Bullet Boy confronts inner-city gun culture in Britain.
Herald rating: * * * *
The British answer to John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood, this heartfelt and brilliantly acted ensemble drama confronts the gun culture of inner-city England. The title could apply to any of the film's young men: 19-year-old Ricky (Walters, of rap collective So
Solid Crew), his 12-year-old brother Curtis (Fraser) or Ricky's mate, the inaptly named Wisdom (Black). The gun that is the instrument of the movie's mayhem spends some time in each of their hands after Wisdom gives it to Ricky, freshly released from a short jail term, in the opening few minutes.
When a minor traffic accident drags the two men into a spiral of revenge, Curtis, who plainly adores his streetwise, swaggering sibling, looks set to be dragged down with them despite the best intentions of their mother Beverley (Perkins).
Director Dibb, a television documentarian making his feature debut, has a naturalist style something like Ken Loach on steroids. Crisp editing propels the story relentlessly forward and his cinematographer Marcel Zyskind, who shot the heartrending immigrants' story In This World for Michael Winterbottom, has both an adventurous visual sense and a sure feel for the setting which, more often than not, he frames in a striking widescreen compositions. He also shuns the monochrome palette of many such films, instead making use of bright, bold colours which avoid the grim cliches of the genre.
The film certainly has a chillingly predictable arc - and there's something slightly glib about the upbeat ending - but it's a very accomplished debut by a film-maker who knows what suspense may be found in the mundane.
Cast: Ashley Waters, Luke Fraser, Claire Perkins, Leon Black
Director: Saul Dibb
Running time: 88 minutes
Rating: R16, contains violence, offensive language and sex scenes
Screening: Academy
Verdict: Grim but accomplished drama about gun culture on inner-city streets is like Ken Loach on steroids.
