First Great Film of the C21th?

Rating: 2/10 (1 December 2007)

Cannot understand why this film seems to polarise opinion. Perhaps it is too violent for some. This film was the 2nd or 3rd feature made by a German-born female kick-boxing champion who now resides in California. Maybe some people are unnerved that a 'teutonic yankee bird' can deconstruct, with such unrivalled acuity of perception, the forces of working-class English tribalism, with far greater style and wit than ANY home-grown efforts. THIS IS A MUST SEE. Elijah Woods delivers a performance of subtlety and puissance, never once making us question the plausibility of his character's transformation from Harvard Golden-boy to Eastend Nutter. Sure, there's a lot to take in, but if you stick it out to the end - unlike so many other reviewers - the rewards are plentiful. Seen it 5 times already and it gets better upon each viewing, with new details leaping out at the viewer from its meticulously constructed complex narrative strands, and sensitive (and wholly believable) characterisation. In short, this is a film for any thinking fan of cinema, who doesn't like overly-pretentious and ponderous foreign efforts.