I haven't done a movie review in aaages. And that's probably a good thing, considering the majority of flicks I (depressingly) paid for in 2009 left me moaning, yawning, and concentrating on the nachos and popcorn to keep me entertained. I didn't even really get the hype of Avatar, which left me mesmerised by the animation, but wondering why ‘Pocahontas In Space’ cost so much damn money to produce, and why FernGully: The Last Rainforest isn’t down as one of the best cartoons EVER! (same message as Avatar, slightly different budget).
Nevertheless, ‘Shank’ was a rather different film experience altogether. For starters, it was nice to see an old interviewee of mine, UK rap artist Bashy, making moves on the big screen. The Hospital venue in Covent Garden was plush, with the bean-bag chairs to savour. And the film itself... kinda threw me. Throughout it, I had to laugh at some of the unconvincing acting, and unfinished sub-plots - but then my runaway scepticism was given a reality kick up the backside by my friend/colleague Sian Ce-Ce Anderson, who reminded me this was no blockbuster intended for the big red carpet; débuting Bashy, Deacon and co. were in form for a Kidulthood to Adulthood type audience.
And no doubt, on that basis, this actually wasn’t that bad at all. Call it an easy watch, as Shank is Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels meets the ghetto streets of London town in the year 2015. Make up your own minds when it is released in a cinema near you on March 26, 2009. And he’s a gentle reminder to my fellow journalists – if you’re going to review anything, never overlook how invaluable a simple chit-chat debate with a mate over a pint can be (thanks for the alternate perspective and the Stella Ce-Ce). Here’s the Ctrl.Alt.Shift review:
Ctrl.Alt.Shift @ Shank Screening
Last summer, rapper Ashley 'Bashy' Thomas headlined the United Underground art and music showcase on London's Southbank (set up by Ctrl.Alt.Shift, Riz MC Ahmed and British Underground). Since then, the man has continued to hustle, and the result will be blasted onto the UK's big screens on March 26, as Bashy kickstarts his acting career with 'Shank'. Last week I was invited to the swanky Hospital Club in Covent Garden to slouch onto a bean-bag chair and catch the private preview screening of the flick dubbed "an action movie for the next generation."
There was certainly no time to yawn. The film was littered with hectic chase and fight scenes, as we follow the story of 14 year old Junior (Kedar Williams-Stirling) and older brother Rager (Bashy) as they try and survive London's ganglands at a mad time in 2015; a period where the barrier between the rich and poor is immense, and food aka 'munchies' are replaced by drugs and guns as priceless commodities.
But Junior and Rager are not alone in their quest for munchies, joined by their own, relatively docile, violent-dodging gang The Paper Chaserz - consisting of Sweet Boy (Jan Uddin), Craze (Michael Socha) and Kickz (Adam Deacon of Adulthood and Kidulthood). However, there's a dark twist flung upon the story, as a conflict with a rival gang (the Tugz) leads to the 'shanking' and death of one of the Paper Chaserz... What follows is a crazy obstacle-ridden journey (including a cameo by Channel 4 'Skins' beaute Kaya Scodelario) for the group who trek across the city streets in search of justice, and revenge...
Read the full article here
No comments:
Post a Comment