The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

North v South: Long Time Coming

North v South: Long Time Coming | Movie review
1 October 2015
The editorial unit
Avatar
The editorial unit
1 October 2015

Movie and show review

The editorial unit

North v South

★★★★★

Release date

28th August 2015

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

This film is aggravating for a number of reasons. The concept of a forbidden love between young, star-crossed lovers caught up in a violent feud that predates their very existence has been done many times, and this iteration does little to innovate a formula that now verges on losing its potency. There’s a wealth of acting talent on screen, yet the script and characterisation condemns them to near-parody. There are some nice ideas and inclusions here and there – the transvestite assassin Gustave proves an innovative and sorely needed addition to the predominantly 2D cast – plus sweeping vistas of English moors juxtaposed against the seedier parts of London’s underbelly make for a colourful and engaging visual experience. But the narrative plays out like the countless examples of its archetype have before it, ultimately leaving unanswered the question: why did this particular story need to be told one more time?

Terry Singer (Elliot Tittensor) and Willow Clarke (Charlotte Hope) cannot be together in public as they are associated with two rival criminal factions. An unsteady truce is being negotiated, however the machinations of fate and resident psychopath/idiot Gary Little (Brad Moore) have other ideas. Our young lovers must navigate the deadly intrigue and escape if they are to have a chance of happiness. One of the biggest missteps of the film is the decision to introduce their romance in media res – we are introduced to them already established as a couple and they are in love because the film tells us they are.

This is arguably the principle reason Long Time Coming fails: it opts to tell rather than show. With all the wailing and gnashing of teeth, we see no evidence that either gang boss possesses the cunning or self-awareness to run the most successful criminal networks in England. Scenes of puce-coloured old men impotently screaming their rage at inanimate objects don’t evoke the terror of a London crime lord’s wrath but rather the discomfort of watching a grown man roaring at a television set. The film appears inspired by the works of Guy Ritchie, but is reticent to embrace the camp melodrama inherent in their charm. It plays the joke entirely straight-faced, with a result that assures you it’s to be taken seriously while you watch Bernard Hill take a bite out of a wooden bar stool.

★★★★★

Kyle Cairns

North v South : Long Time Coming is released nationwide on 28th August 2015.

Watch the trailer for North v South: Long Time Coming here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

Minions: The Rise of Gru

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Nitram

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

The Princess

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

We (Nous)

★★★★★
Jake Cudsi
Read More

Tigers

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Theo and the Metamorphosis

★★★★★
Oliver Johnston
Read More

The Big Hit

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Moon, 66 Questions

★★★★★
Joseph Owen
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

The editorial unit

North v South

★★★★★

Release date

28th August 2015

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “He used to spit at the audience, roll on the ground, he did, in fact, hump that plastic dog – he was the original punk rocker”: Baz Luhrman, Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge and Alton Mason on Elvis
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Princess
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Terminal List
    ★★★★★
    amazon
  • Baymax!
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Tipping the Velvet at the Lyric Theatre | Theatre review
Nell Gwynn at Shakespeare’s Globe | Theatre review