iLL Manors review

iLL Manors is a gritty social realism/crime-drama which has been written by and directed by rapper Plan B (Ben Drew) which explores the rough lives of those living in a gritty suburb in East London. Ben Drew has illustrated the hardship that some people face outstandingly and I personally see iLL Manors as a captivating film I could not take my eyes off.

Plan B, who is actually a rapper is an inexperienced director, iLL Manors became greenlit for production in 2009 as part of the Film London Microwave scheme which funds amateur directors. I believe this is quite interesting as it is a breakthrough for the British film industry, an inexperienced director/rapper creating a 3.5 star film is quite an achievement for the film industry. The genre of social realism is quite gritty and Plan B has managed to represent the hardship and struggle that some people may have to face i.e. being human trafficked, taken up by a drug cartel greatly through a captivating 2 hour film

In terms of genres, this film is formally seen as a British crime drama, which does fit my expectations for this type of film. The mood of this film is quite gritty in terms of the crime and there are elements of drama also present within the film.  However, I personally believe that this film fits more into the theme of social realism as it explores the hardship and social issues that some may have to face on a realistic scale.

The film plot is based on 8 main characters who consist of drug dealers, criminals and prostitutes who reside in the crime-ridden suburbs of East London. These characters face several conflicts as they attempt to make a living while trying to escape the bleak cycle of their lives.  Their lives eventually intertwine as their problems collide with each other.  I find the plot to be quite inventive as Plan B has managed to intertwine the lives of different characters who all carry different stories and are struggling to survive in the rough suburbs of London together over the period of a week.

The main stars of the film are Riz Ahmed, Ed Skrein and Lee Allen who some of the audience may already be familiar with.  Riz Ahmed for example has already appeared in Hollywood films such as Nightcrawler,  but Ed Skrien‘s first film role happens to be in iLL Manors where his role was specifically written for him.   The use of untrained and trained actors is quite intriguing and I was unaware of this until I had done some research. The actors are quite good in terms of portraying their characters and their personalities/issues they face etc. and their lack of professional acting experience goes unnoticed. The main characters are Aaron and Ed who are played by Ed Skrein and Riz Ahmed.  With Ed’s first acting role being  as Ed, one of the main characters, he has done quite an outstanding job as he made his character so realistic and believable. Ahmeds acting was also amazing and the duo together created this image of a true friendship despite the hardships and struggles they face throughout the film. Ed’s death and Aarons reaction to this was heartbreaking when I was watching this film and it must have been quite shattering for the audience too. 

The soundtrack fits the theme of the film, as gang crime is often linked towards “Rap” music in today’s society. The fact that each story is also represented by a different rap song performed by Plan B is quite creative, and can also be seen as a form of self-promotion which is not a bad thing as Plan B is quite a good at it. Telling a story through a rap and also making it sound good at the same time is not an easy thing therefore this is quite an accomplishment. The mise-en-scene of the film is also excellent, through factors such as clothing, location and good casting Ben Drew was able to portray the characters as being British, and with the location being on a council estate there is a sense of realism as the audience are likely to live in one or come across one. 

In terms of the audience of iLL Manors, according to the BBFC this film is classified as an 18 because of the strong language and content. Despite being an 18 film, regarding the demographics of the film I believe it would be aimed at 15-25 year olds primarily because the storyline can be relatable to teens i.e. the conflicts that take place and hardship of growing up in certain estates. The fact that it is a social realism film also links back to the target audience as films like this could shed light to the crime that could be taking place right in front of our eyes, hence young adults may also have an interest. However this does not mean someone of age 34 for example who is in the middle class would not watch this film, as they may also want to watch it because it could raise awareness and let them see the world from a different perspective. 

Overall, Ill Manors is an admirable film which can be truly inspiring for hopeful amateur film makers. The film addresses a strong topic which raises quite a lot of awareness for the audience on the issues that some may have to deal with  as Ben Drew states that he was inspired by stories he had heard. 

The British film industry: institutional context

1) The cultural test is a way to decided if a film counts as British through a questionaire that has 4 sections. The higher the points the more "British" a film is.

Cultural Context:
A1 - The film is set in the UK (4 points)
A2 - The lead characters are British citizens or residents (4 points)
A3 - The film is based on British Subject matter or underlying material (4 points)
A4 - The original dialogue is recorded in mainly the English Language (4 points)

Cultural Contribution:
B - The film represents or reflects a diverse British culture, heritage or creativity (4 points)

Cultural Hubs:

C1 - British studio and/or location shooting, visual effects or special effects (2 points)
C2 - British music recording, audio post production or picture post production (1 points)

Cultural Practitioner:
D1 - British Director (1 points)
D2 - British scriptwriter (1 points)
D3 - British Producer (1 points)
D4 - British Composer (1 points)
D5 - British Lead actors (1 points)
D6 - Majority of cast are British (1 points)
D7 - British key staff (lead cinematographer,lead production designer,lead costume designer) (1 points)
D8 - Majority of crew are British (1 points)

2)

Sweeney: It is set in London with a UK based production company. The majority of the cast and crew are British including the writer. The film is also spoken in English.

Attack The Block: This film is also set in the UK, the main characters are British and reflects on British culture. This film is also in English 

The Kings Speech: The director is British and so are the main actors. The subject of the film is based on a British matter and it is also set in the UK


We Need To Talk About Kevin: The directors British including the writers. The film is filmed in the UK and the actors are also British.


Skyfall: The film is set in Britain and is mainly shot in the UK. The directors are British and it is distrubuted by a British company.


3) The main problem for the British film industry is that they're production-led rather than distribution-led therefore a filmmaker will have to sacrifice the distribution rights and have to sell it to a major distribution company to get their UK film exhibited

4) One of the main strengths of the British film industry is the fact that they have a creative element towards it from skilled directors who choose to have great concept towards their films. Another strength is the fact that the British film industry as a lot on offer such as British studios, camera companies and digital post-production houses and this attracts film makers from around the world. Lastly, there a number of different funds that can aid filmmakers in the U.K, aspiring or professional, such as the Film Fund etc.

5) The British film industry could choose to rely on America for co-production, this will keep the British film industry stable as factors such as funding can contribute to the film industry. Another option the British film industry could take is to target the niche audience with a lower budget, however this would mean that there would be lower box office takings.

6)Personally I believe that the British film industry should stay at aiming the niche audience as this is what makes a film British. If the industry was to rely on American funding and co-production then a film wouldn't have a British feel, the culture of Britain would be lost and the films will no longer be distinctive.

The British Film Industry

1) A film could be considered as being "British" if for example the people making the film are British, if it is being funded from within Britain, if the cast British or the film’s subject matter about Britain or British culture, in other words if there is any British involvement within a film whether it is the cast or the narrative then it could possibly be considered as British.

2) The difference between a Hollywood production context and production context of a British film is that Hollywood films have a greater budget, heavy reliance on celebrities both in cast and crew and spectacle driven stories compared to British films which tend to have low budgets, character driven stories and a heavier reliance on word of mouth and viral advertising to get to their audience.

3) The James Bond franchise began in the 1960's

4)) In terms of film censorship and graphic content, there were several changes in British film in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1970's both the act of sex as a theme has become more frequent in films, and sex linked to violence as a theme has also begun to rise. The 1980s see the rise of videos and the ‘video nasty’s scare where filmmaking was becoming more accessible and more extreme content was being created and finding its way to Britain, This eventually meant that the BBFC had to come in with censorship guidelines which they had to make sure that they were not only accessible to all but also engaging with the public when reviewing these guidelines.

5) Groups such as the youth and woman are often represented in British films. For example, Attack the Block aims to show a deeper and more realistic portrayal of youth that challenges the dominant stereotype of their threat or rebellion.

6) The fact sheet suggests that British tradition and cultural are the main themes of British films, which appeals to the audience because it can be linked back into their lives. The main characteristics that can be identified as appealing to a British audience would include; the actors, the location, and when it focuses on issues such as class, education or social strife.

January assessment: learner response

26 : D Grade

WWW: There are plenty of good points and you have clearly revised media theory and terminology which will help reach the higher grades.

EBI:

1. Critical error- read the question. In Q2 you get zero marks for camera and sound paragraphs, question was on mise-en-scene
2. Focus on redoing Q also a problem on Q4

2. Media Forms

How does mise-en-scene contribute to the impact of the film? 

Mise-en-scene greatly contributes to creating a strong impact because it establishes the conventions of a family, which will allow the viewers to relate with the characters.

For example, the location that was used, a family home. creates a sense of safety. A home is seen as a place of comfort and where family can be found, this creates a sense of familiarity for the viewer. The characters, a father, mother and their young daughter suggests to the audience that they are an average middle-class Caucasian family in a relaxed setting. Medhursts theory of stereotypes being a shorthand to who the characters may be can be applied to this as the audience immediately understand that is an ideal nuclear family who are in their family home. 

The actors in this film hold a vital role in contributing to the impact of the film.    The expression and the gestures of the actors gives each character a  sentimental value because the audience can see  their expressions changing. The most crucial gesture is when the daughter and the mother form a seatbelt, which indicates that they have united as a family through the power of family love to save one's life, This evokes certain emotions from the audience towards the film which gives the film its great impact and appeal/

The use of costumes is also important as it allows the audience are able to discover more about the characteristics of each character. For example, the daughter is wearing pink coloured clothing and fairy wings which suggests she is quite feminine and girly, it also links to her youth and hints at her vulnerability because of her age. Despite this it is her father who is wearing a black coloured shirt, which links evil/death, is the one who is in a vulnerable state which makes him more inferior. The fact that they are all wearing casual clothing once again creates a sense of familiarity as the audience can view themselves within the characters, and this implies that they are no different to us therefore anyone can be in the situation of a car crash. The familiarity created through the mise-en-scene makes the audience more aware about the issue of wearing a seatbelt as a tragedy such as a car crash can happen to anyone.

MIGRAINE Index

1) Media consumption audit
2) Reading an image: RBK advert analysis & own choice advert analysis
3) Institution: major media institution research and presentation
4) Institution: brand values
5) Institution: CoolBrands research
6) Narrative: narrative theory YouTube clip analysis
7) Audience: psychographics
8) Audience: audience theory blog tasks/questions
9) Audience: audience theory - dependency theory
10) Representation: clip analysis - dominant and alternative representations
11) Representation theory: 500 word analysis on blog
12) Representation: Media Magazine articles and questions
13) Ideology: BBQ QT analysis and binary opposition
14) Ideology: Media Magazine reading 

Ideology: further reading and tasks

MM52, Page 34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

1. The capitalist ideology that is presented in The Hunger Games film is the Marxist theory.
2. The Hunger Games film suggests that the use of propaganda in the media shapes and also influences ideological ideas because their society will be sculpted to believe that rebelling is wrong and that they have to follow President Snow's dictatorship. Through the use of propaganda i.e. the hunger games fear is created within their society. However, this is challenged through symbolism i.e. the mockingjay and Katniss, who attempts to overthrow President Snow. 

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

1) Money = Happiness
Consumer goods = Fulfilment
Marriage/Family/Children = Happiness
Obedience/Work= Fulfilment

2) Gramsci's theory of Hegemony suggests that it is important for those in power maintain their control through consent, rather than the use of force, and that it is also important that the power of ideology comes from an elite social group which is able to dominate through ideas, rather than militaristic strength or fear.

4)French theorist Louis Althusser suggest that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day lives through forms of control, RSA's such as the government, Army, Police, Courts, etc. and ISA's, such as the Church, the media, educational institutions, the family unit etc. This links to consumerism because these dominant ideologies are passed on to us through forms of control i.e. the elite class, who encourage consumerism. This can be done through advertising and marketing.

5) I partly agree with the idea behind "They Live",  as i do believe that our thoughts are somewhat being controlled by the media but this is only natural as the media is our main source of information. However, we as a society are still able to pick out information and choose what we think is valid or invalid, therefore we cannot be completely controlled by the media on what we think or believe in. 

Binary oppositions and ideology

There are several examples of binary oppositions within this clip of Nigel Farage and Russell Brand. For example, Russell Brand is represented as being more left wing and the representing the working class ideology whereas Nigel Farage is represented as being more right wing and representing mainly the higher class ideology. However, through the clip we can see some of the working in favour over Nigel rather than Russell because they believe that Russell does not understand how some of the working class feel that immigration is a major issue that is affecting their everyday life, yet there is still support for Russell and his views as some believe Nigel is going beyond the facts on immigration and that there are much more important issues to deal with.



The binary oppositions within this clip are represented through the characters of Penny and Sheldon. Penny is represented as being quite unintelligent, which links to Medhurts theory as Penny is stereotyped to be a dumb blonde, on the other hand Sheldon is represented as intelligent. These link to the ideology of intelligent people having a superiority in society hence the reason why they have better jobs, lives etc while those who are unintelligent are less likely to succeed, there is however an alternative ideology that has lately gained a lot of support where intelligence is not linked to success.