If you only see one film this year, make it this one. It is entertaining, emotive, but also manages to perfectly encapsulate a moment in time, which is easy to do retrospectively with the benefit of hindsight, but difficult to achieve as the said moment is still unfolding around us.
The film is set on an inner-London sink estate (beautifully shot on the crumbling Heygate Estate in Elephant and Castle - all the more poignant as it is set to be demolished early next year) where drugs, violence and gun crime are rife. A frightened pensioner is stabbed to death in an Old Kent Road underpass and his devastated ex-Marine friend and neighbour (Sir Michael Caine), disillusioned by the abilities of the police to find those responsible, begins his own campaign of vigilante justice.
Although the characters and storyline are largely fictional, Daniel Barber provides an insight into the world which has become the white elephant in the room for many politicians - this gritty underworld that, although they are frightened to deal with, is all too real and present. Whether it is realised yet or not, this film will one day have historical significance, although the nature of this significance will largely depend upon the actions of the next government - whoever they may be.
Back to an artistic point of view, the film is wonderfully shot and gives a real sense of the bleakness of every day life. It is complex enough to be interesting but simple enough to be entertaining. And Sir Michael Caine, in all of his usual brilliance, completely gets under your skin. Beautiful. xx
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