Recently at Cinema City in Norwich, there was a screening of Beautiful Thing which Blah youth group went and saw. Released in 1996 this touching film is about two friends Jamie (Glen Berry) and Ste (Scott Neal) and their friendship and relationship on a council estate in south-east London.
The story based around Jamie, who lives with his mother Sandra (Linda Henry) and her younger boyfriend, and Jamie’s neighbour Ste who is very sporty but lives with his brother and alcoholic father. Jamie is bullied at school and after one night where Ste gets beaten up at home, he goes to Jamie’s house for refuge. As the story moves forward, the teenagers grow closer together in their friendship and soon start to realise that it’s more than just that.But living on a rough estate is harder than it looks. On one side the friends want to start to explore their sexuality and feelings for each other, but on the other hand, they don’t want to tell the whole world. Until that is, Sandra follows them to a gay bar. Then she finds out what the boys have been hiding and has to come to terms with what she is seeing right in front of her.
This funny, moving and thoughtful film is a must see and by the end of it shows viewers that it’s ok to be who you are. It has an uplifting ending which will satisfy anybody I think and is a defiantly a 5 star rating.
What people think….
David “It’s a great film, I just want to find out what happens next!”
Paul “Thamesmead where the film is set is a real place in south east London it is a very poor area. The film is a concrete muddle of high level walkways and multi level areas. The buildings are grey, the paths are grey there is not much colour except for the front doors of the flats. The flat which is Jamie's home in the film, the front door leads out onto a north facing walkway with trees outside it is very dull and never get's sun shine, in the film they used flood lights to brighten up the area. The open spaces may be spaces but with medium rise blocks round them they can seem hemmed in.
My favourite scene is after the water fight, and Jamie walks along to the bathroom door and Jamie looks in to see's Ste pulling on his shorts but the camera follows Jamie's gaze upwards onto Ste's back and Jamie see's bruising.Ste catch's Jamie looking and they cross paths as Ste finishes getting dressed, they look at each other and that look between them is very fixed. As a viewer you don't if it is about Jamie seeing Ste pulling his shorts on or the bruises.”
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