Harry Brown

I read that Michael Cain was really keen to play Harry Brown, a pensioner vigilante avenging the death of his best friend. I cannot imagine this movie being as good without him. Michael Cain is at his best in this - speaking with his natural accent - he is menacing and serious and tough.

Set it tenament housing, overrun by thugs and drug dealers, Harry Brown is alone, mourning the death of his wife, and unable to reconcile the senseless, violent murder of his best (only) friend. He exacts a systematic and methodical revenge. The setting of this movie reminded me very much of Keno Loach movies - Sweet Sixteen or the incredible My Name is Joe. The poverty and depression of the council housing are characters in themselves.

This is a graphic, serious, violent adult movie in which Michael Cain shines. He is very very good in it. It is very confronting, and not at all enjoyable.

All vigilante movies are a little bit 'moralistic and preachy' but the difference between a British film and a movie like Gran Torino is huge. American villains can be very cliched and one dimensional, while British villains are much less contrived, much grittier, much realer. Different circumstances seem to motivate them. The moral viewpoint in Harry Brown is not as transparent. You can see the poverty and the violence as existing outside the characters. Really impressive film. Really good work.

8/10