Sommers Town- After Viewing

4) How would you categorise this film in terms of genre? Does it remind you of any other films you have seen? I would class the film summertown as a drama/feel good film. The film includes many aspects of a range of genres including comedy, crime, and to some extent an adventure film. I think the main purpose of Shane Meadows including these sub-genres is to broaden the target audience for the film, and make the film appeal to more people, as there are many different bits that would appeal to different people.

5) What do you think is the film’s appeal for audiences? The main features that would appeal to the audience would be the fact that it is filmed in black and white and created on a low budget like a traditional English film. I think that the setting of the film also reflects on the traditional English film cultures as this films characters are mainly of the working class and show the life of the working class, which is a convention of traditional English films.

6) As well as being in black and white, the film is subtitled during a conversations in Polish between Marek and his farther; there are also sections in French. In what ways do these factors affect your responses to the film, the situation and the characters? I think the way that the film is in black and white helps the audience get involved more with the film. It really helps to set the scene of the film, and the effect makes it seem like a traditional English film. I think the subtitles have been put in place so that Marek and his father can still retain their original language, which has a nice effect to the film.

7)To what extent do you think the audience is expected to be ‘comfortable’ with this portrait of two teenagers? I think that the audience start of quite surprised at the fact that Tommo is so young, but living on the streets without any friends, family or money. As the film goes on and the plot unravels the audience may take a liking to the teenagers witty and pleasant character and become involved in the film by becoming happy when he meets Marek. The two teenagers come amongst each other in a café, but don’t get off to the best of starts, which could be to do with the fact that they are only teenagers and can be immature. The film portrays teenagers as occasionally trouble makers, but mainly out to please, which is why the film has a pleasant feel about it.

8) A sign on the estate reads “ children playing on these grounds is prohibited”. In what different ways do Tomo and Marek seek to amuse themselves within this enviroment? Do you think the film encourages us to judge any of their actions? In such an enviroment, you might think that the two teenagers would find it hard to have fun without causing trouble. However, they find a wheelchair and decide to treat the French waitress (who they both have crush’s on) to an escort home. I think the two boys make the most out of the enviroment they are living in. It comes across that Tommo is the more outgoing one of the two, and Marek is still finding his feet, however this still does not stop him enjoying themselves.

9)What message of childhood adolescence do you, or could you, take away from the film? A key theme of the film is friendship. Both of the boys have such a strong friendship towards the end of the film as they have been through some quite hard times together. Both being new to London, they needed each other and it was good for them to have someone there for them.

10)Do your reactions towards the boys change at different pionts in the film? Which moments in particular?
a) Encourage you to sympathise with the boys: I think throughout the film the audience sympathise the two boys simply because of the fact that they are so young. Both boys are new to London and the fact that Tommo got his only possessions stolen of him makes the audience feel sympathetic towards him.
b) Make you unsympathetic towards them: One scene In the film where I felt unsympathetic towards the boys is when they steal the bag of laudry and the clothes turn out to be woman clothes. I think this particular scene is quite comical and adds a spark to the film and prevents it from being serious but lighthearted.

11)some of the other characters include marek’s father, Mariusz, Graham the cockney neighbour, and a French waitress, maria. To what extent would you agree that Meadows is playing with stereotypes in his representation of these characters? The sterotype of Marek’s father is a polish labourer who is muscular and very hard working, (according to his boss, one of the best workmen he has ever had!). Maria sterotypes the typical character of a French woman, as she is pretty and very friendly to the two boys. Graham plays the typical cockney neighbour who is willing to sell anything to make some money. He is very friendly and has a keen interest for football, which is a typical convention of someone of his character.