Film Movement: Somers Town DVD Review

Year 8 Film 7 of the Film Movement independent and foreign film DVD of the Month Club is Somers Town. Available December 8th from the director of This is England, Shane Meadows, this movie is a story about two lonely teens in the UK who find each other forge an awkward but strong friendship.

Tomo (Thomas Turgoose) is a runaway from Nottingham and Marek (Piotr Jagiello) is a Polish immigrant who lives with his father in the Somers Town district, between King’s Cross and Euston Stations. Marek’s father has a job working on the new rail link.

While working odd jobs for extra cash for a neighbor and fawning over a beautiful young French waitress named Maria, Marek and Tomo try to tip toe around Marek’s father who would not be happy that a stow away is living in his home.

Somers Town is another in the very appealing Film Movement. This successful DVD subscription club has proven that focusing on one indie or foreign film a month can be great for the artistic side of film and a good business model as well. Most of the films in the series are early in their film circuit cycles so you actually get to own the DVD long before it hits mass markets.

Somers Town is a nice story. There are not a lot of dramatic or over the top moments, but there is a nice romance triangle between the two friends and Maria. There is also an intriguing storyline between Marek and his father, who is struggling to come to grips with his divorce. This is a very riveting story told in English and Polish with English subtitles.

As usual, the DVD includes a “Short Film of the Month”. On the Somers Town DVD is a short film “Odd Shoe” from Director Paul Cotter. It is a story about a young boy with battered old sneakers who discovers life has new meaning when ha finds a new pair of leather shoes.

MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 70 Minutes
DVD Release Date: December 8, 2009

Director: Shane Meadows
Starring: Thomas Turgoose, Piotr Jagiello

DVD Reviews by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

Tags: Film Movement Somers Town, Shane Meadows, Somers Town, Somers Town DVD, Somers Town DVD Review, Thomas Turgoose