HARRY BROWN

Directed by Daniel Barber
Written By Gary Young
Stars: Michael Caine, David Bradley, Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles

When vigilante scenarios are realised on film, they either appeal to our own sense of justice by legitimising the vigilantism (Straw Dogs, Mad Max) or emphasize the slow death of the soul that revenge inevitably brings (The Brave One, Dead Man’s Shoes), either way it’s by definition an exploitative genre, designed to pleasure an audience by letting us wallow in our own sense of righteous vengeance. Ad Director Daniel Barber tries his hand at it, setting the scene on a housing estate in South London’s Elephant and Castle, where widower, ex-marine and old age pensioner Harry Brown (Michael Caine) spends his days sitting with his dying, comatose wife and drinking pints at the local pub with his old mate Len (David Bradley). When the frail Len is murdered by local youths dealing crystal meth on the estate, Detective Inspector Alice Frampton (Emily Mortimer) fails to secure convictions. Harry snaps, buying handguns from psychopathic addict Stretch (Sean Harris) then unleashing his old military training as he brutally brings the killers to justice. The gritty cinematography lends an air of Nil by Mouth meets Death Wish but the shockingly predictable script is populated with such cardboard characterizations, it’s all curiously unengaging. Caine delivers a terrific performance and it’s always a pleasure to see him back in Get Carter territory but there’s a deep disconnect between the film his performance belongs in and the one the filmmakers have made.