Brotherhood Review: 6 Ups & 5 Downs
Ups
6. It's Surprisingly Well-Directed
Noel Clarke did a decent enough job directing 2008's Adulthood in his filmmaking debut, even if the movie itself wasn't so good. It's great to see how much Clarke has grown as a director with his latest offering, though: his fourth film feels more restrained and less inclined towards bad habits that made Adulthood feel like an Eastenders episode at times.
It doesn't hurt that Aaron Reid's sharp cinematography makes solid use of the UK's capital, darting around a diverse array of locations that help make Brotherhood feel like a sturdy, honest-to-God movie rather than TV-esque.
Though Clarke's four movies to date have been a mostly mixed bag, this at least demonstrates the promise he possesses with the right script. Maybe he should try working from someone else's pen sometime.