Attack The Block (2011)

 

Running Time: 88mins
Directed By: Joe Cornish
Starring: Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Simon Howard
Screenplay: Joe Cornish
UK Release Date: 11th May 2011

Quick Plot: A tower block in South London isn't the first place you'd think Aliens would want to land. It's down to a gang of hoodies, a young nurse and a drug dealer and one of his clients to protect their housing block in whatever way possible.

Review: A few months back I was watching Film 2011 with Claudia Winkleman and they showed a clip of a new film directed by first time film director Joe Cornish. Joe Cornish of course, from the Channel 4 show The Adam and Joe Show has directed and wrote a few TV shows but only ever appeared in films such as Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz.Yes you guessed it, he's a friend of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost two of which had roles in the production of Attack The Block. Anyway, this is all beside the point, all I knew was that this director was new to filming a feature length film so when I first saw a clip from Attack The Block I didn't know what to think of it. The film had only finished filming a day before it was showed on Film 2011 so my first thoughts was that this wasn't going to be a huge success. Second of all, the film centres around a gang of youths in London which doesn't exactly yell 'watch me' in my case. I haven't seen Adulthood, Kidulthood neither Parenthood but that's totally away from this subject. Either way I wasn't at all interested at first glance. But as the weeks went on this film got more interesting, Nick Frost has a small role, Edgar Wright is an executive producer and one of the main producers is Nira Park (who if no one knows has produced many things such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul and TV Shows like Friday Night Dinner, Spaced..all things that I adore a lot) and then it caught my eye I saw it got noticeably good reviews (a few bad ones but..) and all round I looked forward to watching it.
Watching the film I was either smiling, hiding behind my hands or laughing because Attack The Block is a lot of fun. But it's not the laugh out loud comedy you expect from the trailer. More of an action, gang, sci-fi, alien invasion film which sounds all too predictable. I felt the film has a more deeper storyline than it lets on because each character is so individual and has their own story to them you feel for all of them and I mean all of the characters. The film too I think is more showing and describing what life is like in South London, near council estates and for young people. Being 88 minutes long, Attack The Block dives right into the plot and you suddenly feel in London, on November 5th, scared because you don't know what's round the corner and that's before you hear about the aliens. The gang of violent youths mug a young woman of her phone and purse, something we all hear about on a daily basis. It's familiar to the audience and you feel sorry for Sam (Jodie Whittaker) and you automatically hate the young boys. But then, even before the ordeal has finished something flies down from space, annoys the yobs and bam you're into the storyline and your mind is open. Although if you don't like aliens, fantasy and Science Fiction you would have thought this film was a load of cow poop and I wouldn't recommend you to see it at all.
The screenplay and imagination of Joe Cornish is probably what made this film so enjoyable and entertaining to me. The speech between all of the boys you think is ridiculous but you realise that this is how some of the younger generation speak because they do not know any different. Calling each other 'fam' and saying 'brap' is everyday life and no alien invasion aint guna make 'em change the way they talk bruv. Ok- cringe on my part there I apologise. This also is half of the young actors part in the film, all of which have never starred in anything before. They fit their parts perfectly, especially John Boyega as the gang's lead Moses. Moses being the more serious one and others like Pest and Jerome who are funnier members of the gang. Nick Frost of course! Nick Frost doesn't have a big role in this, a drug dealer who is at the top of the block of flats on this night that aliens attack. He is the funnier character but has a meaningless role, still great as always and hilarious nonetheless. Luke Treadaway and Jodie Whittaker are not to be unnoticed, both are humorous, Treadaway maybe a little more, both nice, genuine characters who are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They're innocently doing their everyday things (one buying drugs but that's beside the point) but get caught up in a fight against aliens. That's another thing that needs to be mentioned, the 'alien'- I don't know what else to call it. It's definitely an alien but I've never seen a fury one before

Everything occurs in the space of one night but a great deal takes place. Like I stated before, 88 minutes the film lasts, not very long at all but you learn about each character individually, find out why the aliens are attacking and find it more of a film with a meaningful message and you really do love each character, even if they are annoying, rude and horrible. Out of all the films I've seen so far this year, Attack The Block is one of the best filmed and has one of the best storylines and it is most definitely the one I've had most fun watching. Don't miss it, but if you don't like gang films, aliens, fantasy, blood, and tension obviously not.

Attack The Block- official trailer