Hunter Richards's first feature film, London, is quite the gem. I guess the best way to described is as a complex and extremely smart tale of a man hurting by a traumatic breakup. Chris Evans plays the lead character, Syd, a very complex and layered individual who has a cocaine addiction. And the beautiful Jessica Biel is London, Syd's ex-girlfriend. Chris learns that a good-bye party is being thrown for London. Syd decides to go even thought he wasn't invited and brings his new aqquaitance with him. Bateman(played by Jason Statham), a banker/drug dealer from who Syd bought cocaine. They arrive early at the party and are let in by a reluctant Rebbecca, the party host and owner of the loft. Syd and Bateman go upstairs to the bathroom and proceed to snort large quantities of cocaine while they talk about life, love and death. There's also a few flashback sequences throughout the film that show what happen between Syd and London. While Syd and Bateman are in the bathroom, the party gains life. Syd is afraid of getting out of the bathroom but he knows that ultimately, he has to talk to London to either sort things out or finally move on... One can say that the plot is a bit strange and/or of-beat when compared to other films, and that may be the reason why this film isn't appreciated by many( hence the low rating on IMDb). If you want to "escape" from your daily routine and watch something uplifting, this is probably not the film for you. This is the everyday life, this is an extremely well made character study that shows in a very raw and realistic way the anguish and turmoil of relationships. The main character, Syd, feels lost and depressed and he questions himself, at one point he questions everything, just as real people do( I know I do). Regarding the technical aspects; the direction is very stylish, the soundtrack fits extremely well with the tone of the film, the dialog is superb and the acting was tremendous. Chris Evans was great and managed to show a few different sides and layers of what otherwise could have been an unlikable character. Jason Statham showed some serious dramatic skills that I was not expecting considering he's mainly an action star.Jessica Biel was radiant as London, Syd's ex-girlfriend who longed for commitment. Overall, London is a very intelligent, honest and realistic film. I guess it is an acquired taste but I won't be forgetting this one soon.
9/10
9/10