Zebra Crossing (2011)

A chav struggles to find a way out of his social group. Justin, the main character, is an 18 yo guy. He and his friends abuse drugs, fight, run away from police, and even shoot at people. Basically, all this (well, barring the crime) reminds us of the behavior of pre-teen kids on a playground or at a break in school. From time to time Justin feels that his friendship isn't going to bring him anything good in his life. His severely ill sister and a ghost-like black man in the church are the only people who support him. What will be the outcome of the story?

Well, don't expect a happy ending here, otherwise this wouldn't be a drama. The environment we grow up in affects us very much, at times making it impossible to even realize a way to improve ourselves.


What I personally dislike is the way sound is mixed in this movie. Unnecessarily loud music pieces make it difficult to recognize speech sometimes. On the other hand, the choice of black and white filming with a color appearing in the very end makes sense and complements the story very well.

All in all, a good idea slightly poorly implemented. Read more for some screenshots.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1316092/

My vote: 6 of 10

The Client (1994)

I've watched this movie before, maybe even twice. Yet I've decided to watch it once again. The plot is very common for crime dramas: criminals, cops, and guiltless people in jeopardy. Gosh, haven't we seen that cocktail on our screens million times already?

But what's exciting about this particular movie is the acting. Especially that of Brad Renfro who plays Mark. It was a surprise for me to find out that this was his first role ever, and he hadn't had any acting experience before. And that when he was just 11 yo! Some time ago I've also watched The Cure (1995) with him, and he was acting superb there as well. It's a pity he passed away so young in 2008 because of "accidental" heroin overdose...

A funny thing is the southern accent of some actors. Like saying "hai" for "hi", or "whai" for "why". Also, the movie contains a number of funny scenes, like Reggie's mum: "Nice to meet you, Mark!" after he shuts the car's door and kicks it, and then walks away, or Mark: "Well, I'll just go get hit by a truck and come back."

As I mentioned the movie itself is quite common and doesn't carry any deep thoughts. The plot is full of unrealistic coincidences and situations. I would generally rate it as 5 of 10, but the acting makes it all!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109446/
My vote: 7 of 10