Bullet Boy (tbc)

Just released from a young offenders unit, Ricky (Ashley Walters aka So Solid Crew's Asher D) is desperate to break from his past and go straight. But he becomes caught up in his trigger-happy mate Wisdom's petty-minded squabbles when a busted car mirror inexorably escalates into mindless violence, dead pets ("That dog was like me brethren") and bloody retribution on the streets of Hackney. Former TV documentary director Saul Dibb brings an authentic humdrum reality to this simple but powerfully effective tale of recrimination and revenge ("If he's gonna kill me, why shouldn't I kill him?") as Ricky chooses to stand by his friend. Meanwhile, Ricky's younger brother Curtis (Luke Fraser) has found a gun he's hidden in his bedroom...

Walters channels his own life experience into his role - he served time for possessing a firearm - and delivers a compelling performance, while Dibb spotlights inner-city gun culture with striking sensitivity and intelligent restraint, focusing on its damaging effect on family life rather than resorting to gangsta-style shootouts. A British film with brains and bite.

DVD Extras:

No commentary track but a nicely conceived 23-minute behind-the-scenes package that reveals co-writer/director Dibb's inspiration was La Haine and that the only young offenders unit in which they were allowed to film was the same one in which Walters had done his bird. There's two trailers and nine minutes of the video auditions used to help build the characters, plus avideo diary following Walters on his round of promotional duties - including being made up as Jules from Pulp Fiction.

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