It’s been made abundantly clear from Dead Man’s Shoes and This Is England that Meadows is an extremely talented film-maker and his talent certainly continues in Somers Town. It’s quite amazing how he is able to create all these different kinds of scenes, in tone and affection and the like, and gel them together so well. One scene it will be deadly serious, in this case there’s an early scene involving Turgoose’s character getting beaten up, and then go straight on to one which will have you chuckling away. I can’t think of that many film-makers who have the ability to make a film work as well as Meadows does.
Meadows has always been one for tackling varied and diverse subjects in his films. In This Is England it was racism and the skinhead culture of the 80’s and Dead Man’s Shoes it was retribution and revenge (and an abundance of others at the same time for both films), and for Somers Town it is how two people from very different places can come together and be friends, despite the vast differences between them.
I can very comfortably recommend Somers Town not just as a movie in general but as a break-in film for any potential newcomers to Meadows’ work. It has elements everyone has come to expect and love from the film-maker and this should let you get used to his style before getting hit with the more shocking and powerful stuff that’s in his other films. Meadows’ is one of British film-making’s treasures and I can only hope his talent continues for a very long time to come.
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