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Harry Brown (2009)
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Inevitably, this feature-length debut for director Daniel Barber will be labelled a Death Wish for the noughties, though it has as much to say about social conditions in neglected inner-city areas as it does about Michael Caine's doddery dispenser of justice. Caine plays the title character, a 70-something ex-serviceman whose life on a run-down estate ruled by gangs of feral teenagers is thrown upside down when his best friend is murdered. Determined to see justice done, Harry then hobbles into gun-toting, death-dealing action. This glossy British revenge thriller is a shade melodramatic, especially in its portrayal of the gangs — if the kids suddenly sprouted horns, you would hardly be surprised. But Caine is surprisingly convincing as the septuagenarian avenger, even though it's a little uncomfortable to root for a vigilante, no matter what the justification for his actions. No doubt, fans of Gran Torino will not be complaining. DA
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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103min
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Country of origin
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UK
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Genre
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Revenge Thriller
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Gary Young
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Theatrical distributor
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Lionsgate
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UK cinema certificate
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18
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UK cinema release date
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November 2009
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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