Low key/gritty british films

[hcanning]

Hi all,



newbie here, be gentle



I came across this forum, had a browse and thought I'd sign up and post :)



I saw Harry Brown yesterday, which was a really fantastic british film, kept me gripped from start to finish.



It made me realise I love that "style" of british film that you rarely get from american films IMO. That sort of low key, slow, gritty urban style. It's hard to describe, I hope it makes sense!



So it's got me wondering what other films are done in the same style? I've seen a few but I mainly concentrate on american films, so I can't really remember them! Silly I know



Can anyone recommend any like this for me to watch?





Cheers

: blushing:

[batman]

A couple of good recent ones have been London to Brighton and Red Road. You should also give the films of Shane Meadows a look.



In the 80s among my favourites are For Queen and Country, Defence of the Realm, Mona Lisa and The Long Good Friday.



And to take you full circle from the 70s check out Get Carter with Michael Caine.



In the 60s we had films like The Boys, Payroll, Prize of Arms, Hell is a City, Jigsaw and Robbery.



The forties and 50s are full of them .... recommendations from me would be Hunted, The Blue Lamp, Sapphire and the excellent Pool of London.

[dpgmel]

...from me from the 40's three films starring the great Eric Portman :



Daybreak

Wanted For Murder

Dear Murderer

[hcanning]

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys, will check them out



I'm looking for films from the 90s onward if possible :)

[GoggleboxUK]

Last Orders is another you could put on your To Do list.



And welcome to the forum.

[frame69]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7kIMZ2Yup0"]YouTube- Made in Britain - Movie Trailer - Blue Underground[/ame]



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRgK6PyjQY"]YouTube- Brimstone & Treacle trailer[/ame]



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ5dBJAHMjM"]YouTube- Twin Town[/ame]



Try these.

Frame.

Almost 90s.

[fluddite]

Ken Loach does gritty (as in genuinely gritty, socio-economic contexts and all) better than anyone IMHO - and has been doing ever since the 1960s. Most of his 1990s output is exemplary - as a good old-fashioned lapsed Catholic, I'd be tempted to start with Raining Stones (1993), though Riff-Raff (1991) is funnier (and arguably even bleaker)....

[fluddite]

Also well worth watching in this line is Gary Oldman's greatest achievement to date - amazingly (given his abilities - e.g. in the mesmerising Al Ashton/Alan Clarke made-for-TV The Firm (1988)) not as an actor:



Nil by Mouth (1997)

[Maurice]

Welcome, hcanning



Directed by Ron Peck:



EMPIRE STATE (1987) - VHS (try Amazon.co.uk): still not available on DVD



FIGHTERS (1991)/REAL MONEY (1996) - released on same DVD



STRIP JACK NAKED: NIGHTHAWKS 2 (1991)

[Nick Dando]

Another Gary Oldman/Tim Roth film is Meantime.



And there's The Hit, as well. Though it's not gritty realism. Very sunny, in fact.



Nick

[stonemtoney]

Ken loach, Meadows are great for starters. Unfortunately for every good (gritty) British film there are two awful ones trying to mirror that gritty style. Basically middle class directors looking at urban/working class life as if it was a Zoo.



Someone mentioned Red Road which is excellent, as is Arnold's next film "Fish Tank". 'Neil by Mouth' is a pretty decent.



Do yourself a favor and avoid Nick Love's output.