Shane Meadows' film is a modern British classic. It tells of a Derbyshire pit village which has been over-run by gangs and drugs. In the midst of it all is mentally impaired Anthony as he is abused by one gang and their manipulative leader Sonny (Gary Stretch). Into the town comes Anthony's older brother, and solider, Richard. Within hours, Richard has threatened one of the gang in a working man's club before heading into town with his Ukrainian gas-mask. The film is an impressive achievement anyway. From Meadows' improvisational techniques to the Aphex Twin soundtrack, the maudlin atmosphere is prevalent throughout. It is with Considine's Richard, however, that the film finds its heart. He is a man hell-bent on revenge for what this gang has done to his brother. The pain and sadness in his eyes is there throughout but the contempt and suppressed violence can be seen in moments such as Sonny attempting to intimidate Richard before the soldier replies, "Get in your car and f**k off". Considine has proven himself to be one of Britain's top actors and the level of depth he gives to Richard is commendable. Although the film scared off many awards panels, Considine did pick up the Empire film award for Best Actor for his role and the film is regularly found in best film lists. Yes, a lot of this is down to Meadows but without Paddy Considine's Richard, the piece might have descended into cheap British slasher territory. The depth of Richard's vengeance stops this happening however.
