My Brother the Devil

Plot synopsis:
Mo (Fady Elsayed) and Rashid "Rash" (James Floyd) are teenage brothers of Egyptian descent living with their parents in Hackney. Elder brother Rash is fiercely protective of Mo, giving him a TV when he does well and encouraging him to stay in school. However Mo begins to want to emulate Rash who works as a low level drug dealer, and is able to use money from his job to pay for small luxuries to make their lives more comfortable.
Mo is robbed by rival gang members while trying to do a drop-off for his brother. In retaliation he calls Rash and his friends when he spots the gang members at the corner store near where he lives. The fight between Rash's gang and his rival Demon's gang quickly grows violent and after Demon's dog is stabbed Demon retaliates by stabbing and killing Izzi, Rash's best friend.
Rash acquires a gun and plans to shoot Demon in retaliation. He finds Demon at a tattoo parlour but is unable to complete the task after seeing that Demon's little brother is there, wearing the shoes he lifted from Mo. Rash begins to dream of getting out of the gang the way Izzi was planning on doing before he was murdered. He grows close to Sayyid, a French photographer who had been helping Izzi to get legal employment. After he tells Sayyid that he wants to leave the gang Sayyid offers him a job as a photography assistant working with him.
Mo begins to grow jealous of Rash and Sayyid's increasing closeness and the respect that Rash has for him. When he is offered the opportunity to join Rash's gang as a dealer he takes it. In the meantime Sayyid kisses Rashid while they are playing around. Initially repulsed at the idea of kissing another man, Rash tries to go back to his old lifestyle. However he finds himself changed and ends up going back to Sayyid and starting a relationship with him. Mo, growing suspicious that Rash is not in fact working, goes to Sayyid's home to spy and sees the two men undressed and realizes what is going on. Angry at his brother, Mo continues to deal drugs and become further entrenched in Rash's old gang. Eventually Rash finds Mo's money and drugs. He confronts his former friends telling them that he will kill Demon in exchange for them allowing Mo to walk away from the drug business and his family to stay safe and unharmed. Upset that Rash has isolated him from his "family" Mo ends up telling Rash's former girlfriend Vanessa that Rash is gay. She spreads it around the neighbourhood and Rash's former friends give him the address of a house belonging to Demon which is actually a set up so they can kill Rash. However Rash manages to escape from the house.
The day after Rash's escape some of his friends go to Mo and tell him that Rash was hurt killing Demon and is hiding out at Sayyid's place. Mo goes with them but becomes suspicious when he sees plastic gloves, the kind that the gang uses for killings, hanging out of one of the men's pockets. Mo leads his friend to the apartment adjacent to Sayyid's. His friend pulls a gun on the woman who answers the door, and when she screams Rash and Sayyid come running out of his building. Mo ends up taking a bullet for Rash as his former friend gets in the car and runs away.
At the hospital Rash is approached by his parents who tell him that Mo will be okay and ask him to forget about Sayyid and come home. Rash refuses.
Sometime later when Mo has been released from the hospital he is approached by Rash outside the building where he lives. He and Rash have a brief conversation and he tells Rash that the family is fine and he doesn't need to return. After they hug Rash walks off towards his new life.

Tags: revenge, murder, violence

Review:
Without giving any of those twists away, this is basically a film about two brothers and how their relationship changes as the younger one who has always looked up to the elder grows disenchanted with him, while trying to define himself as a man (which he isn't quite yet).
The film represents a realistic portrayal of inner-city London gangs and the performances of the lead actors are excellent.
In particular, the performance of James Floyd, who has a powerful and engaging on-screen presence deserves praise.Don't be fooled into thinking this is just another low budget London gangs film.
James Floyd and Fady Elsayed rivet your attention as older and younger brothers, UK-born of Egyptian parents, who have hopes and, therefore, frustrations living in council-houses London.
As with so many young, poor males in that milieu, the only immediate path to some kind of decent income is in the gang activities commonplace in their part of town.And yet this movie avoids every clichéd turn of plot suggested by the familiar premises of the story.
This movie will hold your attention and its characters your sympathy from the opening scene to the last blackout.I'd also mention that a lot of the movie is in closeup so it helps that James Floyd is very easy to look at.
See this film and watch out for everyone involved.P.S. I cannot believe Fady Elsayed who played the younger brother hasn't acted before.
This really is an outstanding film, with beautifully crafted visuals, strong script, and excellent cast performances led by James Floyd and Fady Elsayed.
A worthy winner of the Best Cinematography prize at Sundance 2012 where I saw the premiere screening.It deals in a real and sensitive manner with some fascinating personal issues, and without giving any of the story away it keeps the watcher engaged to the very end.
Delivering an alternately striking and ominous vision of gangland London, My Brother the Devil, the directorial debut from British- Egyptian director Sally El Hosaini, is an excellent film.
Abstaining from all-encompassing grimness and moroseness in favour of character- driven showcases of potency, it's rewarding, gripping and the best film of this young year.The story is made up of familiar parts – ones we've seen in other gang- centric entities from HBO's The Wire to City of God – but El Hosaini's vision is one of complexity, nuance and moreover is a film that approaches those tropes with distinction.
The intermittently bleak aesthetic of London meets the violent, drug-peddling gangs of the projects and more specifically the Arab ethnicities caught in the mix.At the center of these struggles are two brothers, Rashid (James Floyd) who goes simply by Rash and Mo (first time actor Fady Elsayed).
19-year- old Rash runs with the gang known as DMG (drugs-money-guns) using it chiefly as a means to support his poor family, but for the shy Mo his brother's involvement and standing makes him an idol and ultimately a beacon towards a more prosperous future.
Rash, however, wants his brother as far away from the life as possible and when a violent incident occurs for which be blames himself, he looks to re-examine his life in more ways than one – a decision that seeks to drive a wedge between the siblings.There is a further level of complexity to My Brother the Devil that I won't reveal here but it serves both to expertly deepen the character of Rash and examine the nature of his gang affiliates in a fascinating way.
I don't mean that in a way that the outcome is obvious but rather it's something that is consummately organic and, ultimately, harrowing for the characters involved.There are many stars in My Brother the Devil and leading them all is El Hosaini, whose grasp on riveting filmmaking, despite her relative amateur status, is nothing short of astounding.
In fact, the scenes where brutality is avoided prove to be just as intense as their gruesome counterparts.Also nothing short of remarkable are the two leads, particularly the more experienced James Floyd who, while powerfully written by El Hosaini, brings to life the character of Rash and the struggles he faces with the world around him and internally as well.
His decisions, while angering at times, feel natural given the situation and his character's age and lead the way for a satisfying, if racking, catharsis for those concerned.The faults to be found in My Brother the Devil are scattered and infrequent and thankfully do little to undermine the greater vision on display.
Lastly, there could have been more screen time delegated to further shaping the character of Sayyid (Saïd Taghmaoui) and his past ties to gang life and his growing connection and impact on Rash.But as a greater entity the film is a triumph of independent filmmaking and pegs El Hosaini as a talent to watch with avid anticipation.
A coming-of-age journey with bold, memorable characters and vision and style to spare, My Brother the Devil is periodically slick, always captivating and authentic in ways uncommon to most explorations of violence and loyalty..
MY BROTHER THE DEVIL has quite a lot of quality for a low budget, shot-on-the-streets type of British youth film.
It tells the story of a couple of Arab kids growing up on the mean streets of Hackney, where they must intermingle with drug gangs and adult life in a bid to make something of their lives - or merely survive.Unfortunately for me, I've seen all this sort of thing before in the likes of Noel Clarke's KIDULTHOOD and ADULTHOOD, plus the wave of films along the same line that have been made over the past decade, and MY BROTHER THE DEVIL doesn't really have much more to say on the subject, other than to make a point of how ridiculous, violent, and difficult it all is.
Director Sally El Hosaini elicits some strong performances from her young, unknown cast members, and the film is certainly watchable from beginning to end.
The character development(and changes) catches you off guard....in a good way.It is advertised as two brothers on the streets of London, but it is really a coming-of-age story about how environment/people influence what we are and what we do.
Of course in film, as big brother and experienced actor James Floyd is quoted on IMDb, the director and editor can make or break an actor's performance.
So maybe Fady sucked 95% of the time, who knows, but what is in the film was just fine by me.As someone else pointed out here, the younger brother's turnaround at the end of film isn't really explained.
I suspect there was a scene or two filmed that they decided didn't work or was too obvious or something.Another commenter here with some real life exposure to this sort of culture thought the low life stuff is a lot worse in real life.
The two young brothers are authentic and believable like all the other major and minor characters.
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday MorningRashid (James Floyd) is caught up with street gangs in inner city London, and runs in to a feud with another rival gang when his younger brother Mo (Fady Elsayed) is robbed by them while running an errand for Rashid's crew.
Meanwhile, young Mo is forced to face some harsh rites of passage choices of his own.Just when it seemed like it had been a while, Sally El Hosani comes along with a new gritty British urban drama to shake the genre back up a bit.
Little seen but critically hailed, it's lesser budget not holding it back at all, My Brother the Devil is an undeniably impressive but overlong and maybe even slightly over rated offering that is maybe guilty of over ambition in it's scope.Basing it's story at the centre of a bustling immigrant community in the sprawling metropolis of London, the film lifts the rafters on what has probably become a pretty typical, archetypal landscape setting for many parts of the capital, or even the country as a whole.
Rashid (James Floyd) and younger brother Mo (Fady Elsayed) are two young men of Egyptian descent growing up in Hackney.
Rash is a small time drug dealer and falls foul of a local gang which leads to retaliatory violence.Mo idolises his older brother, but Rash wants him to get on with his studies knowing the dangers of gang culture.Rash becomes a photographic assistant to Sayyid (Said Taghmaoui) a French-Arab photographer who is helping Rash to get out from his predicament.
Sally El-Hossani's low-key film 'My Brother the Devil' tells the story of a family of petty gangsters in contemporary London, and of the difficulties of escaping expectations and obligations.
It's hard to say why I didn't like this movie, but the plotting is a bit messy, and I found it very hard to identify with the characters, ordinary young men vying to make their way in the world.
Sometimes hype and award wins does not merit what you are expecting.James Floyd and Fady Elsayed star as brothers of Egyptian descent living in an crime-ridden housing estate in Hackney, London with their parents.
Floyd is the older brother who is heavily with the gangland culture of the estate and Elsayed is the younger brother fresh out of school and idolises him.A death of a friend in a gang fight makes old brother reconsider his gang life and looks for a way out while young brother wants a way in.This storyline appears promising but the film unfortunately goes nowhere with its bad acting and boring sub-plots.
You'd appreciate the story more and you'd find yourself glued to the screen whatever genre it is.My Brother The Devil follows the story of two brothers living in the beautifully shot yet dangerous communities in East London.
When Mo gets into trouble with a rival group in the community headed by "Demon", things start turning for the worst.Events intensify as Rashid witnesses the death of his best friend Izzi who was trying to live a normal life out of the gang.
He takes his brother's place in the gang and becomes more involved with its illegal activities.A lot of people are calling the movie out on this twist but if you look back at the scenes leading up to the film's midpoint, it was well-hinted.
It's about growing up and making decisions in your life about things you cannot change and taking action for your own betterment.At first, I thought it was going to be mostly about the younger brother following his brother around and learning more about life in this perspective.
As the danger of Rashid's old life tries to catch up with him, bonds are put to test leading up to the thrilling pre-final scenes of the film.The biggest asset of "My Brother" undoubtedly comes from the two main leads.
James Floyd is a force to be reckoned with as he exhibits immense versatility in playing the gang member brother of the duo.
It's like watching a whole different person acting in this film.
His chemistry with his friend Aisha (Letitia Wright) flows naturally and captures the sweet side to a character trying to measure up to his brother's name.Another strong point of the film is its cinematography, allowing a supposedly dangerous community appearing as liveable yet could pose an imminent threat to the character's lives anytime.
The film allows you to look into the fragile lives of the brothers despite the tough background they are in.
Mad props to writer/director Sally El Hosaini on this debut feature, deserving of its buzz and multiple awards in several festivals in 2012.My Brother The Devil is a tender coming-of-age film with brilliantly acted characters and an eye-catching visuals of the notorious gangland of East London.
My Brother The Devil can be described as an formulaic gritty, realistic crime drama seen in a multitude of films like Boyz In Da Hood, Kidulthood and La Haine to name a few.
Yet it does offer a shocking twist and tense atmosphere underlining the characters' realities which were dramatically absorbing.Until My Brother The Devil revealed its twist, it was a formulaic narrative.
My Brother The Devil used still images of gang-life in its opening scene whilst firmly establishing differences between Rashid and Mo, Brothers and main protagonists.
My Brother The Devil did well to establish atmosphere by placing characters (and consequently audiences) in violent situations.
Yet it is the shocking twist within My Brother The Devil whilst it felt questionable at first did fit into Rashid's and Mo's characterisation regarding gang-life's requirement of fierce masculinity.
Now, let's see if that is supposed to mean something positive or negative shall we?Our leads for this film are Rashid (played by James Floyd), the older brother part of a gang who is masking homosexual urges; his younger brother Mo (played by Fady Elsayed) who is a smart young man who likes to follow his brother like a puppy; Repo (played by Aymen Handouchi) who is one of the visible leaders of Rashid's gang; and then you have Sayyid (played by Said Taghmaoui) who starts off as the man to help Rashid get out the drug business, but ends up also being the man who brings Rashid one step closer to coming out.Which leads to me talking about the story.
Most of the tale takes place around British project buildings as we establish the difficult life of immigrants to the UK who give birth to children who, in the movie anyway, have difficulty going straight and end up finding themselves giving into the easy money made dealing drugs.
Mind you, I wouldn't say these are BAFTA worthy performances which upset you or make you cry, but everyone feels like they were written to be authentic and the actors assume their roles really well.But, with that said, I must admit there is a strong need for hard coded subtitles with this film.
Also, as much as I loved how the movie felt like a show's first few episodes mashed together, at the same time it can leave you a bit weary since it is rare for a film to be so long.
I feel, as good as the story way, there was still room to add more.Overall: RentalMy Brother, The Devil may not be an urban masterpiece, but it does bring the type of intrigue which makes you wish the movie was just a pilot for a show.
View on the film:Depressingly looking like it could have been filmed this year, writer/director Sally El Hosaini & cinematographer David Raedeker craft an intense, on the street reporting atmosphere, following each gang member stomping on their turf of rotting flats and side streets where huddled yoofs can pull out a knife to kill you in an instance.
Filmed on location in Hackney, London, Hosaini stylishly uses hand-held cameras to shove the viewer by the walls of the cramped family home, where Rash and Mo's emotions boil over.Bringing a feeling of brotherly love out of their troubled surroundings,James Floyd and Fady Elsayed give electrifying performances as Mo and Rash,with each of them pushing and pulling the other ones frustrations over the life of grime they are stuck in, whilst Saïd Taghmaoui nicely hits a note of calm as friend Sayyid.
While the look of the movie and the performances successfully aim for something new in the "urban" Drama genre,the screenplay by Hosaini spends the first half playing the usual notes of the brothers having to survive rubbing shoulders with the various thugs on the streets.
Mo and Rashid are Egyptian brothers who are adhering to stereotypes within east London,a very strict personality is needed in order to get along within the drug world.But due to the brothers being a little different than the others this has caused various social and economic issues within their daily lives,for example Mo being shy has allowed him to become more of a push over than his brother,and due to Rashid being bi sexual this has meant he is currently having a identity crisis.
My Brother the Devil is a tense, thought provoking drama, directed by British director Sally El Hosani.
Throughout the film we follow the lives of the two brothers Rash (James Floyd) and Mo (Fady Elsayed); as Hosani explores in depth the important issues faced within gang culture and Islamic beliefs.
The film is set Hackney- where Sally El Hosani was born, which as an audience we are able to see how deeply her connection relates to the real life events that occur within Hackney and London life.
Thought- provoking themes are revealed further through the way Hosani is able to capture and present the outlook of the LGBT community through gang life and the family's beliefs.
My Brother the Devil was a shocking and eye-opening view into the reality of life within London based gangs and the LGBT community.
Two brothers real enough to get involved in, in spite of drug gang environment and Hackney district.
The intriguing announcement text on the festival website attracted me, yet fearing a lot of violence or even murder, given the environment of drug dealing gangs in which it all takes place, plus the main characters having strict opinions in their religious beliefs.
My brother the Devil is the first independent film by British director Sally El Hosani and it explores the gritty reality of gang life and its abhorrent approaches on the LGBT community.
My brother the devil follows close blood brothers Mo (Fady Elsayed) and Rasch (James Floyd) and how their differences slowly drive them apart.
The shocking revelation that follows is that Mo would rather admit to his brother being a terrorist than homosexual, which speaks volumes in how this drama represents the views of LGBT's in gang culture and Islam.My brother the devil is shockingly poignant and an impressive first entry by documentary director Sally El Hosani which provides a hard hitting narrative on sensitive themes.