Okay so where do I start with this one?! Wild Bill is basically a gangster movie Directed by Dexter Fletcher which has been marketed with a bit of a cowboy/western twist which I think it probably true to form. Bill (played by Charlie Creed-Miles) is out on parole after 8 years in the slammer for various crimes but the film focuses on the drug dealing. He comes home to find his now 15 and 11 year old sons, Dean and Jimmy, fending for themselves as their mother has gone off to Spain with her new piece. Dean, the older of the two is doing construction work to get them by but Jimmy, the other, is getting into trouble at school and catching the attention of a bad crowd that Bill was involved with before he got put away. Due to his return to the town, social services start snooping round and Dean forces his dad to stay to avoid being put into care by blackmailing his father, saying he will "grass him up" for more drug dealing and threatening to get him sent back to jail. Henry Fitzherbert - Daily Express, said that the film was a "more affecting Family Drama than conventional Gangster pic" and I totally agree, if you're looking for a hard hitting action then although 'Wild Bill' has it's moments then it's probably not the right thing. My little vocabulary can only describe the characters as magnetic or captivating as the relationships that are created throughout the film are really what the audience ends up caring about and not the issues that begin to occur between the family and the drug dealers.
Bill starts out really, as a bit of a pathetic character. When he can't get the boys to open the door for him on his own, he goes out and gets so drunk that his 'mates' carry him home and practically force the door down! When interacting with the boys he is stiff and immature in his nature which could be as a result of him just trying to adjust to his life outside of prison however, I think that it's probably because before he went in there, Bill never had any responsibility anyway and so doesn't have any idea how to raise two kids. The one question I did have throughout even though it wasn't relevant was when social services found out that the mother had left the boys on their own why didn't they pull her up on it? They knew where she was vaguely anyway? Irrelevant question there as her return wasn't part of the plot. The relationship between Jimmy and Bill forms a lot quicker than the relationship between Dean and Bill. I would assume this is because Jimmy is younger and so very naive (shown well by the casting of Sammy Williams with his, what can only be describes as adorable face and huge blue eyes). Dean is far more defensive because with the absence of Bill he has had to step in as the role of the protector and the provider.
The film continues like this for a little while with the introduction of a few new characters, a couple of girls (Roxie, for Bill and Steph, for Dean) and you get to recognise the leaders of the drug gang and things like that. I don't think this goes on for too long in hindsight however at the time I was sort of thinking... "well, where is this going?" I thought it was just going to be one of those shoot 'em up drug busting films with the added twist of a couple of kids, snooze! However, just as I was thinking this the film stepped up! Somehow making the characters even more lovable through various subtle moments between them I found myself smiling whenever they were together and getting along. Bill finds 'Pill' the guy who recruited 11 year old Jimmy into the drug gang and makes sure they leave the kid alone, rather than going down the somewhat predictable route of Bill taking the place of Jimmy, Bill basically becomes 'the daddy' and begins to protect his kids. This is an emotional moment and just makes you want to run into the movie and give Bill a big old hug and pat on the back! The rest of the film basically continues along the line of improving and building the relationship between the family and watching Bill turn from the lazy, drunk male stereotype into the father figure we want him to be.
I could go on talking about the plot and the effect it has on the reader but I sort of feel I'm beginning to analyse rather than review, oops! Like I said in the last post #MEDIASTUDENT I just can't help myself! Speaking finally about the plotline then, I loved the ending. Even though it's not a conventional 'happy ending' as an audience you feel happy and satisfied because of the relationships built and the journey you've been on with the characters. But I'll try not to spoil it for you so no more on that!!
So yeah, it's a surprisingly affectionate movie with a good amount of comedy sprinkled through. The actors, despite a fair amount of children was excellent and really carried the film through. The direction is beautiful and I highly commend Fletcher for this, he's put it all together really well and it is a lovely film all in all. One other thing definitely worth mentioning is the soundtrack, blending in with the film and complementing the scenes where necessary it is a very effective addition to the film and adds to the tone of the piece. Bravo!
'Wild Bill' was nominated for a BAFTA and a British Independent Film Award (and a Gold Hugo at the Chicago film festival, I don't really know what a Gold Hugo is but still, the film is good!) and you know what I'm not surprised at all. I think everything about this film works, from the casting to the soundtrack.
So, is it worth the watch?!
THE VERDICT:
Obviously it's a big fat YES: I think this film is great! It has everything that you want. The director has catered to the needs and expectations of the audience and created a beauuuutiful movie. The more I think about the film the more I love it, the characters are appealing and interesting, the direction is fantastic and the soundtrack is the cherry on top of this lovely little cupcake!!
Once again if you agree/disagree or have any comments to make then don't hesitate to drop me a comment or email me at suzy.keeping@hotmail.com
Cheers Guys! :)
Suze x
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