Blue story

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Movie
Original title Blue story
Country of production United Kingdom
original language English
Publishing year 2019
length 92 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Andrew Onwubolu
script Andrew Onwubolu
production Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor , Damian Jones
music Jonathon Deering
camera Simon Stolland
cut Mdhamiri Á Nkemi
occupation

Blue Story is a crime film directed by Andrew Onwubolu and released in cinemas in the United Kingdom in November 2019. The film is about two rival gangs in a London neighborhood who brutally fight each other.

action

Reticent teenager Timmy lives in Deptford but attends Peckham High School in another London borough, a decision his mother made for him years ago. He has some friends there who are much rougher than him, which helps him survive in his neighborhood. He has a relationship with Leah. His best friend is Marco, whom he has known since moving to Peckham High.

They come from different areas, however, and their older brothers are members of rival London gangs who have been arrested in vendettas for decades. Timmy's old elementary school friend Kiron, now called Killy, and Marco's brother Switcher are leaders of these groups. Timmy's and Marco's friendship comes to an abrupt end. After swearing allegiance to their respective gangs, they become mortal enemies in this brutal gang war.

production

Staff and language

Peckham is located in Postcode District SE15, Deptford in the London borough of Lewisham and thus in District SE13

It was directed by London-based Andrew Onwubolu , who describes himself as a rapman. According to the movie poster, the film is inspired by real events and shows Rapman's personal experiences and aspects of his childhood. He grew up in Deptford in South London and attended the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Camberwell from the age of 11. Rapman was signed by US star Jay-Z 's multimedia label Roc Nation after the success of his YouTube series Shiro's Story .

The phenomenon of the “Postcode Wars”, which is at the center of Blue Story , refers to the clashes between drug gangs who divide up their territory in London's districts according to these. The rival gangs identify targets / victims simply by zip code. The comparison of these postcodes is also done visually on the poster for the film.

The film is also subtitled in the English-language original in order to convey the heavily accentuated patois spoken by the characters. In addition to this peculiarity, the use of the rape also serves to bring the streets to life as a place where people actually live and die, according to Kevin Crust of the Los Angeles Times . The subtitles are sometimes necessary, according to Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly , who had seen the film without them.

Cast and filming

Onwubolu starred in the roles of Marco and Timmy with Micheal Ward and newcomer Stephen Odubola . The young actress Karla-Simone Spence plays Timmy's new friend Leah. Timmy's old elementary school friend Kiron, later called Killy, is played by Khali Best . Jo Martin plays Marco's mother. Eric Kofi-Abrefa took on the role of Marco's brother Switcher. The director himself appears in the film in several scenes to provide musical interludes. Asher Luberto from The Playlist compares these rap interludes in their function with that of a “ Greek choir ”, as they also comment on the events that can be seen on the screen. The score was composed by Jonathon Deering . In mid-November 2019 Roc Nation Records released a soundtrack album on CD and as a download with songs from the film by Rapman, Buju Banton , Giggs, LD, Skrapz and other artists.

The film was shot in the Lewisham and Peckham districts of the London Borough of Lewisham. Simon Stolland acted as cameraman .

publication

The film was released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2019. After the start there, there were several arguments about corresponding ideas. Filmmaker Onwubolu then stated on Instagram that it was very unfortunate that a small group of people could ruin something for everyone. He also recalled the controversy over Joker a few weeks earlier, which was also criticized for inciting violence. Above all, the director made it clear: “ Blue Story is about love, not violence.” After the events in Birmingham, the film was temporarily taken off the program by Vue and Showcase.

Paramount Pictures wanted to release the film in the US on March 20, 2020, but the date was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the studio had presented the film around the planned US release date in drive-in theaters, such as in Los Angeles. A cinema release in Germany took place on June 25, 2020.

reception

Age ratings and reviews

In the USA, the film received an R rating from the MPAA , which corresponds to a rating of 17 and over. In Germany, the film was approved by the FSK from the age of 16. The statement of reasons for the release states that the film depicts the spiral of violence in episodes and with rap songs as central narrative elements, and through themes such as friendship, love and sexuality, the film offers many points of contact for young people. On children and young people under 16 years of age, however, it could seem overwhelming, as the representations of threats and violence up to and including killings are drastic. Even the violence-oriented and crude to sexualised language could overwhelm this age group.

The film has so far convinced 95 percent of all Rotten Tomatoes critics and received an average rating of 7.3 out of a possible 10 points. Blue Story was repeatedly compared to plays by William Shakespeare because of the structure, a symmetrical grouping of figures, the circumstances under which Timmy and Marco become rivals and the dramaturgy .

Owen Gleiberman from Variety writes in his review that the artistic youth gang drama by Andrew Onwubolu aka Rapman was both realistic and stylish with the rap video aesthetic that made him a YouTube sensation. In its elegant charisma and exuberant atmosphere, Blue Story reminds us of the powerful stories that were told in US films of the early 1990s about situations in city centers. This is what Gleiberman calls John Singleton's moving film Boyz n the Hood (1991), Ernest Dickerson's B-Movie Juice (1992), the psychodrama by the Hughes Menace II Society (1993), but also Spike Lee's great, epic and still underrated film Clockers (1995). Blue Story borrows from all of these films and sometimes feels like the British rap movie version of what he describes as a kind of Teddy Boyz n the Hood of the 21st century. Blue Story has the potential to become a crossover sensation and is a film that could appeal to US audiences because it speaks the universal language of the "Despair of Youth Means Crime" cycle.

Amon Warmann from the film magazine Empire speaks of a well-told story with a worthwhile, if not particularly revolutionary message: "Gang wars are not worth dying for and you don't have to follow the cycle." This message hits the mark, and the film shares its DNA with the “Kidulthood” three-part Top Boy, in which Micheal Ward can also be seen in a leading role. If the film makes clear that Marco and Timmy are torn between friendship and their conflict, it is thanks to the special chemistry between Ward and newcomer Stephen Odubola . Similarly, the romance between Odubolas Timmy and Karla-Simone Spences Leah puts a delicate note in the midst of this purely male environment. Blue Story announces several emerging talents who should have a bright future ahead of them, says Warmann.

Sofia Glasl from Filmdienst writes that Onwubolu's intuitive narrative style and the rough camera work made Blue Story a raw and immediate experience on screen too. His alter ego Rapman, with whom he stages himself as a narrator in the film, is the urban equivalent of the choir in Greek drama, when he turns directly into the camera in rap interludes, interrupts the plot and comments on the event. This gives the film a clear rhythm and shows how much the violence has eaten into everyday life and the characters' self-image, according to Glasl: "They can hardly reflect on their mechanisms or how they can be broken." In his social drama, Blue Story reminds us of American classics that shed light on life in the ghetto for the first time, but Onwubolu goes a step further by pouring the direct violence and his pop culture commentary into an ancient or Shakespearean tragedy, which is why one also thinks of Spike Lee's rap musical Chi-Raq , which turned the Aristophanes piece “ Lysistrata ” into a dark satire.

Owen Gleiberman writes that Stephen Odubola has the ability to provide this transformation of the once gentle Timmy, who has made life hard, with an icy coldness that he compares to a young Malcolm X who falls for the dark side. Asher Luberto of The Playlist also notes that seemingly effortlessly, Odubola transforms into a belligerent guy in the role of this shy, personable teenager, so you would think they would have switched actors halfway. But neither Timmy nor the audience would forget the time when he was still playing soccer with Marco or when the two boys returned to their loving families after a long day. Sofia Glasl from the film service also remarks that at the end of the film you have to look twice, because the character played by Odubola is almost unrecognizable, her gaze has become so hardened and reluctant, her demeanor has become so defensive and aggressive.

Awards (selection)

Director Andrew Onwubolu , better known as rapper Rapman

British Independent Film Awards 2019

National Film Awards, UK 2020

  • Nomination for Best Independent Film ( Andrew Onwubolu )
  • Nomination for Best British Film (Andrew Onwubolu)
  • Nomination for Best Action (Andrew Onwubolu)
  • Nomination for Best Screenplay (Andrew Onwubolu)
  • Nomination for Best Director (Andrew Onwubolu)
  • Nomination for Best Actress ( Karla-Simone Spence )
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Khali Best)
  • Nomination for Best Newcomer (Karla-Simone Spence)
  • Nomination for Best Newcomer (Andrew Onwubolu)
  • Nomination for Best Newcomer ( Micheal Ward )
  • Nomination in the category Outstanding Performance (Micheal Ward)
  • Nomination for Best Producers (Damian Jones and Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Certificate of Release for Blue Story . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 199607 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ a b c d Kevin Crust: Review: Rapman makes bold, startling feature film debut with London-set 'Blue Story'. In: Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Owen Gleiberman: 'Blue Story': Film Review. In: Variety, April 1, 2020.
  4. ^ A b Mike McCahill: Blue Story review - inner-city drama told with rap, rhythm and confidence. In: The Guardian, November 22, 2019.
  5. ↑ Stephanie Zacharek: Blue Story Is a Gang Movie With Firecracker Energy. In: Time, May 6, 2020.
  6. ↑ Simon Brew: Blue Story, from Rapman: American trailer released. In: filmstories.co.uk, March 3, 2020.
  7. ^ Simran Hans: Blue Story review - south London boys in the hood. In: The Guardian, November 24, 2019.
  8. ^ A b c d Dispute over the film "Blue Story": British cinemas are removing gang drama from their programs. In: Spiegel Online, November 25, 2019.
  9. ↑ Kirsty Grant: Rapman on Blue Story: 'Kids in gangs aren't spawns of Satan'. In: bbc.com, November 22, 2019.
  10. ^ A b c Amon Warmann: Blue Story Review. In: Empire, November 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ a b c d Sofia Glasl: Blue Story. In: filmdienst.de. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  12. ↑ Blue Story. In: kino-zeit.de. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  13. ↑ a b Leah Greenblatt: Raw, uneven UK import Blue Story brings Shakespearean drama to the streets: Review. In: Entertainment Weekly, May 5, 2020.
  14. ↑ a b Candice Frederick: 'Blue Story' Film Review: Gang Warfare Gets Shakespearean in British Urban Drama. In: thewrap.com, May 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ a b Asher Luberto: 'Blue Story': Hip-Hop & Shakespearean Drama Blend Beautifully In Rapman's Lyrical Debut. In: theplaylist.net, May 8, 2020.
  16. ↑ Blue Story. In: soundtrack.net. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  17. ^ Weekly Film Music Roundup. In: filmmusicreporter.com, May 8, 2020.
  18. ↑ Manori Ravindran: 'American Son' Director Rapman: 'Blue Story' Cinema Ban Won't Happen to Another Black Director. In: Variety, June 4, 2020.
  19. ↑ Christopher Campbell: All the Movie Releases Changed by the Coronavirus Pandemic. In: filmschoolrejects.com, March 19, 2020.
  20. ↑ Start dates Germany In: insidekino.com. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  21. ↑ Blue Story. In: boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  22. ↑ Reasons for the release of 'Blue Story - Gangs of London'. In: spio-fsk.de. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  23. ↑ Blue Story. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  24. ↑ Asher Luberto: 'Blue Story': Hip-Hop & Shakespearean Drama Blend Beautifully In Rapman's Lyrical Debut. In: The Playlist, May 8, 2020.