I guess it is impossible to review ‘Blue Story’ without at least acknowledging the events at the Star City Vue cinema at the weekend. I am not going to speculate about why the fracas happened and whether this film is linked in any way. But, I am sure that the decision by the Vue, and initially, the Showcase chains to ban it was an overreaction. It is pretty clear that Andrew Onwubolu’s (aka Rapman’s) debut feature is an indictment of gang culture and the affect it is having on British youths.
But, the problem it has to face is the same that shows such ‘Til Death us Do Part’ did 40 years ago or more. That is, in order to condemn something, it has to be shown on screen, and if people watching it don’t get the message, then there is nothing that the makers can do about that.
Putting that aside, in the uneducated eyes of this white man in his 50s, this feels mostly pretty authentic. The interaction between the gang members and the depiction of the violence feels realistic. As does the dialogue, but who knew that kids in Peckham would use the word “furthermore,” so much!?
The love story between Timmy (Stephen Odubola) and Leah (Karla Simone-Spence) works less well though. The pair give the two best performances in the film but their story feels over familiar. And although Onwubolu shows promise as a writer, he doesn’t fare so well as a director.
Not a complete success but it is interesting to see this culture depicted on screen.
Rating: 6 out of 10