Shane Meadows moves away from his hard and aggressive feature lengths to make Somers Town, a gentle, bite-sized film that targets many different underlying themes without actually bringing them into full view. Thomas Turgoose is used once again and proves that his talent continues from the hit This Is England, a factor that will most likely comfort the many fans of Meadow’s. Piotr Jagiello is introduced as a competent actor who works particularly well in the formula of the film as Turgoose’s more reserved other half. Somers Town is automatically realistic in its feel with the use of long scenes and improvisation. This way, the humour that creeps up once or twice does not feel over-rehearsed or thrown in for extra brownie points, but natural and reflective of the subtle and sarcastic comedy that is exclusively connected to the British way of life.
Despite the fact that Somers Town is an apt portrayal of the working class teenager in England, the film does have its flaws. Firstly, the plot seems unstructured and slightly unresolved at the end, which, of course, could be a positive thing, but it is hard to evaluate the film properly without some form of eventful narrative. Therefore, as a viewer, one has to connect solely to the characters which is difficult in such a short time span (the film lasts for a pint-sized 75 minutes). The change from black and white to colour feels a little too obvious in its message and perhaps slightly juvenile for Meadows in its blatant connotation. Other than this, the film is enjoyable and not attention seeking which makes for a good watch but perhaps not a classic for the already acclaimed director.
