100 Streets

The particular geography of west London, a mix of super-rich and rather more ordinary citizens in relatively close proximity, facilitates this home-grown drama evidently influenced by Paul Haggis's LA-set Oscar winner Crash. There's another dramatically convenient auto accident here, too, and the narrative spans the whole social spectrum from Franz Drameh as the council estate teenager mired in bad company, cabbie Charlie Creed-Miles struggling to adopt a child with spouse Kierston Wareing, and Idris Elba as a former England rugby star whose marriage to actress Gemma Arterton hits the skids after he retires from the game. The film makes an effort to put a positive spin on familiar urban problems, while the action and the generally adept performances are varied enough to maintain interest. Leon Butler's script veers awkwardly off-course in the last half-hour, however, with Elba in particular ill-served by a shouty role that rather illustrates the actor's limitations. Still, the prior good work isn't entirely undone, and young Drameh projects sensitivity and intelligence to suggest he's a talent to watch.