Sinmi's Film Review - Bullet Boy
I found Bullet Boy to be quite an interesting piece of drama. Well for starters, Bullet Boy tells the story about a boy, then another, and some more, and a family, community… oh, if you’re not bored yet, I shouldn’t forget to mention the bullet. Hence, the title ‘Bullet Boy’. Now how’s that for starters! Now, to the main course….
Bullet Boy tells a tale of ego, discretion… of the inner-city youth - no, no, no, make that a couple of black boys from Hackney.
It centres on a misunderstood young man, Ricky (Ashley Walters), who’s just got out of prison. How did he get locked up in the first place? Will he ever tread the straight and narrow? Oh and, he’s got a 12 year-old brother, Curtis (Luke Fraser) who adores him (he skives off school and steps on a few toes in order to see him first on his release day.) These two characters are the engine room for the story.
Ricky’s best mate, Wisdom (Leon Black) picks him up from prison, and on the way home, gets into a skirmish with some local guys, for backing into their car’s side mirror and BANG! It makes you wonder, when his mum (Claire Perkins) and other well-wishers are waiting to welcome him back home. The local guys don’t take it too well and it escalates into a series of retaliatory attacks, which Ricky inevitably becomes involved in. (You don’t have to believe me!) What will it culminate into? Hackney war II? When did Hackney war I take place? Let your imagination be the judge of that, or not!
What I may answer is why Ricky inevitably becomes involved. His best mate (if that really is the case) feels Ricky owes him, big time, for somehow getting a scar for Ricky’s sake (kind of remind you of someone, can u guess?). Ok. Ricky, rather tamely feels the same, despite his ‘best’ efforts to defuse the situation and stay clear. “I gotta get outta here, man”! ( Oh, don’t think it’s what I’m trying to portray in that picture above of me outside the Odeon.) But that’s Ricky in the soup (sound’s familiar, huh?). Poor guy!
Oh, Ricky’s got a girlfriend too, Shea (Sharea-mounira Samuels), who needs him to tread the straight and narrow. Will he, eventually, be true to his girl, or will he stick loyally to his mate? Oh, and I gotta say that, he & his gal did it, and it was graphic, unprotected, brief & pointless! I just hope they enjoyed it (the gal didn’t in the movie, or did. I was too slow to catch what happened so fast!)
Gee, what about lil’ Curtis? Well, if you’ve ever paid attention, then the answer is easy. Since he adores his big bro’, he inevitably becomes affected by the mess blighting Ricky. He even gets to play with a loaded gun with his friend, Rio and bang! Bang! BANG! Does Curtis stay caught up in the cycle of violence, or is there hope? You could watch the movie to find out.
Well, for me, as a black guy, the key issues don’t affect me so much personally now, but they have seriously in the past and other members of our church.
Sadly, people are more likely to watch blockbuster movies, but I’d consider this movie as one worth watching.
Sinmi Opeyokun worships at Clapton Park church... Clapton Park
He also reviews X-Men 3... Film Review 3 and his brother Sunny reviews The Da Vinci Code... Film Review 2