Small City

2021's Small City is directed by two people (Georgie Curren, Adriano Vilanova). Small City's title? Well I don't know about that. The film takes place in London, UK, home to almost 9 million people. I suppose "City" has to do with the London underbelly. You know, the areas that are sketch. Anyway, this flick is more like an expert student film dropped into a festival as opposed to a full-length feature. It's like a long short at 74 minutes (if that makes any sense). Small City has unknown actors in it (at least they're unknown to me). They mumble their lines with thick accents and appear well, thuggish and ruggish. The hero in "City" (or you could say anti-hero) is Ozzy played by newcomer Eddie Thompson. Thompson looks a little like Daniel Kaluuya and at times, almost equals Kaluuya's smoldering screen presence. Yeah I didn't always know what he was saying but hey, he managed to carry Small City amicably. Guy Ritchie rock n' rollers aside, Small City is about a small-time hood who flees the life while trying to help a young girl escape some human traffickers. The vehicle is undercut with spurts of bloody violence, tough-talking (garbled tough-talking), and grainy gleam. Yup there are times when "City" can be dark and dangerous (intermittently dark and dangerous). "City" is well shot by Curren and Vilanova. It harbors a sort of bleached-out Michael Mann look a la 2004's Collateral. Also, "City" kinda reminded me of something the Safdie brothers would have done if they slowed things down a bit. Alas, if Small City wasn't so vague in its plotting and characterizations I would've applauded it even more. At well under an hour and a half, you don't quite get the full backstory of what the deal is with all the ruffians involved. The 2-3 interpretative endings in "City" don't soften the blow any further. Not "small" city, just "small-scaled".

Now that was an intense 74 minutes! Small City takes you on a mad ride through the alleys, stairwells and bedsits of London as Ozzy attempts to rescue Zia. There's violence but there's also tenderness in this story that doesn't follow the typical cliches of so many films that depict inner city London. A brilliant debut film and I look forward to seeing what these guys make next.

A great moody debut from the two writer/directors, featuring plenty of naturalistic performances, fantastic cinematography and an excellent soundtrack. The lead actors performance is particularly good.

When you have watched 10 minutes into the film and realize that you have not been able to discern any meaningful dialog at all, that says something for the sound quality of the movie. They mumble their dialog while uttering a low-class gang-style British accent. A better sound quality may have enhanced the ratings for the film.

Absolutely brilliant film Definitely under rated and watched. The performances were so real that couldn't imagine they were actors. A hard watch but worth it.

This film, the debut by UK directing duo Vilanova and Curran, treads a slightly unusual path through fairly well-worn subject matter which elevates it beyond your average UK "street" film. Any hint of glamour to the street life is completely stripped away, and in style Small City has more of a documentary feel to it, coming across as a grittier version of Stephen Frear's acclaimed "Dirty Little Things", with echoes of the Safdie brothers (I'm thinking "Good Time"). The protagonists are richly painted, particularly in their tangible hopelessness as the film draws to its inevitably violent conclusion. Despite the generally depressing tone, there is the odd light note - as Ozzy jokes he's left London twice in his life, and once was to go to jail - and as a Londoner the films comes across as undoubtedly authentic, perhaps uncomfortably so I genuinely hope this movie finds the audience it deserves as it compares very favourably to well-received recent UK fare such as "Blue Story".