This Is England, (Cert 18, 100 mins)
Stars: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim, Joseph Gilgun, Perry Benson
Director: Shane Meadows
BRITISH writer-director Shane Meadows returns to stunning form with this largely autobiographical look at life in '80s Britain. Struggling to cope with the death of his father in the Falklands, adolescent loner Shaun (Turgoose) becomes isolated from his caring mother and other residents of his council estate. He forges unexpected friendships with skinhead rebel Woody and his gang. The dynamics of Woody's gang shift when one-time jailbird Combo (Graham) returns to the estate encouraging the youngsters to pledge their allegiance to the National Front. This Is England obliterates all those unhappy memories of Meadows' previous two films, Once Upon A Time In The Midlands and Dead Man's Shoes. This new picture is a return to the smaller, more intimate character studies which Meadows crafts so beautifully, eliciting a stunning performance from newcomer Turgoose as the cheeky urchin craving a male influence in his life. The supporting cast is equally impressive, as the narrative lurches towards its horribly inevitable conclusion, sounding a death knell for childhood innocence. | 
