London Boulevard

Last night Filmknitter and I went to see London Boulevard, a gangster film in the mould of Performance or Blow Up, starring Colin Farrell as an ex con who winds up minding Kiera Knightley’s nervy and infamous actress Charlotte upon leaving jail, whilst simultaneously coming to terms with his criminal past. In the age old tradition of such crime dramas, Farrell’s character Mitchell finds it harder to abandon his past than he reckoned on, with feckless mate Billy (a slimy Ben Chaplin) and gang boss and closet homosexual Gant (Ray Winstone) closing in on him as the film and many of its characters meet a  grisly end. Along the way, we meet Mitchell’s wayward and damaged sister Briony (Anna Friel, camping it up big time) and Jordan (Freil’s real life hubby David Thewlis, also hamming it up), a stoned thespian who seems to have assumed the role of protector to the vulnerable Charlotte, who is hounded by the paparazzi , deserted by her husband, and, it transpires, is the victim of a rape which occurred during a recent film shoot.

So, that’s the overview. And now for the review, which I must preface with a short note: Filmknitter and I did not agree on this movie one little bit. Not at all. And having read my esteemed opponent's review, I feel I must put in a stoic defence. So if you feel that you’ve stumbled in on an argument, well … you have!

The movie is a stylistic mash up of the aforementioned ‘60s classics and more recent gangster flicks, with a corking soundtrack which I must confess, had me at hello (The Yardbirds’ ‘Heart Full of Soul’ is deployed throughout and is subsequently today’s ear worm of choice). Classics coexist with more modern sounds, including Kasabian – in fact, the bands Serge Pizzorno penned the score for London Boulevard and a bloody good job he did of it too. The success of the score was definitely a factor in my positive response to the movie; I react so instinctively to music that I am sure it led me to forgive some of its flaws, such as Eddie Marson’s cop, who looks like he’s emerged straight from TV’s Life on Mars rather than a ‘60s inspired contemporary London.  And yes, as Filmknitter points out, the script was clichéd. But where one person sees cliché, another sees homage. And given director Monahan scribed The Departed, I am hopeful that he was going for this rather than being lazy. I really enjoyed the movie and I know I am in the minority as the critical talons seem to be out across the board regarding it. I loved the grainy quality of the cinematography and the fast paced action, and was gripped by the melodramatic twists and turns of the plot, littered with mysterious red herrings. A case in point was Mitchell’s unexplained attachment to a Big Issue seller, who is killed by some kids halfway through the film and whose death hastens on Mitchell’s own fate. His obsession with seeking out the killers combines with the presence of a demented looking paparazzo to create a sense of danger levelled at Charlotte, when in fact, it is someone else we need to be concerned about.

The movie brazenly plays with the conventions of the 60s gangster film and the stereotypical female role (foil or whore) is deconstructed in a conversation between Mitchell and Charlotte (they fall in love, but we’re no closer to finding anything meaningful out about him) and parodied by Friel’s boggle-eyed good-time girl Briony. Admittedly, Charlotte could have been played by anyone and Knightley’s innate superciliousness doesn’t win her any sympathy, but she provides some glamour (if not sexiness – that comes courtesy of Friel) and her character sheds light upon the darker side of celebrity. London Boulevard is dark and often violent, imperfectly written but slickly shot, and with a cast to die for (in addition to those I’ve already mentioned, supporting roles are courtesy of Stephen Graham and Sanjeev Bhaskar). As indeed, the majority of the characters do. This isn’t a psychodrama or a classic, but it’s compelling and with the defence of its tongue resting coyly in cheek, entertaining fare. Plus, Farrell’s Laahndaahn accent is not too atrocious. I’m coming round to him.

Comments

[Sarah B]

A spirited defence but I remain unconvinced :) Apparently it's based on a book, which in turn is based upon 'Sunset Boulevard' - I suspect something's been lost in translation...