Harry Brown may well be the most violent film of Michael Caine's career. It's an unflinching, uncompromising look at 'broken Britain', seen through the eyes of a pensioner who decides to take the law into his own hands. The plot is standard vigilante stuff, with shades of Death Wish and Dirty Harry, but novice director Daniel Barber handles it well, avoiding many of the common pitfalls that usually ruin this kind of British film.
Caine is the title character, a doddery former Marine who lives on his own in a flat on a council estate. His wife is ailing, and he has only one remaining friend named Leonard (David Bradley). The estate is plagued by violence: an unsettling opening scene depicts a brutal, callous murder, and the gang that sells drugs in a subway near Caine's block strikes fear into all of the residents.
When something brutal happens to Len, Caine's Harry decides to take the law into his own hands, ignoring the help of the local police (led by Emily Mortimer's detective). In other hands this might be standard stuff, but director Barber has the skill to inject more than enough tension into several key scenes.
He also has a very good cast. The hoodlums are extremely well-portrayed, especially Ben Drew (aka rapper Plan B) in the role of chief bad guy. He is a menacing foil to Caine's convincing old guy. There's also a knockout scene in which Caine attempts to buy guns from a drug addict (Sean Harris).
The climax may be ever-so-slightly convoluted, and Caine's character may or may not be in need of a catchphrase. Some people will find it too bleak to be classed as entertainment but anyone looking for a revenge film with blood and guts will be more than satisfied.
Paul Hurley
