Harry Brown (2010)

London, The Present: Elderly pensioner Harry Brown lives a largely solitary existence on a sinkhole council housing estate in London where drug dealing and recreational violence are the norm and disaffected hoodie-wearing teenage criminals (or "chavs" as we call them in the UK a word derived from the acronym of "Council Housed And Violent") treat the ugly concrete canyons as a combination of a playground and the gladiatorial arena. Harry, despite a once prestigious career in the Royal Marines, is an affable, peaceful man who keeps himself to himself; literally going out of his way to avoid confrontation on a daily basis. But when a tragic series of events results in the death of one of his dearest friends, Harry finds himself inexorably drawn onto a collision course with the violent criminal elements that have terrorized the estate.

Harry Brown is not a perfect film, but it is an important one. It's probably the only film that realistically deals with the reality of the plight of the elderly and vulnerable at the hands of what has now become an epidemic of casual violent criminality in the UK. Make no bones about it, the England that you see in this film is far closer to the reality of living in a major British city than the Richard Curtisesque fluff-pieces (such as Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)) that are exported abroad in the hope of drumming up UK tourism. The failure of successive post-war UK governments to deal with an ailing education and law enforcement system has led to the reassertion of almost Dickensian levels of violence, poverty and hopelessness, and, as a British expat now living in Australia, I experienced an old familiar sinking feeling as I observed the frighteningly well-realised portrait of an increasingly dystopian Britain. Take it from one who knows this is as real as it gets.

The tone of the film itself is an odd mixture of the jarringly realistic and the satirically surreal: the scenes depicting the recreational thuggery of the chavs are frighteningly on-the-money, while the scenes with the buttoned-down, pathologically polite and well-spoken police chief appear to be satirical jabs at authority's completely inability to cope with the escalating social problems of modern Britain. The tone of the film is somewhere between the work of Ken Loach, Death Wish (indeed, this film is far more in keeping with the spirit of Brian Garfield's novel than the original Bronson vehicle) and Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (Two-Disc Special Edition).

The acting is divided into two camps: Caine has never given a finer performance and the character's mordant sense of quiet sadness and desperation is palpable from the moment that we first see him open his eyes after a restless night. Brown, despite his eventual descent into violence, is never anything but a victim and Caine really does deserve an Oscar for his beautifully judged turn as an Emphysemic everyman caught between a rock and a hard place. Similarly, plaudits must go to the young actors playing the teen criminals, as well as massively underrated UK actor, Sean Harris, for his brief, scene-stealing cameo as an emaciated, homicidal, heroin addict who inhabits a hovel that far surpasses the worst fever dreams of De Quincey. By way of juxtaposition however, Emily Mortimer's performance as a police woman attempting to get to the bottom of the violence dogging the film's sinkhole estate is something of a damp squib. It could be that this is another satirical jab at the "touchy feely" modern metropolitan police force on the part of the director though.

Harry Brown is a film that will divide audiences. I observed an old chap, who sat near me in the cinema, informing the girl at the refreshment kiosk that "the world needs more men like Harry Brown"; Several seconds later, a young, coiffured film studies student who had also been in the screening, and who was clearly acquainted with the same kiosk girl, informed her that "it was a load of simplistic crap". There are many people who will be of the latter opinion and yet more who will write it off as nothing more than a right-wing vigilante wet-dream. Then again, most of the liberal intelligentsia who have already espoused the latter opinion have never had to live in a place where the police turn up mob-handed or not at all. For those of us who have walked a mile in Harry's shoes though, regardless of our opinions on vigilantism, it is not a film that is so easily dismissed.

Harry Brown is more "The Crow" than "Death Wish", as his vigilante behavior is mostly motivated by revenge. Whereas the Bronson film explores a man fed up with criminals in general, Harry's anger is largely focused on those connected to his friend's death. Another similarity is a subplot involving Emily Mortimer (Redbelt) as an investigator who suspects Brown is more than just a bystander to the killings.

The film slowly heats to a boil until its halfway mark, when it begins to explore very gritty and violent situations. From the moment Harry attempts to buy his first gun, the movie pulls you in and never lets go. The film offers a few minor twists, and though the story isn't especially original, a terrific performance by Michael Caine easily carries it the distance.

The cinematography is great, and the soundtrack is very stark and haunting most of the time. My only real complaint is that the use of CGI for certain scenes of violence was unnecessary.

The only reason I'm giving Harry Brown four stars instead of five, is that the concept isn't very original. But it's still a very interesting look at a man who has reached his tipping point, played by an excellent veteran actor. This is a film worth watching for Caine's performance alone.

Buy Harry Brown (2010) Now

Harry Brown, played brilliantly by Michael Caine, is a pensioner and ex-marine living on a run down housing estate somewhere in the east end of London, who can't take the shortest route to visit his ailing wife in hospital because it involves passing through an underground walkway frequented by louts in `hoodies' and their girlfriends. His wife no longer recognizes his presence and his one remaining solace is playing chess with long-term friend and near neighbour Len.

One day, in their local the venue for their chess games Len reveals to Harry how he is being terrorised by local yobs and how much he lives in fear. Harry advises him to go to the police but Len decides to take matters into his own hands, with a predictable result. From this moment on a series of tragic and horrifying incidents convinces Harry that, if the police appear powerless, `natural' justice demands payment and he sets about making it happen.

This is a brilliantly realized depiction of the hell in which some people are forced to try to live out their lives; particularly, the ill, the lonely and the elderly. The film plays, obviously, on the prejudices of those watchers who have lived under similar circumstances. It makes no excuse for the excess of violence and does not seek to justify the social and economic deprivation that might explain it but it definitely is an accurate reflection of some aspects of urban life on some run down housing estates: it's not a documentary or social commentary, just a good old-fashioned piece of brilliant British film making showcasing the extraordinary abilities of a range of home-grown acting talents (witness the two druggy gun dealers!) including the national treasure that is Michael Caine.

Read Best Reviews of Harry Brown (2010) Here

HARRY BROWN is a vigilante movie that might best be described as "a British version of DEATH WISH or GRAN TORINO".

Viewers who are turned off by excessive violence and harsh language should avoid this film, but if you're the kind of person who, like me, cheers when a low-life criminal gets his, then this is the movie for you.

Michael Caine stars as Harry Brown, a retired British Marine and widower. He lives in a gang and drug-infested housing project. The police seem to be powerless, even after Brown's only friend, also an elderly gent, is brutally murdered by the gang. Shortly thereafter, one of the thugs tries to rob Harry who, using his long dormant military training, kills the man, and then runs off.

At that point, Harry decides to come out of retirement and, single-handed, kill the gang members and drug suppliers that have destroyed his neighborhood. Despite his advanced age, he does it very well.

Michael Caine, one of the finest (still working) film actors of his generation, is magnificent as Brown, and Emily Mortimer is excellent as an emotionally-torn police detective who suspects that Brown is the vigilante eliminating gang members, yet is sympathetic to his position.

Daniel Barber directs efficiently and Gary Young has delivered a taut screenplay with good dialogue, although he does tend to rely on coincidence a but too much during the last third of this, otherwise, quite entertaining movie.

© Michael B. Druxman

Want Harry Brown (2010) Discount?

Harry Brown's chess and drinking mate Len gets mugged and stabbed to death, which inspires him to go on a revenge trip and kill off the thugs and druggies that have brought about his loss.

There is a lot of violence but the superb acting by Michael Caine makes this action in the East End of London rather thrilling. It has a surprise and satisfying ending too which makes it all well worth seeing.

Save 60% Off