Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15572 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-04-30
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 85 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
2006 proved to be an impressive year for British cinema, but London To Brighton, in spite of being one of the most deserving of acclaim, slipped off most people’s radar.

A drama set around London’s underworld, and attempts to escape it, London To Brighton tells the story of a twelve year old runaway girl, Joanne, and Kelly, a prostitute. Their attempts to get out of London aren’t straightforward, not least because of who’s on their tail, and the result is a compelling, tightly-written movie, and as good as anything Britain produced for the big screen in 2006.

London To Brighton is a mixture of thriller and drama, very gritty, not always easy to watch, and resolute in pulling its many punches. Written and directed with care by Paul Andrew Williams, perhaps his wisest move was casting the simply superb Lorraine Stanley as Kelly, and her compelling performance lends an added magnetism to an already-taut piece of cinema.

In many ways working as well on DVD as it did on the big screen, London To Brighton is a challenging, bold and strong film. It’s not perhaps the perfect tonic for a quiet night in, but it’s likely to stay in your head for a good deal longer than another homogenous romcom. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
LONDON TO BRIGHTON is a gritty and unflinching drama about the lowlifes and criminals that inhabit London’s seedy underworld. The film opens on a rundown public toilet somewhere in South London, where a prostitute tries to console a visibly distraught 11-year old girl. As the story unfolds in flashback, we learn more about these characters, their wounds, and how they came to be in their current predicaments. Kelly (Lorraine Stanley) is a beat-up prostitute trying to escape her controlling pimp. While her motives for helping Joanne (Georgia Groome) seem genuine at first, things soon turn ugly when an encounter with a male client leads to murder. Cut to the present day and Kelly and Joanne are on the run; from the nefarious thugs out to do them harm, and from their own demons. Boarding a train from London to Brighton seems like their only hope, but ends up being a journey of self-discovery as the mother-daughter-like bond between them grows ever stronger. Winner of Best UK Feature at Raindance, LONDON TO BRIGHTON has earned comparisons to Mike Leigh's similarly-themed NAKED and Gary Oldman’s NIL BY MOUTH. Director Paul Andrew Williams, in his feature film debut, has created a brutally realistic urban thriller, a carefully measured character study, and a razor-sharp, if unpalatable, social commentary that will stay with you long after the closing credits roll.

Customer Reviews

The view from www.georgevader.co.uk (drunken movie ramblings)
It' three in the morning, a prostitute called Kelly with ripped clothes and inflamed black eye bustles a terrified 12 year old girl into a public toilet somewhere in South London,they are fleeing from someone and decide to get the next train to Brighton.As the film progresses we slowly learn what has happened via a series of flashbacks, and it's a very harrowing subject.

I have to admit I was blown away by this 'little' film, yes the subject is deeply unpleasant, but it is handled maturely, there are no 'Lock Stock' style bad guys in this film, just ordinary people, some good, but a lot of very very sadistic violent characters.You really care for the characters which is the most important essence of any film, the acting is superb, especially Lorraine Stanley as Kelly and newcomer, Georgie Groome who is barely a teenager and puts in a stunning performance as the terrified youngster Joanne.

This is a quite brilliant debut from a young film-maker, Paul Andrew Williams, he recently quite rightly won a best newcomer award at the Edinburgh Film Festival, and for me it's one of the best British movies I've ever seen, and the best I can remember recently since "Dead Man's Shoes".

I can see why the critics loved London To Brighton!
Wow, so glad we still have films like this being made in Britain about REAL Britain!
The casting is perfect in every role, the acting is simply superb, all the character's are wholly believable and quickly immerse you in their gritty world without feeling cliched, these people MUST exist! The lead actress (Lorraine Stanley) who plays Kelly is so convincing that she must have been on the game, that busted eye can't be makeup surely?!? Johnny Harris is ideal as the low-life worm Derek and little Joanne (Georgia Groome) is a star for the future. I am surprised that a quality film like this can be made on such a tiny budget.

This film has to be one of the most perfectly paced pieces of drama I have ever seen! At no time does this film feel sluggish and out stay its welcome, there is just enough of it and you are hooked in straight away. Parts of this film will make you grimace if you have any conscience whatsoever. without spoiling it, the ending is grim and pretty much unpredictable, just the way a thriller should be!
Really look forward to seeing the director's next film 'The Cottage' next year I hope.

FANTASTIC!
This is just a brilliant film.Paul Andrew Williams is a talent to watch over the next few years. The actors are all amazing and the style and visual flair of the film belies it's tiny budget. Watch it!