Somers Town (2009)

This is the latest from Brit director Shane Meadows, probably one of the most exciting directors working right now. His two previous films Dead Man's Shoes and This is England have showcased his progression from solid director to where he is now, knocking on the door to world class. He hasn't yet had the script or the budget to send him into the mainstream and only time will tell whether he chooses to go in that direction or not. He might instead continue to put out his own auteured projects which are fast attracting a cult all of their own.

Somers Town arrived via Film Movement, a cool little label that only puts out one film per month. We have a decent selection of these releases, mostly low budget or festival films that otherwise wouldn't get a release. I will be delving into the back catalogue in the near future to see what other gems The Film Movement have dug up.
Quite quickly the reason Somers Town has arrived with so little fanfare becomes clear. It's the opposite of epic, a tiny but totally charming little film with the budget of a picnic, but that doesn't detract in any way.
It's the story of teenagers Tomo and Marek and their unlikely friendship in London. Both away from home, their friendship grows as does their infatuation with a local French waitress. The plot wanders and cul-de-sacs all over the map, revealing more about the perspectives of the kids themselves. The film has a fierce stench of nostalgia to it and captures the naivety and awkwardness of the teen years. It's not of a pace or film language accepted by the popcorn crowd, but for those with an open mind it's a pretty simple pleasure.