'Somers Town' review: Adolescent hijinks in a London neighborhood

October 16, 5:52 AMAtlanta Movies ExaminerRyan McNally

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Friendships can develop in unlikely ways, especially when you’re a kid. In Somers Town, a charming new dramatic comedy from acclaimed British director Shane Meadows (This Is England), a soft-spoken Polish immigrant and a enjoyably crass runaway from the Midlands are the odd couple who forge a relationship in working-class London.

Thomas Turgoose is Tomo, a young punk who hops a train from Nottingham en route to London. Tomo claims he doesn’t have a family or a home to return to, but his first night in London isn’t the fresh start he was hoping for. After convincing a passerby to buy him a beer, he’s accosted by a group of young ruffians who first pilfer his brewsky, then steal his bag of clothes and throw him a beating as thanks for his generosity.

Marek (Piotr Jagiello) lives a more calm existence. Having moved from Poland with his dad following his parents’ divorce, he passes the time while his father is working by hitting the streets with camera in hand. His favorite photography subject is Maria, a beautiful young French waitress who works at a café he likes to frequent.

One day he meets Tomo, and at first it’s unclear whether Tomo wants to be friends or just take advantage of Marek. But gradually they form a bond, whether whiling away the hours cracking jokes, discussing their mutual infatuation with Maria, or performing odd jobs for a quirky neighbor (a scene-stealing Perry Benson).

Tension bubbles below the surface as to how Marek’s hard-drinking dad will react to the revelation that his son his been stowing his new friend at their home. And Tomo has a predilection for doing boneheaded things that could result in catastrophe at any moment.

Meadows, working from a script by Paul Fraser, lets Somers Town play out in leisurely, entertaining scenes that have a naturalistic feel, similar to how Chris Smith worked magic in last year’s superlative The Pool. Toss in some moody black-and-white cinematography and outstanding performances by Turgoose and Jagiello (Best Actor co-winners at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival), and you’ve got a film that does a wonderful job capturing adolescence in all its faux bravado and goofy sweetness.

Somers Town clocks in at a mere 70 minutes, which stretches the definition of “feature film,” but the positive is that it moves along at a brisk pace. Full of humor and grit, Meadows’ slice-of-life film is a lively journey through youth’s unpredictable twists and turns—and the relationships that grow out of them.

Grade: B+

Somers Town trailer:



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Somers Town opens in Atlanta on Oct. 16 at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema.