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I See Buildings Fall like Lightning

I See Buildings Fall like Lightning

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

James Mottram

Five friends from Birmingham navigate their early 30s in this captivating look at contemporary Britain, adapted by Enda Walsh from Keiran Goddard's novel. Since leaving school, the gang have all fared very differently, with Rian (Joe Cole) the most outwardly successful, making money in stocks and moving to London. Conor (Daryl McCormack) manages a major construction project but struggles with alcohol and his partner's impending pregnancy. The goofy Oli (Jay Lycurgo) deals heroin, while young parents Patrick (Anthony Boyle) and Shiv (Lola Petticrew) are beset by relationship issues. Directed by Clio Barnard (The Arbor, The Selfish Giant), this loose tapestry unfolds with a focus on the debilitating troubles young people face, from the trials of employment and affordable housing - symbolised by archive footage of tower blocks being demolished - to the anxieties of mental health. This sounds sombre, but Barnard marries her subject matter with electric performances and an energetic soundtrack (the Streets, the Proclaimers), elevating it above British kitchen-sink miserabilism towards a rousing state-of-the-nation address. A credible look at the country's social inequalities, and an impressively mounted one to boot.

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English

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