The Selfish Giant
Director: Clio Barnard
Cast: Connor Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder
Rating: (M)
Five stars (out of five)
To describe The Selfish Giant as a ''kitchen sink drama'' would be far too polite. Rather, after being socked around the cranium with its sheer desperation, it's most definitely a ''squalid outhouse'' drama, if such a categorisation existed.
But, The Selfish Giant is also one of the most riveting and accomplished films detailing life amongst the urban poor in the north of England ever made.
Arbor (Connor Chapman) and Swifty (Shaun Thomas) are mates, very good ones. Both boys are tormented with social dislocation; Arbour being a pent up tyrant given to frequent bouts of hyperactivity and Shifty being a little slow on the uptake.
Plagued by cancerous home environments, Arbor convinces Shifty to help him make a few quid collecting scrap metal to sell to the local merchant Kitten (Sean Gilder).
Renting a horse off Kitten to tow their scrap cart, Shifty pretty soon reveals his potential to Kitten who needs a driver to pilot his sulky in illegal harness racing on the highways of Bradford. This invariably drives a wedge between the two boys, as Shifty dedicates his free time to caring for Kitten's horse while Arbor gets himself embroiled in ever more desperate measures to secure valuable scrap.
The Selfish Giant is powerful, poignant and most definitely a worthy addition to the best films made by Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Shane Meadows.
Best Thing: The direction, so disarmingly real it feels like being immersed in a documentary.
Worst Thing: Only the understanding that the malaise portrayed by these characters undoubtedly exists somewhere.
See it with: Anyone not easily offended by excessive profanity
