100 Streets

source: 100 Streets

I suppose melancholy would be a perfect term to describe what it is really. The experience of watching this was almost voyeuristic because of the manner with which is was shot, it was a very intimate portrait on the lives of seemingly everyday people just dealing with the trials and tribulations of everyday life and making the most of it. Life happens to all of us whether we like it or not.

I take issue with the reviewer who felt it was unfair to black people.yes the poor living in the projects were typical of the pressure put on the poor to join crime.however the single mom was a great role model for her son setting limits and consequences.He didn't see that. the sports hero displayed how the adulation and substances can take someone down a bad path,regardless of color. the love between the cabbie and his wife ,though struggling was so uplifting,what a sweet character. the whole plot of the film depicts that people can be capable of greatness despite being flawed. the white man who saw potential in Kinsley that recognized his talent and I understand his anger at beating the perpetrator. one can learn a lot from this movie!

100 Streets is an undernourished and underwhelming slice of life drama set in London focussing on six characters who only obliquely interact with each other. Idris Elba plays Max, a former rugby star turned television pundit. His wife Emily (Gemma Arterton) caught him cheating with the babysitter and they have split up. Emily is now seeing someone else but it is Max whose life is unravelling with drugs and booze. Kingsley (Franz Drameh) is a young drug dealer in the hood, he has been in trouble with the law but finds an avenue to express himself as a street poet when he meets an aged actor. The most interesting story is of cab driver George (Charlie Creed-Miles) who with his wife Kathy (Kierston Wareing) are hoping to adopt a child but face several knocks including the revelation that George was a hooligan in his youth. The couple strive to pick up the pieces of their live in a positive way. Elba has the more showy role which includes his rather public meltdown but the whole thing just felt rather depressing and undistinguished.

Right, so this is a sappy film. But, not cause of the acting in my opinion. Looks at the choices people make and how they deal with the realities that life presents them. The acting is good all around. Idris, Gemma, Franz Drameh and Ryan Gage put in good performances. Yes, it's stereotypical and predictable. The stories do not intersect are separate stories taking place at the same time. What throws it off and makes it sappy is the writing and the score/music. Seeing as Idriss Elba was the music supervisor this is kind of disappointing. I know his music chops are strong but the music made the whole film melodramatic. This is what gives it the syrupy feel. The screenplay is not interesting at all and presents characters in a particular light with little context. It's a good idea for a film, whose story structure has been done before. It lacks more the depth in writing to really draw you deep into the characters whose lives are on edge.

100 Streets tells the stories of 3 very different people living within 100 streets from each other in London. The plot line says that they are 'extraordinary' stories, but to me this is just ridiculous sensationalism and grossly exaggerates what is actually on offer here... When watching this film it's hard not to think of the American film Crash (which presumably this British offering is trying to emulate). Although Crash won the best picture back in 2004 it's a film that I've never personally cared for and this British offering is no different... Yes 100 streets has the various story strands and all of these strands are established fairly well, but sadly much of what unfolds on screen is relatively uninteresting. I think the worst story arc in this film was the love triangle between Elba, Arterton and her bit on the side. I honestly found that I couldn't care less about any of these characters meaning that nearly every ounce of dialogue that was uttered by any of their characters went in one ear and out of the other. Whilst I kind of understood Arterton's character and the other bloke it was Idris Elba that was a mystery to me... I just found that his character made no sense. He's a bit of a womanising playboy who seemed to be living on past glories and has a troublesome relationship with his wife which he is trying to get back on track. Although he's a bit arrogant and showy I found him a fairly cool customer... but then out of nowhere he starts to descend into a massive downward spiral where he seems to lose all self-control (including drunken rampages and narcotics abuse all before he's due to comment on a Rugby match live at Twickenham which inevitably leads to him making a fool of himself on National TV). This is great for dramatic effect, but it all comes out of nowhere and makes little sense. He then gets it together for a bit only to start brandishing a shotgun a short while later. All this might have made an impact on me if I'd have been given any reason to care for Elba's character or even identify with him, but no such opportunity arises and his relentless selfishness started to grate on me after a while... So what do we then move on to exactly? Well we then have another couple who are trying to adopt a child, but are having problem doing this due to hubby's past indiscretions. His missus takes part in a fun run and the cabby knocks a woman down (not his fault I hasten to add, but merely an accident). Like the love triangle story arc I also found this thread rather uninteresting and despite the tragic events involving one characters action I felt strangely unmoved... Finally we come to the third story arc; the thread between Kingsley and Terence - this to me was the most natural and warm storyline and one that was actually worth investing in. In fact my only criticism with this thread was with how poorly Terence was developed as a character. Despite the familiar way that this thread was played out I did appreciate the warm bond that was developing between Kingsley and Terence - the fact that Terence played the only likable character from start to finish did help to make this story arc more endearing in all honesty. I actually found it a bit upsetting when those yobs gave him a good kicking and despite it being hard to watch it did showcase some realism and demonstrated some of the problems that anyone can encounter in some rough inner city areas. Some of the acting is good particularly from Idris Elba who is far too good for this film; Gemma Arterton and Franz Drameh are also strong in support. However, at its core 100 Streets is rather hollow and most of its story strands are uninteresting. The main problem I had here is that I had seen it all before and I wasn't all that impressed with it the first time round...

"The moments of change, they're what give your life its shape, its form, but it only takes one of them to define you and that'll be the only thing you're remembered for and you know it." Three very different people are living out their lives over the course of a few days in London. From a former Rugby legend trying to save his marriage to a depressed cab driver to a gang member trying to straighten his life out, it is amazing the lives that people can live so close to each other yet never meet. This is a good movie with great acting that is so emotional that it's hard to keep up with everything going on. Much like the movie Crash the movie tackles real issues (though not as heavy as Crash) and makes you see and feel exactly what the intent is. Elba is tremendous in this and his character is so complex you aren't sure whether to root for him or not. That adds a whole dimension to the movie that is important. This is a movie that will show you the best and the worst of human nature and make you feel. That is a good thing. Overall, a good movie that explores many facets of humanity, but at the same time doesn't really say anything new. I did like it though. I give this a B.

Netflix suggested I watch this after seeing 'Brighton Rock' and I can see why. The intensity of the characters' demise and their struggle to make sense of what happens makes for compelling viewing.The setting is everything, from the local football club to Battersea Bridge and all streets in between. While the characters don't cross over too much (which might make it a bit of a soap opera) they make subtle references which keeps the viewer guessing. I guess the theme is around disintegration and how we all cope when things seem to deteriorate. A really absorbing film, well worth a watch.

..the entire trailer for the film shows and sells it as if it's all Atherton and Elba and if that were the case then it would have been acceptable.. but in fact the movie is not all them (they're like one-third of it) and so it suffers.. for their story is limited and shortchanged, and the others that are in fact part of the film are not all that intriguing.. in fact they're pretty standard and boring.. they obviously wanted their names to draw attention, and with a bit more thought to the overall process (and having them involved as a larger part of the production) they could have wound up with a substantially better work... you're looking for them, and so you come away disappointed..

Although this intense British drama is not for everyone, I felt it does offer some rewards if one sticks with it. It depicts various interconnected stories of Londoners and a roller coaster of human lives and emotions. The film can be dark and violent at times, but it can also be quite touching and uplifting as well. Most of the characters here are flawed in one way or another, but I thought the ensemble cast portrayals were top notch. The director Jim O'Hanlon and screenwriter Leon F. Butler are making their feature film debuts here, but O'Hanlon does have extensive writing experience in television. To note, this is an adult drama with explicit language throughout, one fairly explicit sex scene, drug and alcohol usage on screen, and one brief scene of nudity. I also should mention I had to use the subtitles here due to thick accents and slang usage. Overall, this indie can be very uncomfortable to watch at times but I felt there are rewards here if the viewer sticks with it.