AWAYDAYS (18)

Starring: Nicky Bell, Liam Boyle, Stephen Graham
Directed by: Pat Holden
Released: 22/05/2009


Awaydays is the seminal film on the experiences and evolution of the hooligan culture in football. The story centres on Paul Carty (newcomer Nick Bell), a well educated and funny youth stuck in a dreary dead end job. He becomes obsessed with trying to join the local gang, ominously labelled “The Pack”, after his mother’s death.

He finds his way in through the mysterious Elvis (Liam Boyle), a character whose very nature is exceedingly ambiguous – you’re never sure exactly what he wants; to leave the Pack? To save others from them? Or at times it seems like he wants to lead them? The point is, it doesn’t matter. He believes he’s trapped no matter what he does or what he wants, and must just make his life as good as he can while it lasts. The very fact he leaves a noose permanently tied in his bedroom suggests that he is not afraid of anything, much less as he puts it: “the absolute certainty of death”

The two boys idolise each other, one seeing the escape from his working class background, the other seeing an escape from the boredom of his dull 9 to 5 existence.

Based on the novel of the same name, the Awaydays story is already a cult classic, and this movie takes the story from the first person narrative of Carty’s story which the book gives, and fleshes out some of the other characters, giving new depth to characters such as John Godden, the leader of the gang, a superb performance from Stephen Graham (This Is England)

The film is all about authenticity, and from the green coated, Adidas trainer wearing uniform of the pack, right down to the soundtrack, (an amazing lineup of late70’s bands, from Joy Division to Echo and the Bunnymen and a whole variety in between), .the film just personifies the era so well.

This is both Boyle and Bell’s first major feature film, and to have been given the two lead roles so early in their career is a credit to them both, and they fail to disappoint. If they can continue to grow beyond this movie, they could be mainstays in British cinema for many years to come!


James Gordon

STAR TREK (12A)

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana
Directed by: J.J Abrams

Having not been a fan of the Star Trek phenomenon, I was unsure of what to expect when seeing this film. Were they going to use references to the television show that I would not understand or was it going to be a film for hard-core enthusiasts or ‘trekkies’ to enjoy? Well I’m pleased to say that this film is not only accessible to those outside of the realm of Star Trek fandom, but also it is by far one of the best action films this year. It is a re-imagining of the Star Trek franchise and no prior knowledge is needed to follow the story of Captain Kirk and co.
The action starts immediately with an exciting yet very emotional beginning, which takes us straight into the story and shows the tragic fate of Captain Kirk senior. It is here where we are introduced to the enemy Nero (Eris Bana) who wants to exact revenge on Captain Spock for reasons that become clear later. As this is an origin story the characters are introduced to us and we see Spock (Quinto) and James Kirk (Pine) grow from children to Starship enterprise teammates. After the death of his father, Kirk rebels against the expectations bestowed on him from his father's death and he is seen joy riding and engaging in troublesome behavior. The more interesting story is of Spock who is born half-human and half-Vulcan and struggles with his two identities. While he wishes to be Vulcan and to educate and lead the fellow starship crew in doing so he must hold back his human emotions and feelings for a fellow Starfleet member.
Filling Spock’s shoes is Heroes bad boy Zachary Quinto. His deadpan delivery is effortless and he plays his character with great ease making it the standout performance of the film. Chris Pine while no doubt attracting the ladies fills the shoes of William Shatner earnestly and there is a great chemistry between the two leads. As the film’s only female presence, Zoe Saldana more than holds her own against her male counterparts she is given a strong empowering role and is not just the film’s eye candy. Simon Pegg also stars as Scotty and delivers some terrific one-liners in what is already a surprisingly funny film. All the actors give great performances and considering that director JJ Abrams took a gamble when hiring familiar yet not A-list actors they make the characters their own. We are introduced to a new crew and one that we can expect to see more of in the future.
JJ Abrams guides the ship and armed with a great script makes the story accessible to new fans of the franchise. The film is well structured and doesn’t let up on the action for a second, while the cinematography and special effects also deserve a mention for making the film truly come to life. It is a moment of pure escapism when we are taken into the scenes in space, which are so beautifully shot. Accompanied by a wonderful score Star Trek is a thrill ride and no doubt will convert some non-believers. It works in it own right as an ambitious blockbuster, epic as well as pleasing the existing fans. With action humour and even a budding romance Star Trek is definitely no longer just for nerds.


Rickee Bhardwaj

FAST AND FURIOUS (12A)

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez,
Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz
Directed By: Justin Lin
Released: 2009


Has no one heard of road safety?! The fourth chapter in The Fast of the Furious series sees Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his nemeses Agent Brian O’Conner (Walker) collaborate over a mutual enemy in dangerous stunts and speeding races that you’d think would kill a man, but the two have different motives. Toretto wants to kill the guy who murdered his love by, wait for it … a car crash (what a surprise) and O’Conner wants to bring the well-known criminal to justice. But will the two get over their ongoing feud in order to catch the baddie and save the day?

There is nothing new or invigorating about the plot and forgetting the fact that the characters are as deep as a coat of paint it is actually worth watching just to see the fast-paced races and of course, Vin Diesel’s muscles. This film is perfect for petrol-heads as we zoom all over Los Angeles and Mexico and there is never a chance to get bored as the action is constantly in full throttle. To sum up, a sure crash for the girls, but win for the guys!


Becky Elizabeth Wojturska