Junkhearts (2011)

Junkhearts is directed by Tinge Krishnan and written by Simon Frank. It stars Eddie Marsan, Candese Reid, Tom Sturridge and Romola Garai. Story has Marsan as Frank, an alcoholic ex-soldier suffering nightmares over an incident that saw him shoot a young mother. Frank strikes up an unlikely friendship with Lynette (Reid), a homeless girl sleeping rough on the streets. Once barriers are broken down, Frank takes Lynette into his home to stay, but it's not long before Lynette's drug dealing boyfriend comes a calling...For the most part Junkhearts is a very gritty slice of British miserablism. The pic is populated by addicts and wannabe gangsters, in a part of London built of dingy concrete council abodes, and where single promiscuous moms struggle to keep a grip on their lives.Director Krishnan suffered herself from PTSD, so she was on hand to ensure the great Marsan could do the role justice, while there's a refreshing street believability about young Reid's performance. The camera work is intense and deliberately intruding, with the sound work being hypnotic to add bleaker tones to the characterisations. The harshness and hurts of addiction rings true here, as does the key betrayal plot line and the breakdown of Frank. Unfortunately the parallel plot line featuring Romola Garai undermines the grit and grime surrounding Frank and Lynette's world, and it sadly serves only to give the pic a somewhat disappointing ending. Whilst the introduction of gun and knife crime appraisals don't strike the requisite powerful chords.Yet even with its flaws this is still an intense film, with Marsan on top form and some other technical smarts on show, it's well worth a look by anyone interested in a slice of some moody British underbelly. 7/10

Junkhearts is a gritty film set in London that starts promisingly but gets derailed due to poor execution and a muddled and derivative screenplay.Frank (Eddie Marsan) is a reclusive ex-soldier, drunk and suffering from post traumatic stress as he is haunted by his past. He takes in a young homeless girl Lynette (Candese Reid) when she is having a spot of bother outside an off licence and she stays at his shabby flat.At first they strike up a tentative friendship but then her boyfriend Danny turns up and also moves into the flat before long there is sex, drugs, alcohol and partying and Frank is like a prisoner in his own flat and it looks like Lynette has used him.I just wanted Frank to knock Danny's lights out but what we get is a dreary melodrama which stems into a cliché ridden thinly plotted mess.

Junkhearts is a gritty tale about finding friendship in the most unlikely places. At first glance it seems like a grim story about drug abuse and homelessness but despite the dark subject matter, the effect of this story is surprisingly uplifting.Frank, a reclusive ex-soldier meets a young homeless girl called Lynette. As she has nowhere else to go, he agrees to let her stay at his house for a night. But his small gesture of kindness turns out to be a big mistake as Lynette's boyfriend, Danny, appears on the scene and turns Frank's life upside down.Eddie Marsan, as per usual pulls of a stellar performance as Frank, an ex-soldier suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. I was also delighted to discover Candese Reid (watch this space), who plays a young runaway from Nottingham.A great contemporary British drama and a must-watch for any Marsan fans.

Frank, who normally plays slimy little mobsters is totally miscast in this - He just looks like a slimy little mobster, not an ex squaddie.The acting in most part is pretty banal, almost like a home movie.The believability of this movie is even worse - I mean come on..... an alcoholic buying 3 miniature bottles of whisky and a kids magazine for 18 pounds 50! Give me a break - This stuff looks like it was made by a 6th form film study group trying to justify some sort of interracial bonding between troubled souls - it just doesn't work - this rubbish will never get any major screenings, it will be lucky if it even gets to DVD! The self defence course in the park.... "Transfer the weight transfer the weight" was frankly embarrassing to watch.Have film makers simply run out of ideas? Is there nothing original around these days - Better off going and watching a really decent movie like Full Metal Jacket, Bad Santa or any number of movies made 20 years ago with at least a bit of class.Sorry, this movie does not deserve the 7.4 score on IMDb, it is claptrap.