Film Review: WILD BILL (2012)

Director: Dexter Fletcher
Writers: Danny King, Dexter Fletcher
Running time: 98 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 23^rd March 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 27^th January 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The critics really liked this film and so, as I’m prepared to believe them sometimes, I immediately added it to ‘The List’. Sadly it only had a limited release and so didn’t make it to my local cinema. So I was very happy to see it appear in the TV listings this week and duly hit the ‘Record’ button at the appropriate point. The critics were right; it’s an excellent film with lots of emotional depth and some truly excellent performances. Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

Wild Bill (Charlie Creed-Miles) has just been released from prison after serving an eight year stretch. He returns home to find his wife has abandoned his two sons; fifteen year old Dean (Will Poulter) and eleven year old Jimmy (Sammy Williams). Dean has been looking after his little brother and has even found a job working on the construction of the buildings for the London Olympics. He wants Bill to leave but Social Services insist that he prove he’s looking after the boys. An old acquaintance of Bills, Terry (Leo Gregory), a drug dealer, wants him to come and work for him but the conditions of his bail mean he can’t associate with known criminals. Anyway, Bill is trying to do the right thing. It’s his younger boy who becomes embroiled in Terry’s seedy world and it’s up to Bill to sort it out.

Really well made with the first-time director making full use of his actors and their surroundings to make a film that is great to look at as well as being a well put together drama. All the main characters were excellently played by Charlie Creed-Miles, Will Poulter (who I last saw in the (also excellent) ‘Son of Rambow’), the young Sammy Williams and Leo Gregory. I should also mention Liz White as Roxy and Charlotte Spencer as Steph; both did a great job also. A film with great emotional depth that doesn’t over-play the drama too much and I have to admit I really enjoyed it!

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 9.0/10.

IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 4,788 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1795702/?ref_=sr_1

MetaScore: No Data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 100/100 (based on 21 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 84/100 (based on 1,425 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wild_bill_2011/

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LINKS:
(NOTE: All links were working at the time of going to press)
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildBillFilm
Trailer: