 |
|
London River
2009 Drama
 Review
There are two reasons why this is a difficult film to
watch. Firstly, it brings back memories of a terrible day,
7th July 2005, on which four deluded fanatics slaughtered 52 innocent
people as a futile protest against the Iraq War.
For some, particularly those living and working in London at the time,
the scars of that awful day still remain and seeing the events
portrayed in a film of this kind is unlikely to be a comforting
experience.
However, the main reason why the film is so painful to watch is because
it uses this tragic event as the starting point for a truly risible piece of drama. The film
has been praised in some quarters for its authenticity but it is hard
to see much beyond the woeful accumulation of clichés and
stereotypes that it presents. It would be easy to write London River off as misguided and thoughless were it not for the arresting contributions from the two principal actors, Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté. In spite of the hackneyed and entirely predictable screenplay that they are saddled with, these two actors hold our attention and succeed in conveying the torment that their respective characters have to endure in the aftermath of the bombings. Had more attention been given to the script, this could been something really special, rather than a film that is borderline mediocre and mildly offensive. © CinemaForever.com 2009 Write a review for this film...User Comments
How do you rate this film?
|
Director:
Rachid Bouchareb
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Sotigui Kouyaté, Francis Magee, Sami Bouajila, Roschdy Zem Synopsis
After the London bombings of July 2005, an anxious mother, Elisabeth,
tries to get in touch with her daughter. When she fails to reach
her on her mobile phone, Elisabeth leaves her home in Guernsey and
travels to London to look for her daughter on foot. The police
are unable to help her and Elisabeth soon becomes desperate. Then
she meets Ousmane, a man who has come over from France to look for his
missing son. They continue their search for their loved ones
together...
Credits
|
© CinemaForever.com 2009