The Selfish Giant

Clio Barnard's The Selfish Giant (2013) is a harrowing tale, but don't let that put you off. It is loosely based on Oscar Wilde's book, however prior knowledge isn't needed. The film is set on a council estate in Bradford, The Selfish Giant tells the tale of Arbor (Conner Chapman) and Swifty (Shaun Thomas), two troubled young boys who struggle with their home lives and school, and find themselves falling into the shady world scrap metal and the owner of the scrap yard, Kitten (Sean Gilder), leads them down a dangerous path.

Conner Chapman and Shaun Thomas are brilliant. Two young actors with not a wealth of experience under their belts, but they play those parts absolutely exceptionally. They play the parts with so much emotion, they are fantastic. The cinematography is as bleak as the plot, grey is the main colour and rightly so. The locations used are run down and not desirable, but it reflects a side to the England that is in every major town and city in the country, and it is a reality for many families.

The story may be difficult viewing. Throughout, you are aware that it will not have a happy ending, as much as you would like one, that's not what you get, and not what you expect anyway. It can't be described as enjoyable. That said, it is certainly not a bad film in any way. In fact, it is a great film. The BAFTA nomination for Best British Film was certainly deserved. It is definitely a film that will divide people, especially if British realism is not your sort of film, but it is certainly worth watching.