be that down to \u2018pot luck\u2019 as he admitted at the BFI London Film Festival<\/a>, or not. Mullan has a magic touch for gritty realism, and Neds<\/em> is no exception.<\/p>\n

Mullan claims Neds<\/em> is a \u2018personal but not autobiographical\u2019 coming-of-age tale set in 1970s Glasgow, where gang violence is rife, and being born into an environment without prospects is like a heavy chain around any bright young kid\u2019s neck. Neds<\/em> may not be autobiographical, but it does have some obvious personal investment, that\u2019s for sure, to allow for some brilliant improv and direction. Mullan plays a violent and sadistic drunk, so we can only guess whom his character is based on, although he remained guarded when asked.<\/p>\n

Neds<\/em> that stands for \u2018Non-Educated Delinquents\u2019, or \u2018chavs\u2019 to others, plays out like a powerful and engaging dichotomy set in a claustrophobic pressure-cooker environment: violent and tender; terrifying and humorous. This is interesting, considering Mullan\u2019s story was originally about violent knife crime \u2013 as poignant today as back then, but became an emotional journey about adolescence and growing up. The change in direction allows Mullan some leeway to inject humour through its cheeky and sardonic repertoire and fun music score that accompanies the brutal fight scenes (like Irving Berlin\u2019s ‘Cheek To Cheek’). Its parallels with This Is England will not be lost \u2013 an easily influenced boy falling in with the wrong crowd, but it\u2019s a standalone contender destined for box office success all the same.<\/p>\n

The story follows studious and confident, working-class John McGill from the start of a glowing academic career at secondary school, to his derailment by the class and lifestyle he\u2019s born into, after experiencing social discrimination, as he ventures deep into knife-wielding gangland. This may seem like classic Brit social realist film-making, or kitchen-sink drama from its synopsis \u2013 and in some respects it is with its bunch of disillusioned young men. But its lead character still manages to cling onto a haunting humanity, played by newcomer and fellow Scot Conor McCarron<\/a>, making you root for him until the bitter end.<\/p>\n

McCarron gives the kind of performance you\u2019d expect from a seasoned pro, never once missing a beat opposite Mullan in some of the most harrowing scenes of the film. McCarron as McGill displays both baby-faced vulnerability and menacing psychosis, with one shocking moment being his graveyard revenge on a boy who threatened him years earlier on a school crossing. We empathise with his spiralling anger and frustration and his limited life choices, given his near-hopeless surroundings, signalling Mullan\u2019s expert character development.<\/p>\n

Neds<\/em> is another human story full of charisma, guts and determination to push dividing social issues to the fore on screen. Its compassion is its driving point and the key to its success, reflecting the real-life passion and charm of its creator, Mullan.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By L G-K<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scottish Actor\/writer\/director Peter Mullan (The Magdalene Sisters, Orphans) may well have struck gold with his first internationally marketable feature, Neds \u2013 even though its broad Glaswegian dialect takes some getting used to, and resulted in subtitles at its world premiere in Toronto. What Mullan gets right every time that translates, regardless of language, is his … <\/p>\n

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