Harry brown review. Harry Brown movie review & film summary (2010) 2022-10-25
Harry brown review Rating:
8,9/10
1531
reviews
Harry Brown is a 2009 British crime drama film directed by Daniel Barber and starring Michael Caine as the titular character, a retired Marine and widower who takes the law into his own hands after his best friend is murdered by a gang of thugs.
The film opens with a shocking and brutal attack on Harry's friend Leonard, played by David Bradley, as he is beaten and stabbed to death while walking home from the pub. This event sets the tone for the rest of the film, as Harry becomes consumed by grief and anger over his friend's death.
As Harry sets out to seek revenge against the gang members responsible for Leonard's death, he is aided by his neighbor, Susan, played by Emily Mortimer, who helps him gather information and supplies for his mission. Despite being in his seventies and suffering from various health issues, Harry is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice and sets out on a violent and bloody journey through the streets of London.
One of the standout performances in the film is Michael Caine's portrayal of Harry Brown. Caine brings depth and emotion to the character, portraying him as a man who has been through a lot in his life and is now seeking redemption for his friend's death. The supporting cast, including Mortimer and Bradley, also give strong performances and help to create a sense of realism and authenticity to the film.
In terms of cinematography, Harry Brown is well-crafted and visually impressive. The film makes use of handheld cameras and long takes to give the audience a sense of being in the midst of the action, and the bleak and grimy streets of London are captured in a way that adds to the film's overall atmosphere of danger and despair.
Overall, Harry Brown is a well-made and emotionally powerful film that tackles themes of grief, vengeance, and the cycle of violence in a way that is both thought-provoking and engaging. If you're a fan of crime dramas or Michael Caine's work, this is definitely a film worth checking out.
Review: Harry Brown
We feel deeply sorry for him as, first, his wife and, then, his only chum pass away leaving him quietly tormented and then incredibly angry as he learns that his mates death was mockingly filmed on a mobile phone to the accompaniment of raucous laughter. He's also completely devoid of any decency, respect or concern for the victims of his actions. But with her gone, he can go into psycho killer mode. Call me naïve, but I can't believe that every marijuana grower in south London is also a gun-running slave-trader who could be the bastard son of Charles Manson and Gollum. Unfortunately, Harry lives in hell, or at least a close approximation of it. Harry Brown is meant to be Michael Caine's last starring role in a film and it was an incredible performance.
Then the transition from aging chess player to urban commando is absurdly abrupt. Only a tiny portion of our readers give. The lack of anything else going on was a problem for me though. My vote is eight. However, if the intention was to inform, to educate or to stir something in the hearts of its audience and make a difference, it missed completely.
I believe such areas exist and I find it frightening bordering to paranoia. There is good use of the soundtrack with the lack of intrusive music adding to the reality feel of the film. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. Not sure if making that change changes the long term results any. It doesn't pull any punches in terms of showing the damage violence does, not just physically to a victim but also the emotional and social damage when violence goes unchecked and people live in fear. His acting is surely an Oscar worthy. The situation is fraught.
Caine's character goes through a lot of changes and the veteran actors nails all of them. They are all fantastic. It's rare to see this combination of solid drama and over the top revenge themes in one film, let alone a working combo, but Barber pulls it off with such ease that I'm already looking forward to his next film. There's a twist in the final act that I didn't care too much for but there's no denying that this is a tense and rather powerful little gem. Vigilante activity is of course not the answer to urban crime, but what is? Emily Mortimer as DI Frampton is fairly inert and has only one facial expression and a vague attitude throughout the whole film which puts you off feeling much for her character. Alice Frampton, who oozes genuine sympathy and condolences for his losses, but later suspects him of taking the law literally into his own hands.
Strangely it doesn't really do any of these and mostly it just plays as a straight thriller. Meanwhile, Harry discharges himself from the hospital. I expect Michael Caine will get a BAFTA nomination for this at the very least. Directed by Daniel Barber no relation to your correspondent and written by Gary Young, Harry Brown is so simplistic and alarmist in its portrayal of "Broken Britain" that it would be risible if it weren't already being cited in right-wing tabloids as a national wake-up call. Caine identified with Brown because both are ex-servicemen and both grew up in the East End. Dirty Harry Brown just wants to outgun them. This finally provokes Brown to action and to take the law into his own hands.
If the intention of the film was to entertain, it did so very well. As every man has a breaking point. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But then his best friend Leonard David Bradley is killed by some punks. That all changes when his wife dies and his best mate is stabbed to death by the drug-dealing youths who terrorise the area.
Harry Browne Permanent Portfolio Review, ETFs, & Leverage (2022)
If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. One of the great strengths of the film are the dual storylines of both the protagonist and the police officer who feels a need to keep looking over his shoulder. I recently reacquainted myself with Harry Brown which I hadn't seen for 7 or 8 years, to find that the past decade has been kind to it. Same idea here as the way Brown removing the traces behind him, starts with cleaning and collecting garbage, then turns out to setting fire and sabotaging locations. The gang is shown to willing to act sexually to work, such as grabbing a woman and pushing their hips towards hers. But as Michael Caine points out in interviews, there was a certain underlying joy Bronson had with his character of Paul Kersey in the Death Wish movies, even in the first one which was most gritty. Michael Caine is masterful as always, film gives him an opportunity to show off his incredible range credibly, from fragile pathos and sorrow to hard unrelenting man in the field you do not want to cross.
He manages to personify an inherited evil in his role as gang leader Noel Winters. Where Harry is quiet, humble, and decent, the gang members are aggressive, arrogant, and, well, just plain evil. When you've had enough of thieving, dumb, drugged up, drug and weapons dealing, pimply, filth and the parents who spawned them, then this is the movie for you! Caine is the main appeal and he does hold the screen in this role. The story follows Harry Brown, a widowed, Royal Marines veteran who had served and seen plenty of action in Northern Ireland, living on a London housing estate plagued by youth crime. But these kids, he says, seem to view violence as entertainment to be videotaped with cell phones. There is also graphic, realistic violence but it is not glorified. The criminals were so factual.
The kid, covered in scars, track marks, tattoos, and dirt refuses and so must die. . It is not brilliant by any means but it is fine for what it is. Central to this extremely well shot and well paced film he helps to paint an unsettling and scary picture of life around the very South London district he was raised. There are chilling moments, like when Noel is with a young girl and tightens her scarf around her neck. From his high window, Harry hears a car alarm and looks down to see the car's owner come out and be beaten by thugs. There's nothing more fulfilling than seeing a compelling story brought to life by standout performances and then further enhanced by stellar directing.
One night Harry walks home from the pub and is mugged by a drug addict. This is the known story of a man become into vigilante. Not only would this have made the film better but it would have been good for the cast as well. What really pushes this film over the edge is the lead performance by Caine who really deserves all the praise he has been given. Fewer innocent bystanders would die. HARRY BROWN is a compelling drama held together by a fine performance by Michael Caine. Then they killed him and the police still did nothing.