The Selfish Giant

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r 9 Very much enjoyed this, from a film point of view of course given the dark and saddening tone of the story. 'The Selfish Giant' is a gritty drama involving two kids who get mixed up in the wrong world. At the beginning I was worried it was going to turn into a cliché-filled, overly stereotypical tale of less well-off families. It does in small doses, but feels legitimate for the majority. Cast-wise it isn't amazing, though it's impossible not to give praise to youngsters Conner Chapman (Arbor) and Shaun Thomas (Swiftly) as they give very respectable performances, especially when taking into account the tricky nature of role and premise. Sean Gilder is good as Kitten, while some of the others are solid enough. It's both impactful and heartbreaking, especially across the third act. Recommended viewing. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member It's basically a story about children morons bourne from parent morons who are so thick they can't be educated so have to earn a living from thievery. The entire community are also kretins, making their livings from thieving. I had no empathy for these lowlifes whatsoever but it wasn't a bad film. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review anthony p Film about scrap metal dealing and the potential cash returns that it provides, sometimes illegally. The central characters are school friends Arbor and Swifty. Arbor suffers from a form of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and ends up permanently excluded from school and into a life of poverty and scrounging scrap metal. This activity does provide some short term much needed money but ends up with critical circumstances as Swifty is electrocuted. It is one of those films that evokes memories of so many others, be it works from Ken Loach like Kes and The Navigators to Hollywood films such as Ben-Hur and Warhorse! Director Clio Barnard has furthered her links to Rita, Sue and Bob Too! with another socially surreal film set in the northern England city of Bradford. The trouble with these films is they usually depict England (especially the north of the country) as a bleak, dark area. It isn't (not all the time). Casting is pretty minimal with a young cast apart from the parents of Arbor and Swifty and the older scrap metal dealer Kitten. Some of these actors I recognised from other films of the genre and TV work. Barnard just might carry on the mantle of legendary but ageing director Ken Loach. 3.5/5 Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review nefasto r A pearl. A very sad pearl, but a pearl nevertheless. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Gritty, funny, sad and some very believable performances from the young cast - good work Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member In a word: harrowing. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Selfish Giant

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