CINEMA: Harry Brown

Nov 22, 2009

Written by: Dee Pilgrim

From its very first shockingly explosive scene Harry Brown announces the arrival of a new kid in town.

No, not veteran actor Michael Caine on brilliant form here, but director Daniel Barber whose kinetic style leaps off the screen to deliver a kick to the solar plexus.

michael caine stars as harry brown

Retired marine Harry Brown (Caine) lives on a run-down, grotty estate. Harry is a law-abiding man devoted to his sick wife and best friend Leonard (David Bradley), but his friends’ lives are being blighted by the drugs, violence and thuggery of the local gangs which the police seem incapable of controlling.

Things spiral out of control when Harry’s wife dies and Leonard is viciously murdered by the thugs. With nothing more to lose Harry decides to take matters into his own hands, but what can one OAP do against a whole bunch of hooligans? Quite a lot as it happens, as Harry decides confrontation is better than living a life cowering in fear. As the violence escalates you can almost see Harry growing in stature especially during one extraordinary, extended sequence in a skunk growing factory which takes on an almost alien, surreal quality soaked in menace.

Caine is brilliant here; controlled, understated and very scary.

Unfortunately, Daniel Barber can’t sustain the tension of the film until its rather unsatisfactory ending, but he does enough to show he’s someone to watch out for in the future while Michael Caine just keeps getting better and better.

Author: Dee Pilgrim

Dee always knew she wanted to make her living from writing and so trained as a journalist before working for a variety of music and women’s titles including Sounds, Company, Cosmopolitan, Ms London, New Woman, and Girl About Town. After going freelance she concentrated on celebrity interviews and film, theatre, music and restaurant reviews. Her love of film goes back to her very first cinema experience at the age of five when her mother took her to see Bambi. She cried. At one time she was the Film Editor for NOW magazine and also the secretary for the film section of the Critics’ Circle and the celebrity coordinator for its annual film awards’ event. She has written a number of books for teenagers through Trotman Publishing, including five Real Life Guides to vocational careers (including Carpentry, Plumbing and Catering), and also three books on Real Life Issues (Money, Bereavement and Self Harm). Her favourite film is still Bladerunner.