ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

morrison-dylan-fan Doing a big summer clean-up I decided to get rid of a huge pile of old issues of UK film mag Empire. Making notes of titles that sounded interesting in the soon to be gone issues,I noticed this film being praised for being different to other "urban" Drama's. Caught by surprised, I was happy to see it was about to be shown on the BBC,which led to me meeting the devilish brothers. View on the film:Depressingly looking like it could have been filmed this year, writer/director Sally El Hosaini & cinematographer David Raedeker craft an intense, on the street reporting atmosphere, following each gang member stomping on their turf of rotting flats and side streets where huddled yoofs can pull out a knife to kill you in an instance. Filmed on location in Hackney, London, Hosaini stylishly uses hand-held cameras to shove the viewer by the walls of the cramped family home, where Rash and Mo's emotions boil over.Bringing a feeling of brotherly love out of their troubled surroundings,James Floyd and Fady Elsayed give electrifying performances as Mo and Rash,with each of them pushing and pulling the other ones frustrations over the life of grime they are stuck in, whilst Saïd Taghmaoui nicely hits a note of calm as friend Sayyid. While the look of the movie and the performances successfully aim for something new in the "urban" Drama genre,the screenplay by Hosaini spends the first half playing the usual notes of the brothers having to survive rubbing shoulders with the various thugs on the streets. Closing in on things the brothers don't tell each other, Hosaini keeps the traditional urban flavour burning, whilst going for a more touchingly low-key examination of a brother being such a devil.

peterpearce-58025 The show my brother the devil plays on many stereotypes from Muslim stereo types to gay and lesbian stereotypes. This is because Rash turns out to be gay in a Muslim household and his brother finds out however his mum and dad do not know. This relates to life in the streets of the streets of south east London as if a so called gangster was to be called gay he may be picked on or made fun of. Also in the religion of Islam it is haram to be gay therefore if Rash would have told his parents they may have kicked him out of looked down upon him. The film touches on very controversial topics such as a gangster which is gay as this may be the first time such a character has been shown or depicted in a film.

Leofwine_draca MY BROTHER THE DEVIL has quite a lot of quality for a low budget, shot-on-the-streets type of British youth film. It tells the story of a couple of Arab kids growing up on the mean streets of Hackney, where they must intermingle with drug gangs and adult life in a bid to make something of their lives - or merely survive.Unfortunately for me, I've seen all this sort of thing before in the likes of Noel Clarke's KIDULTHOOD and ADULTHOOD, plus the wave of films along the same line that have been made over the past decade, and MY BROTHER THE DEVIL doesn't really have much more to say on the subject, other than to make a point of how ridiculous, violent, and difficult it all is. Director Sally El Hosaini elicits some strong performances from her young, unknown cast members, and the film is certainly watchable from beginning to end. But it's too familiar and fatalistic to have much of an impact on this viewer.

Simon_Says_Movies Delivering an alternately striking and ominous vision of gangland London, My Brother the Devil, the directorial debut from British- Egyptian director Sally El Hosaini, is an excellent film. Abstaining from all-encompassing grimness and moroseness in favour of character- driven showcases of potency, it's rewarding, gripping and the best film of this young year.The story is made up of familiar parts – ones we've seen in other gang- centric entities from HBO's The Wire to City of God – but El Hosaini's vision is one of complexity, nuance and moreover is a film that approaches those tropes with distinction. For most audiences My Brother the Devil will provide a unique fusion of cultures. The intermittently bleak aesthetic of London meets the violent, drug-peddling gangs of the projects and more specifically the Arab ethnicities caught in the mix.At the center of these struggles are two brothers, Rashid (James Floyd) who goes simply by Rash and Mo (first time actor Fady Elsayed). 19-year- old Rash runs with the gang known as DMG (drugs-money-guns) using it chiefly as a means to support his poor family, but for the shy Mo his brother's involvement and standing makes him an idol and ultimately a beacon towards a more prosperous future. Rash, however, wants his brother as far away from the life as possible and when a violent incident occurs for which be blames himself, he looks to re-examine his life in more ways than one – a decision that seeks to drive a wedge between the siblings.There is a further level of complexity to My Brother the Devil that I won't reveal here but it serves both to expertly deepen the character of Rash and examine the nature of his gang affiliates in a fascinating way. These characters swirl in a sea of split-second decisions, racism and unfounded hate and when a secret is uncovered it makes perfect sense the verdicts that are quickly reached. I don't mean that in a way that the outcome is obvious but rather it's something that is consummately organic and, ultimately, harrowing for the characters involved.There are many stars in My Brother the Devil and leading them all is El Hosaini, whose grasp on riveting filmmaking, despite her relative amateur status, is nothing short of astounding. The crisp, clean camera-work gives the world of this film an identity of its own and likewise when she opts to employ hand-held shots and angled perspectives the result is equally arresting. The violence on display is restrained in its scale and frequency but when presented is some of the more disturbing bloodshed you're ever likely to see. In fact, the scenes where brutality is avoided prove to be just as intense as their gruesome counterparts.Also nothing short of remarkable are the two leads, particularly the more experienced James Floyd who, while powerfully written by El Hosaini, brings to life the character of Rash and the struggles he faces with the world around him and internally as well. It's truthfully award- worthy stuff. Newcomer Fady Elsayed is also wonderful playing the weaker of the brothers with vulnerability and reserve but never allowing his character to descend into the realm of snivelling coward. His decisions, while angering at times, feel natural given the situation and his character's age and lead the way for a satisfying, if racking, catharsis for those concerned.The faults to be found in My Brother the Devil are scattered and infrequent and thankfully do little to undermine the greater vision on display. The pace hits a bit of an awkward stride leading up to the climax but the conclusion is too perfect to dwell on it. There is also an underdeveloped subplot between Mo and a new girl who moves into his complex. Lastly, there could have been more screen time delegated to further shaping the character of Sayyid (Saïd Taghmaoui) and his past ties to gang life and his growing connection and impact on Rash.But as a greater entity the film is a triumph of independent filmmaking and pegs El Hosaini as a talent to watch with avid anticipation. A coming-of-age journey with bold, memorable characters and vision and style to spare, My Brother the Devil is periodically slick, always captivating and authentic in ways uncommon to most explorations of violence and loyalty.