Twenty8K (2012)

To me, this movie is perfection.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Fantastic!

As Good As It Gets

To be honest, reading the existing reviews for this film on IMDb had me preparing for a cheap-as-chips stinker of 'Get Keith' proportions. That I was tempted to give it a chance is down to an admiration for scriptwriter Paul Abbot's past work, the presence of the lovely Parminder Nagra in the cast...and the fact that it was a Poundland purchase.It's not a great film. It has an interesting premise, but never seems to realise its potential: one is left with the impression (possibly mistaken) of a project that has been conceived as a mini- series, but truncated uncomfortably into feature form. With a little more character development, and less pedestrian direction, it could have been a far more interesting and effective conspiracy thriller. It is let down by transparent, snarling villains - who render the unfolding conspiracy to the narrative back-burner: WHY they are twirling their pantomime-villain moustaches is incidental. Ms Nagra tries very hard to hold things together, but how a Paris fashion designer is so adept at covert observation worthy of the best screen PIs is never touched upon, let alone developed. Visually it is unremarkable, and for a film whose plot concerns unscrupulous redevelopment of East End properties in the run up to the 2012 Olympics, that distinctive part of London is represented in only one scene: the cinematographer choosing, instead to feature the same tired skylines and landmarks of the prosperous city centre. The music is obtrusive and distracting and, in many cases, completely unnecessary - at times pointlessly imitating Nicholas Hooper's score for Abbot's 2003 'State of Play' TV drama.That said, the cast is generally good - making the best they can with an under-developed script - and THAT is all that stops this sinking completely.

Twenty8K is a low budget British thriller directed by David Kew and Neil Thompson. It stars Parminder Nagra, Jonas Armstrong, and Stephen Dillane.In 2012 on the eve of the Olympics, a young lad is shot outside a nightclub and a young girl dies in a hit and run accident. Both deaths seem unrelated. Deeva Jani (Nagra) returns home from Paris to clear her brother Vip of the shooting and discovers a much deeper conspiracy that may involve the establishment and a vice ring.As a thriller this is by the numbers. As soon as you see the Tory Home Secretary on screen you know he will be involved. The moment you see shady policemen/spooks you can guess they are protecting the Home Secretary. As for the rest of the cast, it seems to be a roll call of actors who tend to appear in low budget urban films almost in a conveyor belt regularity.Nothing too thrilling or involving and its so flatly written as if all the life is sucked out of the characters on screen.

I was initially looking forward to this movie, as Paul Abbott's established himself as a different and provocative writer/producer. The central premise is pretty solid, the director aptly captures the gritty and seedy side of London, production values are great for an indie, and the actors do pretty well. Yet there are several big problems.Main culprit is the script. Parminder Nagra, who was wonderful in "Bend it like Beckham", is the lead -- but her character just frowns, sulks, and clomps her way through the narrative like a Nancy Drew without her Prozac. And the character shift -- she starts as a fashion designer-turned-amateur sleuth in the first 10 minutes -- doesn't make much sense at all. And her co-stars -- especially Jonas Armstrong, playing another iteration of Pete from "The Ghost Squad", and Stephen Dillane -- are woefully underused.And further is the pacing of the film, as well as the denouement. There's no sense of urgency or excitement as Deeva pieces together the clues, but when the film starts getting better around its climax, it's too little too late. To top it off, the ending is a total 180 from the film's overarching tone.If you're a fan of the actors, rent it. But I wouldn't recommend a blind buy.

The positive review of this film either watched a totally different film to the one listed on this page, or have a vested interested in voting it so high.The acting in the film is fine, but the plot and editing makes this seem like a 4 part TV series tacked together to become a film. It was simply dreary. The UK can produce far better drama than this, see Shane Meadows work.Anyway, trust the bad reviews, it really is not good. I actually struggled to make it to the end, and was looking at my watch multiple times, to see how much longer I would have to suffer.