Shadows on the Wall | I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning

I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning

dir Clio Barnard
scr Enda Walsh
prd Tracy O'Riordan
with Anthony Boyle, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack, Lola Petticrew, Lucie Shorthouse, Millie Brady, James Eeles, Ryan Walker-Edwards, Liam W Smyth, Leon Edwards, Jaykae
release US Oct.26 hiff,
UK 4.Dec.26
26/UK BBC 1h49

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boyle, cole, mccormack, lycurgo and pettigrew

Unusually vivid characters elevate this British ensemble drama, brought to life by superb actors. And director Clio Barnard is unusually skilled at capturing a vibe on-screen. It's an astute slice-of-life look at some serious issues that are being faced by a struggling majority of British society. So even when the plot points become too insistent to be plausible, the film is able to keep the audience closely engaged.

In Birmingham, a group of childhood friends is still close as they turn 30 and face new challenges. Now a successful banker in London, Rian (Cole) hires contractor Conor (McCormack) to build an apartment block on the site of a housing estate that was demolished when they were 10. In turn, Conor hires Oli (Lycurgo) as a builder, as he has just turned away from a druggie life. Their pal Patrick (Boyle) and his wife Shiv (Petticrew) fill out the group, happy but struggling to make ends meet for their two kids and Shiv's ill mother.

Along the way, Rian starts a relationship with the posh Emma (Brady), who sees Rian as stuck in his working-class background. Conor and Sophie (Shorthouse) welcome their first child, adding pressure as Conor becomes overwhelmed by the massive construction project. The smiley Oli adopts a cute dog and tries to avoid his past. And Patrick discovers a secret that threatens to shatter the group. These events are sharply well written and played, even if the motivations and reactions feel somewhat simplistic.

It's also a problem that each of these salt-of-the-earth characters has an extremely short fuse, making us wonder how their friendship has endured. These are excellent actors who provide beautifully nuanced charisma, creating people we want to know better, but the script repeatedly leaves them trapped in a specific personality trait, often fuelled by alcohol or drugs. So while we like each of them, where the script pushes them doesn't always ring true.

Barnard is such an alert filmmaker that she can't help but capture a blast of earthy energy in each scene, from lively nights out to quiet conversations, especially those in which someone is reluctant to speak from the heart. So the connections between these old friends have a powerful intimacy, and the larger ideas come through with real power, most notably in a sharp depiction of how Thatcher's Britain has steadily pushed the working classes into the margins. Watching this group fight for their connection offers a hint of hope.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 17.Oct.26

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