Mo is the sensitive and intelligent 14 year old son of Egyptian immigrants who live in the working class (blue collar) area of Hackney in London’s East End. He idolises his older brother Rashid who is a real tough guy and amateur boxer who avoids getting a regular job by being member of a street gang who dabble in drug dealing and some small time thuggery mainly so that he will be able to get enough money to put Mo through college.The boys both still live with their parents who try their best to instill a traditional Muslim home, and even Rashid cowers, to a point, to his father’s discipline. At night in their shared bedroom Rashid’s girlfriend sneaks in via the window and they make love in a bunk bed below Mo who pretends to be asleep.
Mo will do anything to be part of the gang, but when he is given a simple task to drop off some cash, he gets attacked and robbed by a rival mob. The incident convinces Rashid even more that he must keep his younger impressionable brother away from a life of crime. Soon after that a fight ensues with the other gang, and when his best friend gets killed, Rashid is determined to step it up a notch and seek revenge. Armed and ready he tracks down his intended victims, but at the very last minute, instead of pulling the trigger, he turns and runs.
Rashid’s realisation that he now wants out of his life of petty crime concurs at the same time that he meats Sayyid an articulate and successful photographer who starts to awaken his political consciousness and also offers him a job. He also in an unguarded moment kisses Rashid on the lips, which appalls and horrifies him, and he and runs off in a confused angry state. Upon some considerable reflection he too realises that he wants Sayyid, however Mo who has being spying on his brother, glimpses them in a compromising position, and the revelation sends him out of control and into the arms of the other gang members demanding they now let him join. He explains his new anger and the fact that he is disobeying his brother’s express wishes by revealing to them that he has discovered that Rashid is a terrorist. This evidently is a much more acceptable situation than telling these thugs that his brother is a homosexual.
Things go from bad to worse as the other gang members feel aggrieved that Rashid has abandoned them and they now want to get their revenge the only way that they know how.
This rather engrossing street-based grimy drama accurately portrays part of the underbelly of young immigrant petty criminals who seem to believe the only way they will succeed/fit in a multi-cultural Britain that is weighted against them, is by trying to seize what they think is the upper hand. These are young thugs who act out tough because they feel empowered by the easy money that can be obtained from drug dealing, and by the mere fact they have have a gun in their hands, just like modern day Al Capones.Brilliantly written and directed by newbie filmmaker Sally El Hosani, who’s half Egyptian/half Welsh, who shows she has a wonderful insight into the identity crisis of these troubled young men. She made some good casting calls too as the brothers are played with such freshness by two excellent new actors James Flloyd and Fady Elsayed. Credit also to David Raedeker the young DP who’s style of cinematography perfectly matched the whole street vibe, and earned him a coveted Award at when the movie premiered there earlier this year.
A rather wonderful gripping debut movie from a new promising talent that deservedly got a mini rave review from the NY Times and almost a perfect 100% from Rotten Tomatoes : both of which are no mean feats.
P.S. Like most gritty dramas like this it can be a little exasperating to watch at times because of the combination of the street based lingo and heavy accents … but a little patience is easily rewarded as it is easy to catch on and understand …. and you never know, you may even pick up a few very choice phrases too.
Available now on VOD & DVD.
