My Brother the Devil

Dir: Sally El Hosaini

2012

**

Sally El Hosaini is clearly a talented writer and director. Her debut feature, 2012's My Brother the Devil was praised by critics and audiences alike upon its release. Lead actor James Floyd and new comer Fady Elsayed were both convincing as sons of Egyptian immigrants living in the suburban estates of Hackney (East London). Hackney has a reputation of being a troubled area, crime does happen and life isn't easy for everyone living in the many estates but the borough's clichéd depiction of being a crime mecca is getting a little silly now. I'm surprised that Sally El Hosaini, a long-time resident of the area has chosen to continue this rather misleading representation, again, there is a problem but it really isn't as bad as it is depicted here and there really is more to it. You're more likely to be run over by a hipster unicyclist than shot outside your home these days. This film is just that little bit too heavy-handed. Life is hard for immigrants and the second and third generations, this is undeniable and a great subject to focus on. Unfortunately, El Hosaini dilutes the overall story of acceptance by adding gang wars, drugs and secret homosexuality into the mix. A story of a young boy trying to understand an older brother who he has both idolized and lived in the shadow of really was enough, to add a clichéd story of revenge and an unconvincing homosexual relationship into the script really didn't work for me, it was overkill and made the film feel like a cliché compilation. The story lost its focus and never really recovered in my opinion. The conclusion is unclear and nothing is really achieved, this could be a reflection of reality but I don't think this was the intention and if it was it could have been handled a little more creatively. The supporting actors were also a little too clichéd, radar kids playing at being wannabe gangsters with a script written with intentionally poor language by someone from the Home Counties. Poor old Said Taghmaoui, the film's big actor, he looks like he had so little guidance regarding his poorly written character that he spends most of the film looking totally confused, which I suspect was the case. This is a clichéd cardboard cut-out account of the lives of the people it is trying to depict and a rather tiresome one at that in my opinion, although I seem to be the only one!?