TWENTYFOURSEVEN
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING: ** OUT OF ****
United Kingdom, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 5/8/98 (limited) Running Length: 1:40 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Bob Hoskins, Danny Nussbaum, James Hoonton, Darren Campell, Justin Brady, Jimmy Hynd, Bruce Jones, Frank Harper Director: Shane Meadows Producer: Imogen West Screenplay: Shane Meadows and Paul Fraser Cinematography: Ashley Rowe Music: Neil Maccoll, Boo Hewerdine U.S. Distributor: October Films
Actor Bob Hoskins describes Shane Meadows' TWENTYFOURSEVEN (which is short for "twenty four hours a day, seven days a week") as "one of the most important films I have ever been involved with." However, while Hoskins' performance is laudable, the movie as a whole is a letdown -- oddly paced, erratically scripted, and with a message that is so obvious that I felt like I was being bludgeoned to death with it. Who doesn't acknowledge that life is only worth living when one has something to believe in?
The story behind the film's director is more interesting than the movie itself. The 25 year-old Meadows grew up in the projects of Nottingham (where TWENTYFOURSEVEN is set, a place that Hoskins describes as making "Detroit look like Never-Never Land"), dropped out of school at the age of 15, and never received any professional film training. But, while his style evidences the edginess one might expect from someone with his background, Meadows' approach doesn't seem any more remarkable than that of many of today's new generation of film makers. Before seeing the movie, everything I had heard about TWENTYFOURSEVEN indicated that it is a "stunning" feature; twelve hours after the closing credits rolled, I'm still waiting to be stunned.
The hero of the story is Alan Darcy (Bob Hoskins), a middle-aged man who decides to invigorate his dying industrial community by starting up a boxing club to get the local kids off drugs, off the streets, and into the ring. Each of the dozen or so young men that Darcy takes under his wing has a different sort of problem. One is an addict, one has a weight problem, one suffers the taunts of an abusive, overbearing father, and one has an explosive temper. Reluctantly at first, but then with growing enthusiasm, they listen as Darcy preaches his mantra of control. What none of them realizes is how close to the psychological edge their new mentor is.
While the final twenty minutes of TWENTYFOURSEVEN is effective (and even a little shocking), it doesn't erase the weakness of the predictable melodrama that precedes it. For much of its running time, the film doesn't go anywhere -- it's a relatively uninspired look at how a bunch of directionless kids turn their lives around by finding the meaning of life in a boxing ring. This is a standard plot, and, aside from the black-and-white, pseudo-documentary look of the film, Meadows doesn't offer anything new. None of the characters, with the possible exception of Darcy, are well-developed. In the end, it's hard to care about any of them -- whether they live, die, climb out of the hole dug for them by Thatcherism, or fall back into it. Meadows has crafted a movie with a stark appearance, but one that doesn't have much of a heart.
It's also worth questioning the idea that it's a good thing for teen boys to harness their unrest by climbing into a boxing ring and beating each other bloody. TWENTYFOURSEVEN isn't the only recent movie to embrace this tactic -- last year's THE BOXER used the same approach. Apparently, film makers think the controlled violence of boxing is the only way to "save" a disaffected generation in economically-downtrodden areas. Is this really the best solution? How about a basketball or soccer clinic? Then the spirit of competition is still alive, but it's tempered by a strong sense of being part of a team, and the victim is a ball, not someone else's face.
Meadows cast his friends, not professional actors (Hoskins being the exception), in TWENTYFOURSEVEN. While it's occasionally evident that we're not watching seasoned thespians, it's never a serious problem, since most of the performances are credible. Hoskins displays great range as Darcy -- depending on the circumstances, he can be a funny, tragic, heroic, or horrific figure. It's unfortunate that the actor's efforts couldn't have been focused on a better-developed individual.
TWENTYFOURSEVEN is supposed to be one of those gritty, coming-of- age stories cut from the same cloth as BOYZ 'N THE HOOD and HATE -- a movie that shows life in poverty-stricken, urban neighborhoods the way it really is. But, while TWENTYFOURSEVEN was filmed in a crime- infested, economically ravaged area, the power and urgency of the setting is not conveyed through the narrative. Meadows clearly has ambition and desire, and he may have a bright future as a film maker, but TWENTYFOURSEVEN lacks the focus and drive necessary for a breakthrough feature. The picture may be about violence inside and outside of the ring, but RAGING BULL this isn't.
Copyright 1998 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net
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