Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

chaos-rampant We kind of accept the desperation that life in the outskirts numbs by stark necessity, that people prostitute themselves or run shady rings of all sorts from a shabby apartment and that this happens not far from us at all. But when a 12 year old girl becomes involved, does that wake us?The film isn't amazing but not bad to watch either. In fact the main thing against it for me is, like the prostitute protagonist who eventually returns to the life she knows of walking the streets, an inability to envision something more than the morality play. So yes, there are corrupt animals out there, both filthy rich and lowly thugs, who get what's coming to them, others get a clean pass, the right decision is made. Okay. It's the kind of thing that affirms a broken state of things, affects in a small way, provides the catharsis, so we can go back to what we were doing.

Malcolm Parker That this was the Guardian's "British Film of the Year" for 2006, probably tell's us more about the state of the British film industry than it does about the quality of this film. It is a decent product in many respects, great performances from Johnny Harris (Derek), Georgia Groome (Joanne) and Lorraine Stanley (Kelly), effectual editing, decent camera-work, lighting and sound. Sadly, none of this can redeem a rather nasty "urban" story filled with tawdry stereotypes and sham 'gangland' moralistic overtones. The pacing of London to Brighton is however, quite excellent, and looking at the out-takes, proved to be the film's salvation. The story is predictable, but for me generated more than enough interest to keep watching right through till the end.That Johnny Harris went on to appear in Atonement is somewhat ironic given the brutal reparation forced upon him here.

Mike B This has a street-wise and gritty feel to it (i.e. no glamour prostitutes in luscious locations). After being forced by her pimp, a prostitute lures a young homeless girl to perform for a client. Things go awry and they are forced to flee. They are then pursued by the pimps plus their clients. It all leads to a forceful conclusion.The pace is frantic throughout as we move from seedy London surroundings to Brighton on the coast of England. The language is colloquial and gives added depth (I had the sub-titles on). Lorraine Stanley (the prostitute) and Georgia Groome (the homeless girl) provide a tough texture for this film.

secondtake London to Brighton (2006)A harrowing story, a real descent into a little sliver of the streetwalking underworld of London and the perils of little rich girls who run away from home. I don't mean to make light of any of it--the movie pulls no punches, and adds some that go beyond the usual violence, too--but this is one of those recent stories where a terrible situation is imagined, and then filmed with awful realism. The two tracks, the plot with its significance, and the raw, visceral reaction to seeing anything so horrible, are both played out to the max. And acting is really first rate. The bad guys are really sneeringly awful, and the two key females, a full grown but struggling prostitute and a young girl who gets swept up in it all, are so believable it's scary. And impressive.And none of this is enough for a great movie. It makes for an intense experience, and there's no rule that says a movie has to be enjoyable (this is totally not enjoyable in the usual sense). But there is little here that reveals or probes, there is little of what you might call art, or nuance, or originality. It's not exactly a formula, yet, this kind of abuse in your living room, but I think it will be. There are several I've seen recently, the one that comes to mind is Julia. In both movies, young children are victims and it's difficult to really watch without detaching and looking around the living room and reminding yourself this is fiction, these are actors, don't worry.Terrible things happen in the world, of course, and worse things. But I'm not sure we need to see them. It's like becoming an emergency room doctor because you are fascinated with suffering and blood. Movies should be like doctors, then (to stretch the metaphor) and have some purpose to them beyond wallowing. And beyond representation. I think accurate representation is the simple motive behind the filming. The director (in this case with a short resume--I've never heard of him) makes it vivid, fast, and very real. In that sense he succeeded. But this realism could have been a means to a greater effect, a higher intention, something that takes the viewer somewhere. Anywhere.