SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
BeSummers
Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.
Usamah Harvey
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Juana
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
The Couchpotatoes
Some call it a gem, some call it a masterpiece, I would call it an okay movie to watch once but certainly not a gem nor masterpiece. For that London To Brighton is just not captivating enough. It could have used so more action and hardcore images. To me it looked all a bit too soft, even though the story itself is hard and cruel. The acting was not bad though, especially from the young Georgia Groome, that I thought did a very good job concidering her age. Like the rest of the cast they made this movie worth watching, but I wasn't blown away by the story that had good ideas but to me failed to make it exceptional.
secondtake
London to Brighton (2006)A harrowing story, a real descent into a little sliver of the streetwalking underworld of London and the perils of little rich girls who run away from home. I don't mean to make light of any of it--the movie pulls no punches, and adds some that go beyond the usual violence, too--but this is one of those recent stories where a terrible situation is imagined, and then filmed with awful realism. The two tracks, the plot with its significance, and the raw, visceral reaction to seeing anything so horrible, are both played out to the max. And acting is really first rate. The bad guys are really sneeringly awful, and the two key females, a full grown but struggling prostitute and a young girl who gets swept up in it all, are so believable it's scary. And impressive.And none of this is enough for a great movie. It makes for an intense experience, and there's no rule that says a movie has to be enjoyable (this is totally not enjoyable in the usual sense). But there is little here that reveals or probes, there is little of what you might call art, or nuance, or originality. It's not exactly a formula, yet, this kind of abuse in your living room, but I think it will be. There are several I've seen recently, the one that comes to mind is Julia. In both movies, young children are victims and it's difficult to really watch without detaching and looking around the living room and reminding yourself this is fiction, these are actors, don't worry.Terrible things happen in the world, of course, and worse things. But I'm not sure we need to see them. It's like becoming an emergency room doctor because you are fascinated with suffering and blood. Movies should be like doctors, then (to stretch the metaphor) and have some purpose to them beyond wallowing. And beyond representation. I think accurate representation is the simple motive behind the filming. The director (in this case with a short resume--I've never heard of him) makes it vivid, fast, and very real. In that sense he succeeded. But this realism could have been a means to a greater effect, a higher intention, something that takes the viewer somewhere. Anywhere.
MovieGuy01
I thought that London to Brighton was a great film it starts in London, a pimp called Derek assigns the prostitute Kelly that works for him to find a young girl on the streets to escort the powerful mobster Duncan Allen. Kelly finds the twelve year-old runaway Joanne in the train station, and Derek gives one hundred pounds for her service and the girl accepts. Kelly makes friends with Joanne and takes her to Duncan's mansion. When Joanne cries in the bedroom where she is with Duncan, Kelly runs and helps the girl. At 3:07 AM, a bruised Kelly and the tearful Joanne lock themselves in a public toilet. Kelly asks Joanne to stay there because she will raise some money for them to travel to Brighton. Meanwhile, Duncan's son Stuart Allen calls Derek and asks him to meet him in a night-club. When Derek arrives at the nightclub, Derek calls his friend Chum and they begin to chase the girls. It thought that this was a great and powerful film, which featured a lot of strong violence. 8/10
Jay Harris
This is a very raw, rough first feature (BAFTRA nominated) by Paul Andrew Williams.He wrote & produced the film as well.The film runs a very fast 85 minutes including 4 minutes of credits. It is a low budget film about some very unlikeable people, the sort nearly all of us would not bother with or would want know. They all are brutal & foul mouthed.However we do care, to some degree for them.The cast are mostly newcomers or featured players from TV) I never heard of any of them). I definitely want to see them in other films. Lorraine Stanley plays a working street girl. Georgia Groome (all of 14 when film was made) is new to the streets.Johnny Downs is the evil pimp, & Sam Spruell as the sadistic son of a client. They & the others in cast do fine jobs as these unsavory person.Normally I stay far from this type of film,BUT this time I was mesmerized, The hand held camera work was not as annoying as it usually is & most of my readers know I eschew foul language. Here it comes across as natural. It is like a Tarantino movie without the humour. That part I liked.Being a minor,low budget,no name cast feature from the UK It only had a short few theatre run in the USA.in Feb 2008.Look for this on Cable or rent it,I am sure you will agree it is watchable.There are some plot holes, but film moves fast & they are easily ignored.Ratings: ***1/2 (out of 4) 91 points (out of 100) IMDb 8 (out of 10)