MovieChat Forums > Wild Bill (2012) Discussion > A great night in.. for thick chavs

A great night in.. for thick chavs

posted 12 years ago by Danielovitch
22 replies | jump to latest

I was curious to note the critical acclaim this film received in the UK, particularly as it was directed by Dexter Fletcher of Press Gang and Lock Stock fame? I was hoping for a pleasant surprise but found it to be the usual lairy London hardman bollocks this country churns out.

Hardman looking for redemption, tart with a heart, the emotional 360 to caring dad - all the cliches are here and presented with all the lairy, threatening, cretinous, London Gangster-wannabe character types you would expect.

If you are a thick chav, full of Stella and just back from walking your Pit-bull, feel Guy Ritchie has gone too `arty' for you and fancy a change from your Danny Dyer DVD collection put on Wild Bill - you won't be disappointed.

[–] Finkle-is-Einhorn 12 years ago

he wasnt really looking for redemption he just wanted to be left alone.

and your giving chavs too much credit, they wouldnt get the heart of the film

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BrunoAntony 12 years ago

I agree that this film isn't a massive giant leap for British cinema, but I don't see why you'd think chavs would appreciate this film? I thought it was pretty good, and not really comparable to a Danny Dyer film.

[–] TylerDurden87 12 years ago

American here. Thought the film felt authentic without going too ridiculous with whatever your equivalent is for ghetto genre. For what it was, the drama was much better than most all gangster films. But yeah, nothing groundbreaking.

Anyway. Came here to say I have absolutely no *beep* idea who Danny Dyer is. That's awesome.

[–] Danielovitch 12 years ago

If you don't know who Danny Dyer is you are very lucky, but you won't be hearing of him anytime soon.

He appears in unwatchable low budget, straight to DVD, Brit gangster/crime flicks and is part of a working-class culture in Britain that celebrates criminals and violent crime and views them as aspirational.

He is an unpleasant individual, he was employed to write an advice column in a Brit magazine and advised a reader to get over his breakup with a girlfriend by scarring her with broken glass!

[–] jurassicmarc 12 years ago

Well I'll just brush off my old Burberry cap crack my self a Stella give the missus a slap before im off down the social. I really enjoyed it so from now on Im going to become a bonafide chav because the OP said so.

"Its just a ride"

[–] Olioko 11 years ago

The culture in Britain celebrating criminals and violent crime isn't restricted to the working class.

[–] commanderblop 11 years ago

Canadian here. Have a vague idea what a "chav" is but never heard of Danny Dyer either.

The OP writes a funny review, but it is wrong. This is a good film. Great acting, a good pace, and a terrific fight scene. The lead up to the showdown in the bar had me on the edge of my seat about ready to hyperventilate. And others said, the film had heart.

[–] booster654 12 years ago

You are wrong, Champ. The subject matter, as you alude to, doesn't make a film. This is a well told, directed and acted movie plain and simple. Thats why it is getting its plaudits.

[–] DirkD13 11 years ago

Sorry you feel that way Dan, I thought it was quite a warm and funny film. Nothing earth-shattering but certainly worth checking out. More Shane Meadows than Lock, Stock. I'm looking forward to Fletcher's next film for sure.

[–] di1an 11 years ago

The actor playing Bill is incredible. Look at photos of him from this film and then look at his profile picture. He transformed himself. What an underrated actor.

[–] shane31 11 years ago

LOL

[–] HENRYCHINANSKI 11 years ago

It amazes me how little people understand some members of the most deprived communities in Britain- base stereotyping and a profound lack of imagination and knowledge of the facts. I work with 'Chavs', ie working-class people, in a recovery context. I've seen people who fit the stereotype perfectly turn their lives around when given the chance- a guy who got seven years for threatening a guy with a knife in a restaurant (just one of his convictions) he's now a health trainer and studying at university to become a drug and alcohol recovery practitioner- another long term addict covered in tattoos, now clean, she's now a peer mentor and sits on several boards; she's very intelligent and could easily be a professional.
I'll compare these people to some of the upper-middle class sociopaths in waiting that I've pumped into on university campuses... I know who I'd rather spend my time with!

I love this genre of film- and I also like Nick Love movies!

In my experience people often turn their noses up at these films because working-class people like them, and it tends to clashes with their Fellini collection and general psuedo-intellectual pretentiousness.

Go and live a little.... you frakin nobs.... before I open you up!

[–] lucyjad 11 years ago

People who use the term "chav" are beyond contempt anyway. What a horrid, classless word it is, with it's intention to demonise a demographic of people, with no attempt at understanding causation or the back-story of people's lives. It's a revolting ivory tower concept for those who have no empathy and like to think more highly of themselves than they deserve.

Furthermore, I feel this film appeals to a wider audience. I consider myself to possess "high cultural capital", however, I enjoyed this film immensely. It's incomparable to Lock, Stock or Danny Dyer films because the focus is not upon the violence, nor gags. The focus was firmly upon the effects of imprisonment and poverty (including the disorganised parenting and weak attachments) the violence was simply an outcome of their society. This film illuminated people who are struggling against a tide of social deprivation in order to bond themselves together in the name of family. If you feel that this is simply another London gangster film then you really have missed something wonderful in your watching of this film. Maybe you could watch it again without all of your preconceptions and intellectual elitism attached. I'm sure you'll enjoy it and see the nuances of the film much more clearly if you do.

[–] michaelcrockford 11 years ago

Dan,

You don't have to be thick to enjoy this film, nor does being clever mean you have to hate it.

It's a good movie which is well delivered and compelling throughout. It's better than most movies set against a similar backdrop yet could have been set in any number of locations. It shouldn't be directly compared to everything set in London just because that's the scene that is set; that's the same as comparing Memento and 50 First Dates.... It's a story of redemption,forgiveness and coming of age. I felt it was honest, unpretentious and was probably the film that London Boulevard should have been.

I would recommend this (along with Attack the Block and Harry Brown) as an example of a really good "London Movie" (if we have decided that it's a genre).

I'm sure there'll be some witty retort, it will have to be a good one though to change my opinion that this is a good film

Cheers

[–] slugdub 11 years ago

OP has nailed it.