CAS Review - Shank
“We all know art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise truth, at least given to us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness.” – Pablo Picasso.
From the distributor who brought you KiDULTHOOD comes the hottest, most controversial, action-packed thriller of the year. Starring grime artist Ashley ‘Bashy’ Thomas, Adam Deacon (KiDULTHOOD & AdULTHOOD), and Kaya Scodelario (Skins), amongst many more...
2015, London. The gangs have taken over. SHANK.
The economy is bottomed out, population is high, crime levels are through the roof, and murder rates are soaring. The gap between rich and poor has grown to epic proportions and food ‘munchies’ have replaced drugs and guns as the ultimate commodity. London is more akin to the favellas of Rio, or the slums of Mumbai. Urban youth have been forced to the very edges of a disintegrating society.
If you try to picture a world in which KiDULTHOOD, meets Football Factory, meets City Of God, you can begin imagining the creative mindset behind this latest British, urban, gangland flick. Written by Paul Van Carter, Shank is music video director Mo Ali’s first feature length; a sci-fi action thriller film for the youth generation, set in a decaying, dystopian, near-future London, combining live action with animation and computer graphics. Amidst the violence and chaos, rival gangs battle it out for supremacy.
Films, like music, can express social attitudes and cognitive processes, but are useful and effective only when they’re viewed by the prepared and receptive eyes and ears of people who have shared, or can share in some way, the cultural and individual experiences of its creators. It’s art. There’s reality in the mentality but the drama shouldn’t be taken literally.
The film breaks into life with a fast-paced chase, which is both explosive and engaging; the rip-roaring intro really sets the tone for what is a high-octane production, sure to get the adrenaline pumping! We see Junior (Kedar Williams-Sterling) a member of the Paper Chaserz, free-running through a run-down, concrete jungle, pursued on a motorbike by Tugz (Jerome Holder), leader of the rival gang The Souljahz. When Tugz and his boys catch up with Junior in a multi-storey car-park, they Shank him, before we are whisked back to six hours earlier, to get a bit of background about both crews, and some insight into how this whole violent escapade has come about.
Junior and his gang the Paper Chaserz trade in ‘munchies’ but try to keep their distance from the territory disputes and the violence. Rager (Ashley ‘Bashy’ Thomas) is the leader of this group and Junior’s elder brother. The Paper Chaserz are concerned with making money, staying fed, and keeping out of trouble. When a routine operation to steal a van full of Rustler chicken burgers goes wrong, the gang are met by The Souljahz, headed by Tugz, who’ve had a tip-off about the food delivery heist and gatecrash the hijacking. This conflict with The Souljahz is followed by a re-run of the initial chase and ultimately the death of one of their own. Now Junior has to decide whether to stay true to his principles or whether to drag the rest of the Paper Chaserz gang into a quest for revenge that could get them killed. This is the story behind Junior and the gang’s mission, as they set out on a chase to avenge the death of a murdered loved one…
Only a few weeks ago, Ras Kwame (BBC Radio 1xtra) facilitated a debate on his 100% homegrown show and his panel of guests debated over the subject of negativity in UK black films. This urban film has an ethnically diverse cast, and should be celebrated, rather than frowned upon. This young and talented cast, impressed greatly in a film made on a shoe-string budget. The performances are all solid, which is a good sign for Revolver, considering this is their first feature production, with big screen debuts for young leads Junior, and villain Tugz.
Speaking exclusively to Ctrl.Alt.Shift, Jerome Holder who plays bad-boy Tugz, expressed concern about the media perception of inner-city youths, claiming that too often the press make over-generalisations, whilst at the same time, “They put the spotlight on the bad stuff that we do, instead of the good stuff. I think that’s what they need to start doing… If I see a youth doing something good, then I think ‘oh yeh, I need to do that too’, but they’re spotlighting all the negative stuff. I think if they were to put it on a positive note then maybe things would change.” He also suggested ways to prevent inner-city youths getting wrapped-up in violence and crime, stating “I think more money needs to be spent on activities outside of school and stuff like that. After school, we’re kind of left alone a bit; after school stops, that’s it. So I think the government need to help us out a bit more.”
SHANK: 'If you're not one of us, you're a victim.' In Cinemas NOW
Revolver UK Gunslinger Productions
Genre: Action
Certification : UK:15
For more information please visit www.shankthefilm.com
Words: Liam Tootill
Photos: Flickr user SHANK THE FILM
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