Last week I bunked off work early to go see a film, one of the benefits of flex hours. I went to the theatre with no film in mind and picked Harry Brown simply on the basis that I had heard nothing about it. Perhaps because I had heard nothing about it, my expectations were pretty low (especially after seeing Michael Caine in “Is Anybody There?). This film not only easily surpassed my expectations, but also won a place in my top 10 of 2010 list.
I think that ideally those interested in seeing it should do so without gathering any plot information beforehand. Therefore, I won’t reveal any of the plot. However what I will say is that the film strikes a delicate balance between emotion and grit, between an airbrushed reality and a darker one. Michael Caine’s performance was excellent, but the real standout for me was Plan B (the rapper not the quicker fixer-upper) aka Ben Drew. I’ve seen him in a few things before, but this was the first time that he has been able to hold his own. I think that to do so alongside actors of such calibre as Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer is a particular accomplishment. I look forward to seeing more of him on screen in the future.
