Search - Bullet Boy on DVD

Universal problems.

Robert Bezimienny | Sydney, NSW Australia | 08/21/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Made by BBC Films, this has something of the feel of well made television drama. The story is simple, and quite familiar, but still manages to raise questions as to how a person's decisions are not radically free - perhaps an obvious point, but one that seems to bear repeating, especially given the context, namely, a released convict from an underprivileged background. For Ricky, starting afresh means rejecting not just his own past misdeeds, but also his friends - and rejecting his friends (whatever there unfixable faults) is not just difficult, it also comes close to being immoral, so Ricky is truly torn.
*
The influence of family is also well presented, and some of the gaps speak as loud as the presences, for instance the lack of a biological father in his life. The social realities are shown matter-of-factly and the film stops well short of being preachy.
*
Curtis, as the twelve year old brother, is a charismatic figure, as is his friend Rio, but some of the other actors struggle to bring their characters to life - at times it's a little bit too obvious that they are 'acting'. The camerawork, editing, and music all have a suitably 'realistic' English TV aesthetic.
*
Perhaps not a classic, but worth a look."

Today British Reality

Michael Kerjman | 03/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is in line of British works ("Kidulthood [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]", for instance) by producers concerned with reality of contemporary England, into which importing the in-advance- biologically-under-caste of supposedly equal "new Brits" is just a part of usual neo-colonial politics discriminating on non-Anglo-Saxon/Celtic basis, while mentoring a rest of the world on British "human rights achievements".

Grey, bleak, opportunities-short reality of non-Britain-linked-biologically is being disclosed on example of Afro-migrants, where state-sponsored food and housing just boost a quest for a better life sponsored by drug-trafficking and illegal activities, murdering is among them, as other ways closed down for reasons mentioned above.

And this situation ought to be extended to Australia, Canada and surely New Zealand, British Commonwealth's copycats of the UK, to a great extent.
"