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