Vogul Over the last 20 years the majority of British films are about how horribly poverty stricken the UK is and how our youth doesn't stand a chance of a good life whilst they live on the mean streets of British cities. The British film industry is obsessed with the idea of 'broken Britain'. Trainspotting, This is England, Kidulthood, Football Factory, Kes and From London to Brighton.Bullet Boy is just another British movie added to that list. The main character expresses a desire to go straight yet he still insists on hanging around with dead beats who carry guns and fight with gang members over nothing. I was never convinced that he did want to go straight as there was nothing stopping him pursuing an education or a trade. In fact it would have been a breath of fresh air if he had of gone straight and we had a character who turned his life around. Instead he spends his time helping his friend trying to commit murder. I felt no sympathy when he is predictably shot by another teen at the end of the film, which is sad because at the beginning of the film I really liked the entire family and their desire for success. I believe the makers missed a great chance to show the world that success belongs to those who are willing to really strive for it (like the Pursuit of Happiness). I know the purpose of this film was to try and paint a realistic picture of what life is like for black teens living in working class areas of Britain but don't we already have enough films in the UK with that very same plot? Isn't it time these talented producers and writers give Britains youth something to aspire to and show them a better life is just around the corner?I applaud the makers of Bullet Boy for not loading the film full of mindless violence in order to try and get success through shock factors (like Kidulthood, Football Factory) but at the same time this movie offers nothing new to a long list of British films that are effectively dull and depressing to watch. There is no happy ending to this movie or any of the others I have mentioned.

cutewildstyle This film will be a painful mirroring of every day life for anyone living in one of London's gun infested boroughs. It portrays the difficulty faced by young black men who lack male authority figures and are brought up in a culture of violence driven kudos and the economic reality of having no education and very little hope. It also shows the pain of a family, caught up in a situation that they don't understand and can't control.It succeeds in painting the truly unglamourous picture of life on an east London housing estate, where to lose face could mean death. Ashley Walters is superb as the fresh out of jail Ricky. He embodies the chaotic nature of a young man, struggling to accept authority, wrestling with his notion of what is right and gaining the respect of his peers. All this in the context of being a young offender, facing a life of menial labour and rejection, by a society that he barely belongs to.The script is very economical and realistic and it has been shot in a hand-held, docudrama style, which lends itself perfectly to the subject matter.I would caution anyone looking for an entertaining movie about London gangsters or punchy one liners. This film does nothing to glamorise gun culture in London. It doesn't dilute it's grimness with humour or irrelevant subplots and it doesn't shy away from showing some of the more appalling aspects of modern gang culture.It has had accusations of stereotypical characters and situations levelled at it, but speaking as somebody who has grown up surrounded by guns and drug crime, I can tell you reliably that these characters exist, as do the situations that occur in the film. It isn't funny, there are no jokes and everyday life really is a struggle for survival. If anything, the filmmakers have made a concession to the viewer and resisted showing the full horror of what can happen to you if you diss somebody publicly. This film has more importance as a historical document than a piece of aesthetic beauty. If you want more posturing and drama you might prefer 'Kidulthood' but for the sheer reality factor, you can't go wrong with 'Bullet Boy'.Cutewildstyle, Peckham, London 2008

davideo-2 STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs Ricky (Ashley Walters) has just been released from prison for stabbing another teenager.His pal Wisdom (Leon Black) and little brother Curtis (Luke Fraser) come along to pick him up and he ingratiates himself back into the community he's been apart from for a while.All he wants,after serving his time in prison,is to start again and re-build his life and possibly move away with his girlfriend Beverley (Claire Perkins) and for awhile this seems like a real possibility.But then,an accident involving a smashed wing mirror lands him and Wisdom in a spot of bother with a rival gang.You and I would just exchange insurance details,but in 'da 'ood',things just don't work that way and a tit-for-tat war ensues that builds up to end in tragedy.This is such a small,independent film that it's a shame it probably won't reach out to a much broader audience,unless it ends up becoming a sleeper hit like The Full Monty,and lets all hope that happens.With the state of gun control/crime in the country at quite a shocking epidemic (especially in Nottingham!) Bullet Boy is,if nothing else,a very timely film released to speak out to the youth of Britain of it's shocking consequences.Lead star Walters (formerly of So Solid Crew fame) is a very choice actor to play the role,as he previously served time for illegal firearm possession,and so he's sort of further re-paying his debt to society here.The main problem area of gun crime does seem to be in the black communities,so in the Hackney area of London is where the film is set.The script is made up almost entirely of characters spitting heavy black lingo that might be a bit over-whelming for the novice or for those simply not fond of that way of talking.The film presents a very real and gritty presentation of modern black culture and their place in society.It pushes more-or-less all the right buttons,but possibly the biggest strength of the film is the compelling characters.Ricky is sincere and blatant in his efforts to go straight and promote peace to his 'brederin.'Wisdom is trapped as the guy who has to prove himself to those around him who deride him,not to mention Curtis as the innocent child on a collision course to be corrupted if the forces around him don't change.But the supporting players are very good too,such as Bev,Ricky and Curtis's bewildered,worn-out mum and her new boyfriend who has a chequered history of his own but has found God and hopes to inspire his following to those closest to him.They are very believable characters and,more-than-that,they are very real characters,and it sort of goes without saying that everyone involved gives fine performances to make them this compelling.Just today,Tony Blair has told us that violent crime is down in the country,something I have a bit of trouble swallowing,but which may or may not be true all the same.But I get the feeling somewhere like the hood may be a place he hasn't made any effort to change,just an area where the problems continue but people make a note of 'avoiding.'Bullet Boy is a fictional story,but,the chilling thing is it could so easily be true and doubtless there are many cases where a story that is almost exactly the same does happen there in everyday life.In the end,the director throws it down to one of the youngest cast members to deliver the films most powerful scene of symbolism and social commentary by tossing the gun that has caused him,his family and his close friends so much misery and suffering into the river instead of going out with it and winding up another statistic like his brother,as if to say:For God's sake,stop killing each other and make peace.'It is very powerful and effective,much like the film itself.It's the best film I've seen so far this year,that's for sure.****

Charlotte I saw Bullet Boy at a preview screening by Verve Pictures; I had been given the tickets and didn't know what to expect. The only thing I knew was that the main part was played by a member of So Solid Crew, Asher D (Ashley Walters), and so I was maybe a bit sceptical as to his acting abilities.Ultimately, however, this film was brilliant: shocking, tender, wonderfully acted and beautifully directed. The dialogue is convincingly authentic and the camera work evoked a documentary. Ashley Walters is outstanding, his physical presence on film given weight by his subtle performance; Luke Fraser shines as his younger brother Curtis. The pervading sense that it is all going to end in an horrific manner, is tempered by the feeling at the end that there is also some hope for the future in the form of the younger boy, who attempts to escape from the endless cycle of gun crime.I came out of this film with a sense of the huge disparity between different people's experiences of London; there's no glimpse of Richard Curtis here. It's an urgent and heart-breaking wake-up call about the realities of gun crime in the UK. Go to see this.