Strong, gritty, gutsy and violent

Rating: 7/10 (14 September 2005)

Broadly speaking for me, there are two types of films. Ones that inspire serious thinking and discussion, and ones that don't require a lot of thinking about. "Green Street" was strange in that I did not know what to make of it. On face value, the simple storyline places it in the latter category (possibly on the mindless violence shelf). But after watching it, I was hoping to find some kind of excuse to salvaged the film from the trashy depths. For one thing, I thought the acting was good and convincing and I could be made to believe that the actors (bar Elijah Wood) were/are from hooligan backgrounds. Then I tried to decide if I felt any sympathy for any of the characters. After all, one character lost his teenage son in a street brawl, another character lost his chance for a reformed life and finally, the main protagonist is killed. And yet, I couldn't help but think that these characters got exactly what they deserved because of what they have done or what they are doing. Hence, I could find no reason for feeling anything for the characters. So what about the film's message? Here, I was equally confused by what the Director was trying to get across. The obvious message is to highlight England's football hooligan culture and thereby issue a warning to those out there. But I also got the sense that the film was glorifying the whole issue. For instance, making martyrs out of the main characters and promoting the whole ethos of hooliganism being about reputation. That is not to say that I did not enjoy the film. After all, strong performances from the cast kept the momentum moving at a solid pace. I felt that someone less "flimsy" than Elijah Wood would have made a better lead but he wasn't bad. The film was full of holes and coincidences which would only be found in a fictitious world but again, I don't hold that against any film. Putting these "negatives" aside, I would recommend it to the 15-40 year old age group, even if it is a Cert 18 in the UK.