A Room for Romeo Brass
1999 Directed by Shane Meadows
Synopsis
Two twelve-year-old boys, Romeo and Gavin, undergo an extraordinary test of character and friendship when Morell, a naive but eccentric and dangerous stranger, comes between them. Morell befriends with the two boys and later asks them to help him pursue Romeo's beautiful elder sister. He gradually becomes more violent after she rejects him.
Cast
Popular reviews
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For the longest time I thought Shane Meadows had only directed two features, Dead Man's Shoes and This is England. So when I recently discovered that there was an earlier film he made prior to Dead Man's Shoes also starring Paddy Considine I rushed out to watch it.
Well, to say this lived up to my expectations is an understatement. This is one of those films that feel engineered for the sole purpose of tickling all my boxes. It is right up my alley and upon some reflection will probably be found somewhere high in my top 100 list.
Had I discovered this a few years earlier, this would have been a film I would go back…
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In my opinion this is Shane Meadows finest work, as none of his other films will leave you with that feel good glow in your stomach.
Paddy Considine makes his debut here and 14 years later, I have to wonder, why is this guy not huge in Hollywood?
Paddy plays a right weirdo who hangs about two young lads and comes between them and their friendship. Sounds kinda dull? Well, Paddy's character makes sure that is not the case at all!
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So, just over a week after my first watch I had to watch this again. I still agree with everything I said in my first review, this movie is perfect and easily one of my favourite films of all time.
What struck me on a rewatch was how perfectly paced this film is. I heard once that in a great script ever scene should be more interesting than the last. This film nails that, plus has a killer opening.
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I've seen enough of Shane Meadows films to know that despite how sunny a day it is there are always black clouds on the horizon. While he was busy establishing relationships, introducing wonderful characters and drizzling nostalgia over everything I was shifting slowly towards the edge of my seat. Every moment of joy undercut by the looming darkness, but who would it come from, who would push the balance that bit too far bringing down the lives of their suburban neighbours? Certainly one of Meadows best, effortlessly drawing out naturalistic performances from both young and old, setting up 'arty' shots that appear to happen more by accident than design. Paddy Considine is mesmerising, managing to convey both tragedy and comedy in an unforgettable role.
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Shane Meadows is an undoubted talent. His style is all of it's own and he presents some wonderful characters that you end up caring about. From working class housing estates his films have a raw and often "kitchen sink" style portrayal of normal British and particularly The Midlands family life.
Every one of his films from the better known "Dead Man's Shoes" and "This Is England" have that pitch black humour tinged with sadness and an underlying current of violence and urban strife. Broken families form a large part of the culture of his movies and this one is no exception. The story of a young lad Romeo (played with real appeal by Andrew Shim) and his school-friend "Knocks". After… -
Taking cues from Ken Loach and Mike Leigh (the latter's Naked, in particular), A Room for Romeo Brass is a marvellously impactful film that looks at the role adults play in the lives of children, and particularly at the fractious trust and authority issues most such relationships encounter. Paddy Considine is phemonenal, his character's skittish and volatile personality played to perfection. A must-watch.
Recent reviews
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Mesmerizing and totally unnerving performance from Paddy Considine
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In my opinion this is Shane Meadows finest work, as none of his other films will leave you with that feel good glow in your stomach.
Paddy Considine makes his debut here and 14 years later, I have to wonder, why is this guy not huge in Hollywood?
Paddy plays a right weirdo who hangs about two young lads and comes between them and their friendship. Sounds kinda dull? Well, Paddy's character makes sure that is not the case at all!
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There aren't many films that have made me feel quite so good one minute and then so deeply unnerved the next. Paddy Considine is fucking incredible in this, playing one of my all-time favourite characters in what i'd say is Shane Meadow's best film.
There are atleast two moments in this film where I came close to releasing a stool in the seat of my trouser, and atleast three where I did an actual LOL. Great ratio.
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It's interesting to see the similarities between this and the only other Shane Meadows films I've seen (the "This Is England" series). Incredible soundtrack and unique story.
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Shane Meadows is an undoubted talent. His style is all of it's own and he presents some wonderful characters that you end up caring about. From working class housing estates his films have a raw and often "kitchen sink" style portrayal of normal British and particularly The Midlands family life.
Every one of his films from the better known "Dead Man's Shoes" and "This Is England" have that pitch black humour tinged with sadness and an underlying current of violence and urban strife. Broken families form a large part of the culture of his movies and this one is no exception. The story of a young lad Romeo (played with real appeal by Andrew Shim) and his school-friend "Knocks". After… -
"A very British drama about schoolboy friendships and family relationships being put to the test. Lovely, very natural acting from the whole cast."
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Taking cues from Ken Loach and Mike Leigh (the latter's Naked, in particular), A Room for Romeo Brass is a marvellously impactful film that looks at the role adults play in the lives of children, and particularly at the fractious trust and authority issues most such relationships encounter. Paddy Considine is phemonenal, his character's skittish and volatile personality played to perfection. A must-watch.
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Simultaneously incredibly sweet and incredibly dark -- I loved the relationship between the two boys, as well as Paddy Considine's character. Overall it felt really true-to-life, which is what I enjoyed about it most.
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So, just over a week after my first watch I had to watch this again. I still agree with everything I said in my first review, this movie is perfect and easily one of my favourite films of all time.
What struck me on a rewatch was how perfectly paced this film is. I heard once that in a great script ever scene should be more interesting than the last. This film nails that, plus has a killer opening.