Diagonaldi Very well executed

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

SnoosReviews I like low-budget British films, I like films based around the working-class, I like movies based around the British music scene and I like era based movies such as the 60s, 70s and 80s. London Town ticks all the above boxes, but does it deliver? Not so much.London Town is based in 1970s London, its a sort of coming of age movie which follows a teenage boy trying to find himself in a world which is moving fast and he simply has to grow up quick in order to keep up. His mother has left to pursue her own music career and he is left with his younger sister and father, when he father is injured and hospitalised, he is forced to become the man of the house and provide for the family. He meets a girl on a trip into London and along with some help from his Mother, he is introduced to The Clash and the lifestyle that goes along with following such a band. The Clash are a plot and marketing point, they aren't a primary focus. They aren't all that important in the end, similar to the Spike Island movie in which The Stone Roses are used in a similar way.A big problem I had with London Town is that it really fails to deliver on any level of realism and in failing to do so you feel very detached from the characters and story lines. We are introduced to many different characters from many different backgrounds and everyone seems to be the ultimate stereotype of their character. Every character is portrayed as the extreme. It tries for emotion, really hard at times but ultimately doesn't reach the levels it tries to and feels quite poorly finished in the end. The main actor does a pretty decent job but the supporting cast don't offer too much in terms of quality, everything just feels a little wooden and the script is lacking, resulting in no real stand out scenes.It isn't all doom and gloom though, some of the settings are very nicely done and you do feel transported back to 1970's England. The story, while clichéd, watered down and predictable, is a feel good, coming of age drama and there were moments which I enjoyed, it's just a shame they were few and far between.I won't be watching London Town again and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as it is quite a forgettable movie. IT has a decent run-time though which helps keep the pacing solid and there will be people out there who will appreciate it more than myself.5/10

archaeotypetw I liked this movie more than I thought I would. When I first heard about it my first thought was "why not just watch Rude Boy" if you want to see a great movie about The Clash.As I discovered, this isn't a movie about The Clash and Joe Strummer at all. In fact, they didn't even need to be included. It's really the story of a 15 year old boy who's forced to grow up in a big hurry.Shay lives with his dad and little sister in a suburb of London. He clashes with his father, who owns a piano repair shop and drives a cab to make ends meet. Shay is bullied by other kids in his neighbourhood and dreams of moving to London and living with his mother who ditched her family and is now living in a squat. Shay somehow thinks that his father is a loser and he's the reason his mother took off.Shay's dad, who is actually a good, hardworking man but a bit broken, sends his son off to London to pick up some piano parts and he meets Vivian, a punk girl, on the train. She introduces Shay to the music of The Clash, and when he gets back home at the end of the day, he begins to transform himself into a punk.Shay's dad has an accident moving a piano and is laid up in the hospital for several weeks. This is where the movie gets really interesting. Shay is forced to step up and take care of his little sister. He learns how to drive his dad's cab and does everything he can to try to keep a roof over his little family's head. He goes to London and tracks down his mother who turns out to be a promiscuous, drug and alcoholic abusing wannabe musician who you know will never make it. Eventually, Shay realizes what his mother really is, and that his dad is a good and decent man. Along the way, he meets Joe Strummer. There are actors playing the rest of the band but I don't remember any of them saying a single word in the movie - as I said, this isn't a movie about The Clash. Shay gives Strummer a lift in his cab (while he's dressed as a woman so he looks older), romance blooms with Vivian, and he learns what his father has to deal with every day.Eventually, Shay gets into a tussle with some skinheads at a Clash show and ends up in a jail cell with guess who, Joe Strummer. He discovers that Vivian is actually a rich girl (but a really sweet one) and he breaks it off with her. He ends up back at home, determined to save his father's business and enlists Joe Strummer's help to make it happen (without actually asking Strummer). Again, another appearance by Joe Strummer that's not very realistic and not really necessary - the story stands on its own.I'm a huge fan of The Clash - they've always been my favourite band but I thought their inclusion in the movie was unnecessary. Perhaps it was a marketing ploy to draw Clash and punk fans to the movie. What I found most interesting about this movie was the family dynamic, and one kid's struggle to survive in malaise era England. It's a great story and really well played by all of the actors in a very watchable and entertaining movie.

happycarrot68 Coming of age tale about a young boy who discovers the Clash via his estranged mother and a girl on a train.From the opening minutes you can perceive a nice tale which frankly is pretty unbelievable from some wooden acting, a poor portrayal of Joe Strummer and a teen romance than frankly is a bit wishy washy.The whole punk scene is frankly pretty badly portrayed, the Anti Nazi League concert is mixed with some footage from the Clash's own rude boy film, factually incorrect as far as timelines are concerned for the die hard Clash fan but frankly all a bit dull and predictable. Is one one for the DVD bargain bin in months to come, shame as The Clash still stand up as one of Britain's best bands shoulder to shoulder with The Whos of this world and expected a little more in the Quadrophenia or Sid and Nancy mould, this more a twee film that a 14 year old would find sweet more than a tale of 1978 and punk rock.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. The late 1970's in London were filled with political, social and labor discontent. Director Derrick Borte (The Joneses, 2009) and writer Matt Brown (The Man Who Knew Infinity, 2015) use this backdrop, along with some cutting edge music of the era, to tell a coming-of-age story that is enjoyable despite its predictability.Daniel Huttlestone (Into the Woods) plays 15 year old Shay (not Che) who carries the burden of babysitting for his sister Alice (Anya McKenna-Bruce) and cooking for his two-job dad Nick (Dougray Scott), as he dreams of meeting up with his free-spirited mom Sandrine (Natascha McElhone) who lives a bohemian lifestyle in London. Things start to change for Shay once he receives a package from his mom … his first taste of music from The Clash.Soon enough, Shay finds himself chatting it up on a commuter train with wild girl Vivian (Nell Williams), who generously shares her own music from The Clash, as well as some insight into the band, and even a ticket to their next concert. After the best night of Shay's life, a work accident puts his dad in the hospital, requiring the son to take on even more responsibility.More than a coming of age story, this is what I call "the teenage awakening". Once the world starts opening up to Shay, he begins to question everything. A serendipitous night in the clink with Joe Strummer (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) brings some surprisingly grounded philosophy and guidance. "Some people just burn bright" is a spot-on description of Shay's mom and a lesson to Shay that parents are people too.The movie belongs to Huttlestone, who bounces between responsible young man, bullied teen, and anti-establishment rebel. Ms. Williams is delightful in her role, and JRM brings the necessary hard edge to Strummer. Director Borte has a really nice eye for scenes, but probably was a bit too stingy with Clash tunes. The timing for the film is a bit unfortunate, as it's released in the same year as the similar but superior Sing Street. Still it's an enjoyable little film with enough philosophy sprinkled in that we don't even mind the predictable ending with "I Fought the Law" carrying us to closing credits.