Ill Manors (2012) User Reviews

Underrated?

[cjscahill · 7/10 · 26 October 2012]

Ill Manors is a film that does far more than just push the boundaries previously set by British films such as Kidulthood, Adulthood and Harry Brown, of which Ben Drew played key roles in. It bends moral boundaries to a level rarely seen before in British cinema, even when the character does things for the 'greater good', the brutality of the streets re balances the already lop sided scales back into darkness, corruption and greed.

A fantastic blend of black and white re winds, flash backs and present time, in a style similar to that of Pulp Fiction where each characters story gets told and varied perspective on events is shown, on this poor and heartless council estate in London. Narration in the form of a truly brilliant soundtrack by Plan B, and although a surprisingly low amount is used, it makes it all the more effective. The film may seem too much to handle and over worked – this couldn't be any further from the truth. What also impressed me was the micro budget Plan B had to work with, and the way he managed to produce such a professional piece with it - he saves a large amount by recruiting local musicians and up and coming actors/actresses to play key roles, though they play them as naturally and effective as any world-renowned star. Throw in some fantastic performances from the young members of the cast, and Ben was on to a winning formula.

The gritty realism will undoubtedly be difficult for some people to even view, let alone understand or relate to. The films climax is one of the most unforgettable and unpredictable I have ever seen in recent years. The extent to which this film impressed and shocked me, in the standard in which is was created, the plot, characters, and actors involved, means Ill Manors easily waltzes into my top 3 of the year so far.

Manor Madness!

[malaysian1789 · 7/10 · 6 June 2012]

Plan B is clearly not content with just being a famous rapper/singer/actor, as he has now tried his hand at directing, with his debut film ill Manors being released in cinemas today. Set in East London, the film follows a series of characters from drug dealers to prostitutes to runaway single mothers as they all struggle to survive in their poverty stricken area. As you can guess, this is not a happy-go- lucky sort of film, but nevertheless it's a very good film.

The style taken is very much similar to Pulp Fiction (believe it or not), as each character gets their own little tale, and soon enough they begin to over-lap with one another, creating a sense of community, we see that everybody really does know each other, whether for good or bad. There is also a rapping narrator (played by Plan B himself) which really adds another dimension to the film, it sets itself apart from the usual ''urban drama'' with these little techniques. It's a very brutal film that doesn't hold back either, from violent murders to a woman being pimped out for £10 at a kebab shop, we see it all within 121 mins.

Whilst it is an ''urban'' drama at the end of the day, the film does what Kidulthood/Adulthood/Shank could not do and has a go at actually trying to explore the reasons behind why people join gangs or decide to riddle their body with heroin. None of the central characters have parents, and the film suggests this lack of love creates the violence, it's essentially a film encouraging us to hug a hoodie. Outstanding performance goes to Riz Ahmed, who plays a gangster with some moral fibre trying to get out the area. The only negative is that the film tries to tell us too much, there's so many characters and stories happening that it's hard to keep track and some character get lost in the shuffle. But overall, recommended.

7/10

A very accurate, well made film.

[ted_leanse · 8/10 · 6 June 2012]

The film is an incredibly accurate portrait of that kind of environment. It wasn't two-dimensional in that the characters weren't just purely evil – the good in them also showed. I've met all those characters in the course of my work. The little boys terrorised into joining the criminal network are just so real. It demonstrated what I keep telling people: don't say a child chooses to join a gang; there is no choice. The cycle of brutalisation, with kids brutalising kids, the girl fights, all of it is so accurate.

I want to get a copy of this film and deliver it to the prime minister and say: "This is another bit of your country that you don't talk about, you don't see, but nevertheless, large numbers of children and young people are trapped in this life." I've already spoken to an MP. I want to organise a showing in parliament. I'm going to call Plan B's people and see if they'll make it happen. For the past 16 years I've been trying to describe what these kids' lives are like. It's very difficult for people to visualise the way they live.

the traffic in cider.

[fayesbridegroom · 7/10 · 9 October 2012]

A surprisingly well made film. The rapping narration adds an original edge to the movie. Compared to 'adulthood.' there is a lack of humor in this one. there is a darkness to each subplot. and as the film develops the moral depth increases. One one level there is the satanic message of 'vengeance is the original sin,' and the film does its best to deliver this to the viewer amidst urban blood-lust. There are a couple of references in camera-work to the Texas chainsaw massacre and taxi driver. the pacing is similar to harry brown. but without the chess like strategy. instead everything falls together like a stream of karma. where harry brown nods to the stephen Lawrence case,ill manors goes more into people trafficking.in this way it shares the vemon of ' taken.' some scenes take a culture of 'meatholes.' and 'heavy-r' and give you a side step view into this disease of female exploitation. it is done in a realistic yet artistic way. with a cultural hint of the terrible crimes towards young girls in the north of england earlier this year.

compared to eight mile this film has the same 'hip -hop.' street vibe, but this being a UK film , everything takes a more claustrophobic eeriness. with some of the footage shot on mobile phones, as a viewer i was left thinking of the similarity to cannibal holocaust in the point of view direction in parts of the movie. ill manors-a document on current the social structure of the western world and the dog eat dog mentality the fuels it.

as ben drew goes into the world of advertising i would recommend this film.as it is not a particularly marketable piece of art. and for that i respect it..

A searing ride (slight spoilers)

[PoppyTransfusion · 9/10 · 12 January 2013]

The film is a rap musical about the lives of drug dealers and prostitutes on a London housing estate (i.e. social housing). It is the film debut of Ben Drew aka Plan B as a director and it is a tour de force. This film has one important message relayed over and over by images and lyrics: Look what happens to children when they are abandoned, neglected or abused by their parents and adults. It is such an important message and one that society pays lip service to without reflecting upon what it means. Even in an age well versed in psychology popular thinking undermines and denies the significance of events in very early childhood. Drew makes sure that his audience 'gets' this message. Not subtle but very gritty.

The plot involves a set of characters with intertwined fates. We are introduced to three drug dealers: Chris (Lee Allan) a solitary operator and one of the 'Mr Bigs' on the estate, or 'manor', and Aaron (Riz Ahmed) and Ed (Ed Skrein) childhood friends from the same children's home, who are minor players and petty criminals. We are introduced to two prostitutes also: Michelle (Anouska Mond) another solitary operator routinely abused by all on the estate and Katya (Natalie Press) a woman from east Europe who has escaped the human traffickers that brought her to the UK. We learn through lyrics and flashback images the childhoods these characters have survived and the events that lead to their present predicaments. The plot unfolds cleverly bringing all together in a confrontation that proves fatal for one of them.

Ben Drew intends that we understand what made the characters the people they are, perhaps even empathise with them, but not sympathise as such or feel sentimentality for them. This is one of the film's strengths. So Chris is presented as an antisocial person with no care or loyalty to anyone and Ed is a thug who mistreats Michelle just because he can.

The acting is excellent from the cast, including the many minor roles. The soundtrack is fantastic and I bought the CD as I loved the music so much. The film ends with the searing track Falling Down that knots the intestines but my favourite to listen to as a stand along song is Drug Dealer (the story of Chris's life). Drew has used some young rap artists/singers guests on some of the tracks.

The finale is shocking and sad in equal measures but the ending offers hope as three of the characters seem to have enough of an awakening to turn their lives around. Fittingly this occurs because of the plight of Katya's baby, underlining the film's focus upon young children and their need for adults to help them grow into healthy adults that can contribute to society in positive ways.

My only reservation regarding the film is that if Ben Drew decides to make another film I'm not sure he has anywhere to go in bettering his debut.

6.8? Really??????

[ABThomas · 12 October 2012]

I can only assume that people didn't like this film because it was too dark, or it simply wasn't their type of film.

If you like films like Kidulthood & Adulthood I can promise you will LOVE this.

I personally thought it was better than the above said films.

Not only was it very well produced and directed, the acting was top notch! I've never seen (or noticed) Ed Skrein in a film before, and he played his part perfectly - Totally believable, and basically a right nasty piece of work.

All the other parts were played excellently too(with maybe the exception of Kirby's character)

It had a great story that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end, it is shocking, harrowing,and some good humor was thrown in too.

After it finished, I text a handful of friends (who I knew would like it) and told them to watch it asap.

Nuff said, 10/10

To The Manner Born, like - Not

[sjmrheathrow · 7/10 · 24 January 2019]

Listen to the narrator's warning at the opening of the film, because a rough and dangerous ride follows as the film unfolds.

The only reason that I'm able to write a coherent review of the film is because some, but not all, of the subject matter is entirely foreign to me and to most of the people who have been around me for most of my long, adult life.

The narration is in a foreign language (hip-hop) that I never learned at school, but I'm a quick learner. If you aren't - it'll be hard to work out what's going on in the confused and disjointed lives that confront you - but persevere.. because it will make sense - eventually. Learn the language of the narrator, because he's explaining what's happening as we shift back and forth in time.

Writer and Director Ben Drew / Plan B presents a shockingly realistic portrayal and insight into the hapless lives of the damaged individuals that we get to know in the course of the story.

If society, as a whole, has not got the message that comes out loud and clear from the film, it's 'Keep drugs, fireworks, sharp instruments and unloving care-takers away from young children - if you want a happy ending in the longer term'.

This film charts the everyday outcomes which follow early exposure to forbidden fruit and the inability of people to recover from exposure, later on in life - whether due to premature death or permanent, irreversible psycholgical damage. All the way through it's a long catalogue of unhappy endings without any hope of remission.

An old story, well-told; dressed up in the newest generation's clothes, sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Incredible Debut!

[jezebel-j · 10/10 · 2 November 2012]

Considering that a year ago I had never listened to a Ben Drew (Plan B) track, dismissing him out of hand as yet another rap/hiphop wannabe, and today regarding him as a genuine multi-talented prodigy is an honest tribute to his unbelievably versatile creativity.

Due in part to the perfect format of a rap narration, in part to the fact that this is a man with his finger FIRMLY on the pulse of a disaffected sector of society and in part to the unforgiving art and poetry of the writing, direction and art direction, I feel that this is a modern masterpiece.

Consider again that this is a directorial debut and was achieved on a budget of merely £100,000, it's almost genius.

John Cooper Clarke, rather surprisingly for me, adds the perfect complementary poetic touch; I had forgotten quite how uncompromising and bleak his words can be.

Reminiscent of Clockwork Orange in its brutal beauty,the story is realistic to the immorality and just plain incomprehension of the consequences within an "underclass" subculture, yet the characters are so finely drawn and portrayed that you feel not only sympathy, but you feel a part of their hopelessness and helplessness.

There was one scene I couldn't watch (no spoilers); watching with my 19 y o daughter, she remarked that it was the first time in a long time that a film had affected her emotionally. She is braver than me for doing so...as it is impossible to un-see anything, so I could not bring myself to watch.

Absolutely beautiful, sad, horrifying and harrowing. Ben Drew, I take my hat off to you and can't wait for the next thing to come out of your remarkable mind.

Very Accurate interesting and well made UK film

[brammabull · 6/10 · 13 June 2012]

I think this was a fantastic film, all the characters were very realistic and believable. the film explored many subject areas were, it wasn't just about gangsters and young gangs and focused on violence the film dealt with prostitution, children in care, break up of the family unit, poverty and police harassment which are all apart of UK society today.

I thought the characters were developed very well, we saw the back story to why the characters were in the situations we found them in. Plan B did a fantastic job as the narrator and i'm sure his fans will go out and buy the soundtrack to this film. It was a very creative way of giving the characters depth.

We also saw many different sides to characters that most people in society would label by simply looking at them. The situations that occurred I could share many similar stories of friends and people I know.

Most of all the film was enjoyable to watch the storyline had its funny, shocking and violent moments. I do feel it built up to a climax in the middle of the film with Chris killing the young guy who killed his sister and then with the women who left her baby on the train we started a whole new story.

All in all a very good debut for Plan B aka Ben Drew!

Another element of the film

Awesome low-budget British flick gets my "best of TIFF" vote

[Art Snob · 10/10 · 12 September 2012]

I've been coming to the TIFF for fifteen straight years, and all I can say is "wow!" If you've seen the trailers at IMDb and YouTube and been impressed, rest assured that the movie more than delivers on what they promise.

The movie was made on a shoestring, and is quite possibly the greatest shoestring movie ever … I sure can't think of any other low budget film that can touch this. If I can luck out on a rush ticket Saturday, it will be the first time I've ever seen a movie TWICE at the festival, (I have a feeling that this film will take time to reach the American market – perhaps being toned down in the process -- and I've GOT to see it again.)

This is certainly a helluva directing debut for musician Ben Drew (a.k.a. Plan B) who also wrote the pulsating soundtrack. I've never seen music more effectively tied to visuals than here, whether they're real time, time lapse, or stop action. Especially effective are transitional passages staged as rap music videos.

There's plenty of great acting too, thanks to a large talented ensemble cast of relative unknowns. Especially impressive Is Riz Ahmed as the character who bridges several interconnected stories about life on the mean streets of East London over a several day period. And in a knockout debut, young Ryan De La Cruz is incredible as a naïve 13-year-old out to buy some weed who gets transformed into a killer in a very believable way.

The realism is astounding. I've seen movies like ARGO and END OF WATCH at the fest, and while they were certainly well-made, they seem overly stagey in comparison (although, to be fair, just about ALL movies do). I voted this for best picture on my way out – I know that nothing I'm going to be seeing from this point on is going to top this.

Not for the genteel, faint-of-heart, or British accent-averse, but if you're none of the above, prepare yourself for a real treat. Never a dull moment! Feel free to base your expectations on the available trailers and videos – they don't deceive in the slightest.

Brutally realistic in its execution, but the story doesn't hold together so well

[Mr_Piggles · 7/10 · 6 June 2012]

This film came to my attention very late, less than a week ago even. But i watched the trailer, was very impressed and took myself off to the cinema this afternoon with much excitement and enthusiasm. So did it fulfil my expectations? Yes and no. Yes, it's an unflinching and very realistic look at the drug trade in London. The drug of interest in this film - cocaine. But lets face it, cocaine is a massive problem everywhere now, i know it is in my town. But at least that is something most of us can relate to and keep at a distance - most of us have the choice not to take drugs or be involved in the dealing of drugs and the violence that comes with it. The characters in this story are the poor unfortunates that were forced in to this way of life in order to survive. The subject of foster care and the results of poor foster care resonate with several characters in this film.

So in those respects this film is a masterclass - as is the acting and ben drews direction is fantastic.

But then there's the script. There is a story laid out with an inter wining theme - but no real protagonist of antagonist is ever properly established as the plot switches too often to establish the key characters and their overall goal.

This is one of the best debut films i have ever seen, but its writing is severely flawed in my opinion. However, Im sure whatever Mr Drew delivers next will be a masterclass if this is the film-making talent he is showing this early on.

Make sure you do not miss out, I know I almost did!

[shaneuk-1 · 9/10 · 4 February 2013]

This film quite literally blew me away and had I listened to some of the posts off here, I possibly could of missed out!

Personally, judging by the posters who have come on here to discuss this film, I think the film has inadvertently aimed itself or been swept into the wrong market. It seems it is being judged by the people who are unfortunately incapable of grasping the brilliance of it all.

Despite being set in a similar environment, this film is not another 'Kidulthood' and tackles much more deeper questions about morality. 'Kidulthood' was aimed solely at the people it portrayed such as the teens and young adults who live in these areas. For me, 'Ill Manors' is for a more mature market and is a harrowing message that should be seen by the masses and the more privileged of us out there who need a window to peer through in order to grasp the horrors that take place right on our doorstep. It is also for the real movie lovers out there who want to be taken on a roller coaster ride and really feel the angst and despair that these true to life characters have to go through just to survive. Without question, this film will take you in from the first minute and drag you into the hurricane that is the working class of London where you have no idea how or where you will end up.

From a spectacle point of view, this film is breathtaking one minute and the so raw the next that you will feel the need to look away.

I can quite readily say that I did not expect nothing close to what I saw and I am extremely glad that I took the time to check this brilliant film out.

9/10 for me.

Gritty realism... with a Hollywood twist

[MovieGeekBlog · 6/10 · 12 June 2012]

This is a very hard film to review… And as a matter of fact it was a very hard film to watch too. More than once I found myself having to look away from the screen, just to be able to catch up with my breath and I had to remind myself "It's only a movie… It's only a movie"… Or is it? Sure one would want to give the film some credit for attempting to talk about some really serious issues in a stark and crude realistic way. However I find myself wondering: just because a movie touches important issues and goes to places where many don't even dare looking, does that make it a good film? Ill Manors (still trying to work the meaning of the actual title) is clearly a film made by a first time director: it's full of energy and ideas. It's inspirational too… But unfortunately some of the inexperience shows up on the screen too. It's almost as if director Ben Drew didn't feel confident enough of his own material and felt he had to pepper the film (unevenly, I may add) with a series of flashy visual devices: some of them work, but then, once the story takes over, the film almost forgets to keep up with them. It makes me wonder if Ill Manors could have been a much more powerful film, if the director had actually restrained some of that rather showy visual style and non-linear editing and had just concentrated more of the story. I'm not against time-laps or montage sequences edited to rap music (some of which were actually beautifully done), but I think once you establish a style, you should stick with it. In Ill Manors everything felt rather random and arbitrary: a hotchpotch of visual ideas and devices, borrowed from many other films before (Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting, just to mention the most obvious ones), but all without any real reason. And the proof is in the pudding: the strongest and most interesting bits in the film are also the plainest and the ones where the director focused just on his actors (or actually non-actors apparently) to tell the story of a broken society alive and well right in the heart of London. Despite the claims of realism, this bleak vision of Britain feels a bit contrived in places: lines like "Can I try some crack?" the endless prostitution scenes and the final sequence in particular when a fire takes place in a pub, all feel a bit heavy-handed and wildly exaggerated. Also most of the characters are a little bit too stereotypical and the film seems to rely more on the charisma of our main lead, Riz Ahmed (from Four Lions), for the audience to sympathise with, instead of giving him a full fleshed-out and a much more believable persona. In the end the amount of horror and depressing bleakness is just too much and what was already a fairly long film, with too many subplots, eventually just imploded. An exhausted audience during my screening even burst into laughing during the final climax (yes, it might have been a hysterical laugh, but still a laugh… and that's just the wrong reaction to have for such film!). The points Ill Manorswants to make are made quite earlier on and after a while it all becomes just too repetitious, over the top and indulgent. All this makes it loose its edge and diminishes its important message. It is a brave film and certainly must be commended for trying: there are some very intense and good moments, which I am really praising, however, even though I might talk to people about Ill Manors, I don't think I'll ever recommend anyone to watch it (aside for our prime ministers and politicians). 6.5/10 MovieGeekBlog

Shame

[marlenefreema · 1/10 · 3 June 2012]

What a shame! I was looking forward to this, as I am a single mother who has lived on a council estate my entire life.

I also quite like Plan B, as my son is a huge fan and I quite like his intelligence as a musician/rap artist.

I was invited to the premiere by my cousin who worked on the movie. He loved it! Not sure how objective he can be though.

It is realistic in the sense that the events do happen in real life. And some of the acting is actually quite good.

But much like Kidulthood and other mediocre attempts at portraying Council Estate life on film, it only shows one shade of the story.

The grim is coupled with the opposite in real life. It is not all doom and gloom etc. I actually doubt how much these young filmmakers seem to know about the complexity of working class life in urban poor London, which I know a lot about.

There is light, there is humour, there is love, there is fun. Show that also! There is more than one shade in the 'endz'. Stop only showing darkness. It is inaccurate and insulting to people such as myself who love films and come from the world they want to portray and make money out of.

I am glad movies are getting made about my world. But please show the whole spectrum.

Far far better than the other recent UK crime films

[searchanddestroy-1 · 2 October 2017]

That powerful piece of work astonished me. A real hit in the face. More a social drama, bloody, brutal at the most, more than a thriller - which is absolutely not - or a common crime flick. Anyway nothing to do with the other UK crime films, craps, which are directly released in DVD, craps that try to look like Tarantino or Guy Ritchie's movies. The guy who made this gave all his guts, his wrath, his pain, his soul, his blood. Poignant scenes, moving sequences, British are really the masters in the social field: see Ken Loach.

Good first attempt!

[SvetoslavGrigorov · 7/10 · 24 October 2012]

First movie:good attempt+good acting and characters.London gangsta world looks like allows Ben Drew to borrow too many clichés from all the iconic predecessors like Trainspotting, Rise of the Footsoldier, Layer Cake, London to Brighton, The Acid House, maybe a bit of Bronson, Bonded by Blood, The Kid, ...Unfortunately does not touch the surface of Harry Brown where he-himself Mister Plan B was one of the cast and the movie was as serious as can be.This one here is more of a video-type, a videoclip, bouncing from character to character without having a finished line and sending a proper message to the recipient. Some questions arise here:Where this comes from, where it goes, how and why happens,is there any reason for all the violence?..at least if you 're looking for attention to make a first movie you need to answer these simple questions like all other big directors do. The music was brill! Thanx!

Deep

[seany_c · 8/10 · 24 June 2012]

Saw this the other week at the cinema. Watch a film. Although this type of film has been done before with the likes of 'Kidulthood' and so on, but the material has never been fresher. I'm not Plan B's biggest fan music wise. I think he's very talented and my girl loves him, but I'm more into my underground grime rather than commercial. I did, however, think he did a good job in 'Adulthood' and 'Harry Brown' so I'm guessing I'm more into his acting than his music. And I'm hoping to see a lot more after this. It's the story of different characters who connect in some way or another. Each story filled with tragedy and each character dealing with issues. Plan's B's singing narration before each story is brilliant. This won't be for everyone. There's crackheads, prostitution, pedophiles, drugs and violence but there's also an incredible empathy for even the most horrible characters. There's also some good humour too. The acting's fantastic. With some faces you know and some you don't, each performance is bang on. Overall a deep, very well made film with terrific performances and a truly original style. ****/*****

Such a shame

[Hamani3 · 7/10 · 25 January 2013]

My first impression after the movie was that is was touching, mostly because of the inescapableness of street life: Kids get affected by thugs and in this way become the thugs themselves.

It was cinematically very well done. The acting was great just like the music. But the plot could have been more...

The biggest disappointment was the overdone expressing of the streetlife in Londen. I'm talking about the over the top criminality. Now I'm not from Londen but I think anyone from Londen can approve that.

This was a real shame: Without this overdone criminality it would have been so much better. The story it self would feel more realistic making it easier to believe and emphathize with the plot and to think about the point of the movie. It would have made it a definite 8/9.

Now with it seeming a little far-fetched and also very negative, it almost seems like the story's playing in another dimension. Nicely made, decent plot and sadly too unrealistic. Great movie nonetheless.

(Sorry for bad English)

Shockingly Brilliant!!!!!

[blaymirkal · 10/10 · 27 November 2012]

I ain't gonna beat around the bush here, Ill Manors is one of the best films I have seem in a long long time, If like me, you enjoy British drama's like kidulthood, adulthood & wild bill, then this is a definite!! The acting is superb and very believable.

The Story itself shows a very harrowing tale of different peoples lives living in London, There are drugs, Gangsters, Violence, the lot. But it is very gripping and has you engrossed right from the start til the very end. After watching it, I was in total shock on how much of a Epic film I had just seen. It is THAT Good!!! I would recommend this to any British film fan, it's a must see!! :D

Plan B's filmmaking debut

[natashabowiepinky · 6/10 · 28 March 2013]

From the mind of the bloke otherwise known as Plan B comes this sprawling saga about the seediest bunch of misanthropes you would never wish to know, and a London you won't find on the tourist map full of druggies, human trafficking and kebab shops. It's not a pretty sight, and Mr Drew deserves credit for not shying away from the tiniest detail in his quest to seek out the sick underbelly of our Capital City. He is also responsible for turning it into somewhat of a gangsta-type musical, with rap songs by him along the way which are efficient at advancing the plot, but I don't think would be worth a relisten on the soundtrack CD.

The formula of following a few characters at once until their fates collide has been done since time immemorial, or at least Quentin Tarantino. Here, we get the standard flashbacks that introduce us to the main people, and after that the cocktail of sex, bad language and babynapping(!) begins. It's by no means perfect, with a bit of overacting going on and in parts being either OTT or simply a bit dull. But it's made in an admirable rambunctious style, and you get an inkling that Plan B really does care about the social conscience of Great Britain (Not so great these days, though)

Poetic Darkness

[phil-strangebox · 10/10 · 20 July 2013]

Im originally from London and spent many a year on estates getting into all sorts.As someone else rightly said on here, there's good and bad and there's a lighter side to the dark side, in fact its mainly middle ground with episodes of badness and episodes of coming together, but films have to take a story and this story was to depict the dark-side..like it or not.

It does this in such an astoundingly clever way that it cannot fail in delivering a very disturbing story - one that will shock all that watch it. The film mixes gritty poetic lyrics with the masterful sound of PlanB which sets the tone for the dark story. The characters are so strong in this film and heightened with the occasional lyrical back story to really help show some history it drags you (weather you want to or not) smack bang into the center of the action.A particular favorite of mine was Kirby. This guy and the story around him is basically the beating heart of the tale. Kirby seemed to be on route to something far more sinister ...had he actually managed to get that far. The camera work and post production are top class with some really nice 'cut aways' that all contribute to set the scene and mix tones.

Obviously there are many visually harrowing scenes so don't watch this movie if you are expecting an episode of east-enders. One of my favorite UK gangster/drug/life drama movies of all time..and I don't say that lightly. Maximum respect to the actors and of course the Director, Story writer, production and crew.

Ill mannered

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 4 December 2016]

Inspired by Brit urban dramas such as Kidulthood, singer-songwriter Ben Drew developed this film after the 2011 summer riots in Britain as a response to David Cameron's Broken Britain.

Ill Manors is a chaotic film set in an area of inner London as we criss cross the lives of various drug dealers, street kids, crack addicted prostitutes, sex gangs with their imported sex slaves.

With a soundtrack consisting of urban rap and grime which gives the background of the characters and their little tales as well as ageing punk poet John Cooper Clarke popping up as a chorus.

There is the story of the street kid teen Jake who uses his friend's £20 to buy drugs and is ripped off and then has to beat up the friend he took the money from to get respect. After that initiation he beats up more people, gets to have sex, gains what he thinks is respect and is used to kill someone, betrayed and later winds up dead himself. As the accompanying song proclaims, he was only a kid.

The main part of the story is Aaron (Riz Ahmed) who is stuck working with childhood friend and drug dealer Ed (Ed Skrein) who both grew up in the same children homes. Both are hustlers, there is a sleazy sequence as Ed forces a crack addicted prostitute to have sex with a series of sleazy kebab shop owners in order to pay off her debts.

There is a redemption of sorts as Aaron finds a baby on a train as his mother is forced to flee a gang of sex traffickers, Ed sees this as an opportunity to sell the baby to a loving family, the alternative is growing up in a home like he did with no future. In a fire Ed rescues the baby and Aaron manages to reunite the baby with the mother.

The film is energetic, frightening, sordid and perversely has its own conservative streak. It is all about the men, their pride, fear and respect and women treated like chattel.

The movie is also derivative, a kind of movie I have seen before such as the ones written by actor-writer Noel Clarke and we end up seeing a newer stereotypical London, the one depicted in morose urban street dramas with tower blocks and gangs running around.

Incredible!!!

[prolearningmexico · 10/10 · 17 March 2017]

Easily one of the best films I've ever seen. Can't say that I enjoyed it, as it's so real it's almost like watching a documentary. Tragic that the contents of this movie are the sad facts of life as experienced daily by the underclass in the UK. Couldn't take my eyes of it...

Plan B goes Pulp Fiction - with mixed results.

[Jonathon_Natsis · 6/10 · 21 May 2014]

The debut feature from Ben Drew (better known as rapper Plan B) makes some interesting inroads as a gritty gangster film bent on uncovering the many flaws of David Cameron's broken Britain. But, at an ill-advised two-hour plus runtime and an ill-managed script that very quickly degenerates into a nonsensical shamble of f-bombs, c-bombs, 'innits' and 'bruvvas', Ill Manors looks more like an unassuming eight-year-old with a painted gold chain and counterfeit snapback: he thinks he's tough, but he's the only one.

The effort made to blend the six stories surrounding the film's doomed night crawlers – four drug dealers and a pair of prostitutes – is a respectable one. However, lost in the apparent coolness of overlapping one twisted life with another is the expectation that these stories will eventually lead to something – which they don't.

There is still some to like about Drew's ambling adventure, though. Ahmed is believable as a conflicted soul trying to help, and each character is introduced via an original rap song sung by the director. But because the basics of filmmaking deflate these otherwise creative moments, one gets the impression the whole project would've worked better as a storytelling album (a la Pink Floyd's The Wall or Kanye's College Dropout), not a feature film.

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Disappointing, undelivering modern day street crime film

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 4/10 · 16 October 2012]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

The directorial debut of hot new hip hop/acting star Ben Drew centres on a series of interwoven stories, of various different characters caught up in a grimy underworld centred around a South London housing estate, where guns, drugs and prostitution are the order of the day. The trouble is, none of these stories are linked together, and without a solid story line, the narrative flow is inevitably a bit messy.

I'd listened to the Ill Manors album before I saw the film, and was aware the tracks were basically the soundtrack to it, with each song provided to the different segments introducing each story. They on their own were undeniably raw and hard hitting, and demonstrated why Drew (in his Plan B mode) emerged as such a major hip hop talent. Somehow, rather than enhance it, they seem to have sucked in all the unflinching power of Drew's creative banks, and left a film that fails to generate any dramatic impact or tension, and feels like a damp squib compared to what was promised. I'd hazard a guess most of the cast were probably first time actors, or maybe even just real life council estate kids Drew knew who he just hired for authenticity, and it shows in their performances, a few of which are just really unconvincing and flat. Somehow, the whole thing ends up dragging on for nearly two hours, by which time self indulgence has just gone right out the window.

Drew has proved himself a really amateurish director, with an equally amateurish cast and crew, and produced a film that doesn't manage to cast a dramatic light on a really seedy and depressing section of society, however convinced it seems that it has. **