Season 3 – Small Axe

Audience Reviews

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david f This film about a Black man who joins the police force in England to try to help reform it from within and make it more effective and less abusive in policing non-white areas is a powerful though depressing film. The obstacles faced by Leroy Logan are pretty insurmountable and the film doesn't sugar-coat anything. It is true to life and unflinching in its depiction of the physical and emotional violence involved in policing and the difficulties presented to any would-be reformer are such that it is easy to imagine why someone would just want to give up. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Ethan T Where Mangrove shone as a gripping drama and Lovers Rock less so as a passion project, Red, White and Blue adopts a role that seems less specific to the mastermind behind Small Axe, Steve McQueen. The angle of someone joining or becoming involved with a corrupt organisation to reform it from within has been explored to the point of self-parody. McQueen utilises Boyega and Toussaint in the main roles to stifle this inevitable familiarity, and the film marks a fitting tribute to an influential real-life figure who broke new ground for racial equality in the police force. I found one scene of Boyega screaming in anger on a running track slightly amateurish in both performance and existence in the first place, but McQueen's direction remains solid throughout if not his satisfying best. RWB justifies itself as a worthwhile story to be told, and its supplemental strengths are enough to make it a good watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/28/21 Full Review Audience Member Así que John Boyega debe aprender a lidiar con la fuerza...hum Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Another film from the 5-part anthology/series and another most impressive cinematic accomplishment by McQueen. It has to be among the most impressive achievements by a director ever to release five works over an hour long in one year. But for them to be of such consistently high quality is incredibly rare. Only Fassbinder pulled off such a phenomenal feat to my knowledge, releasing nine films in two years. Red, White and Blue gives us much the same people as in the first two films- those of the West Indian community in London from the late 60's into the 80's. Again, they are outwardly victimized by the racist white meathead populace. In his case, it is specifically the police. We've seen such abuse by the coppers in the Mangrove. But here it's given greater significance and intensity as one member of the black community (real-life Leroy Logan, played by Boyega) has chosen to quit his work as a research scientist he put years into reaching in order to join the police force to try to instill (force?) change within the systemic racism he and his family, friends, community live under every single day. We've seen this scenario and similar ones many times before, but there is such an earnestness and authenticity to this telling and its execution that stands out among other films dealing with such themes and the one-against-an-army set up. Boyega gives the best performance I've seen from him yet in a career that continues to grow and impress. Also giving strong performances were Neal Barry, Antonia Thomas and especially Steve Toussaint as Leroy's father, struggling with the sense of quiet desperation a spirit can be left with after a years of oppression and disenfranchisement. For me, 3.8 stars. Two more to go. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member "Big change…that is a slow-turning wheel." If you remember Boyega's character from Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit, this is a much more nuanced and empathetic portrait of a similar character. Boyega is great; his chase scene and the subsequent confronting of his fellow officers are fantastic. However, Steve Toussaint as Boyega's father is the standout. Their relationship is the heartbeat, a consistent reminder of how systemic racism gets dealt with as it's passed from generation to generation. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Best of the series. Boyega is stunning! It is genuinely one of the best dramas I've seen - the story, performances, directing and characters are all so strong. The story, well, the story is emotive, raw, and it winds you Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Small Axe — Season 3

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