SXSW Review: HARRY BROWN

Few actors are as universally recognized and appreciated… and still working as long and hard as Michael Caine. For this reason alone, HARRY BROWN is worth seeing. Written by (THE TOURNAMENT) and directed by first-timer Daniel Barber, HARRY BROWN tells the story of the title character played by Michael Caine with pleasing success.

HARRY BROWN is a dramatic thriller about Harry Brown, newly a widower and living on his own in a dangerous slum in the UK. After seeing his only friend and fellow frightened senior citizen unsuccessfully lobby the police for assistance in quelling the out of control teens who torment and terrorize the neighborhood killed by those very delinquents, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

Despite Harry’s age, he relies heavily on his training and combat experience as a Marine to outsmart his much younger enemies. Harry is a smart man, with a good heart, but is forced to take action as a last resort only because he sees nothing being done by the authorities in power. Caine does an amazing job getting the audience to truly care about his character. His emotional transition from neutral observer to a heroic man taking action despite the odds and repercussions is what truly makes HARRY BROWN worth seeing.

The primary drawback, and a relatively insignificant one at that, is the relative lack of originality in the story. In the simplest terms, HARRY BROWN is a fairly stock and standard revenge story, a tale of one citizen taking back the neighborhood, a movie about one guy who chooses to make a positive difference when no one else will. This isn’t a scathing criticism, but merely an observation that the otherwise very good film could have been great if only it had a bit more of a unique take on a fairly common and standard in storytelling.

Aside from the underused opportunity, Barber proves to be an accomplished director, taking the material he had and deriving a entertaining a solid visual approach and commanding performance from Michael Caine. The grittiness of the neighborhood’s situation hearkens back to the films of Charles Bronson. One of the most compelling scenes of the film takes place when Harry confronts a couple of local drug dealers in their filthy headquarters, reminiscent of Bronson’s performances.

While it may be a stretch to be calling Michael Caine a “badass” at the ripe age of 77, he delivers the goods with unflinching confidence. When Harry Brown finally goes on the rampage against the unsavory neighborhood influences, the audience fully believes in Caine’s performance and vocally cheers and applauds his character’s bravado.

HARRY BROWN also features a bit of mystery, as the lead character must seek out and uncover the head of the local criminal beast that terrorizes his neighborhood, all while avoiding suspicion from Detective Investigator Alice Frampton, played by Emily Mortimer (REDBELT). What Harry Brown uncovers is surprising both to himself and the audience, revealing that evil lurks even in the least suspecting places and that the line between friends and enemies can be blurred in small, close-knit communities.

Overall, Michael Caine steals the show and turns the otherwise common story into a crowd pleasing crime thriller for all adult ages. Daniel Barber has crafted a film that visually depicts the moods and tone that compliment Caine’s performance and serves as a successful first venture into what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career in filmmaking.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars