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London River

Play trailer Poster for London River Released Dec 7, 2011 1h 27m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
91% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
The tragic London bombings of July 7, 2005, bring together the unlikeliest of pairs when Elisabeth Sommers (Brenda Blethyn), a prejudiced British Christian, and Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyaté), a solemn French Muslim, cross paths. Sommers is searching for her daughter, and Ousmane for his son. Eventually discovering their children were involved in a romantic relationship, Sommers and Ousmane must overcome their differences to achieve their now shared objective -- finding their missing kids.
London River

What to Know

Critics Consensus

London River is a showcase of dynamite acting that more than overcomes its politically blunt story.

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Critics Reviews

View All (34) Critics Reviews
Deborah Ross The Spectator It's astonishingly moving, in its quiet, harrowing, weary way, although you may rightly ask: if it's so painful, why would I want to sit though it? Because, my dears, that is life. Aug 30, 2018 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The film is a matter of Brenda Blethyn's performance vs. Sotigui Kouyate's presence. Rated: 3/4 Feb 16, 2012 Full Review Bill Goodykoontz Arizona Republic It would be nice to say that Bouchareb, who also wrote and directed "Days of Glory" and "Outside the Law," succeeds. He does not entirely. But he doesn't fail, either. Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 12, 2012 Full Review Andrea Hubert NME (New Musical Express) It's to her credit that Blethyn never alienates the audience, despite this, and manages to prioritise the subtly beautiful relationship between the suffering duo. Without it, the film is less than the sum of its parts perhaps, but it's worth seeing... Rated: 3.5/5 May 19, 2021 Full Review Neely Swanson Easy Reader (California) [Brenda] Blethyn as the beleaguered Elizabeth, who is both transforming and transformative. Sep 18, 2017 Full Review Mark R. Leeper Mark Leeper's Reviews Though the arc of the story is fairly predictable, Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyate bring humanity to their roles. Rated: 8/10 Mar 7, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (102) audience reviews
isla s This film is poignant, sobering and thought provoking. I thought Brenda Blethyn gave a particularly good performance, even though I found her character infuriating at times (I could understand why she reacts and does what she does but I also felt sad for the other main character involved) and the plotline is very important, in terms of highlighting the importance of people in similar situations letting prejudices go and working together. This is quite a memorable film that I felt was well made, quite respectful of the serious themes it covers. I would definitely recommend this film, yes. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Surprisingly interesting & enjoyable for such a pace & long-winding weary private investigation. It's just a question of putting aside each differences during this painful persistent searching period. Please prepare tissue.. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review tom e A blatant look at prejudice wonderfully portrayed by the actors. Some may find its pace too slow especially for the short attention span audience, but I enjoyed the careful, realistic process. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Truly appalling. Aside from the crude stereotypes of nasty Christians and saintly Muslims, the script is implausible, the plot creaky and the execution of the story poor. A great pity - the subject matter deserved far better. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Intelligently shot and beautifully acted story. Subtle plotting, moving without needless piling on of emotion. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Quite Slow. A Little Too Passe Art-House In Bits, Without Enough Energy In The Plot To Keep The Vibe-Tension Alive. It Ends Also Very Abruptly & Somewhat Predictable...But It's Still Got A Solid Morale Message Overall That Brings Ir All Home. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
London River

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Cast & Crew

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Rachid Bouchareb

Director

Brenda Blethyn

Elisabeth

Sotigui Kouyaté

Ousmane

Roschdy Zem

Butcher

Sami Bouajila

Imam

Marc Bayliss

Edward

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London River

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Movie Info

Synopsis The tragic London bombings of July 7, 2005, bring together the unlikeliest of pairs when Elisabeth Sommers (Brenda Blethyn), a prejudiced British Christian, and Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyaté), a solemn French Muslim, cross paths. Sommers is searching for her daughter, and Ousmane for his son. Eventually discovering their children were involved in a romantic relationship, Sommers and Ousmane must overcome their differences to achieve their now shared objective -- finding their missing kids.
Director
Rachid Bouchareb
Screenwriter
Rachid Bouchareb, Zoe Galeron, Olivier Lorelle
Distributor
Cinema Libre Studio
Production Co
3B Productions, Arte France, Tessalit Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 7, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 9, 2017
Runtime
1h 27m