Yardie - British Gangster Film With A Difference

Certificate – 15

Directed By – Idris Elba

Starring – Aml Ameen, Shantol Jackson, Sheldon Shepherd, Everaldo Creary, Stephen Graham.

Running Time – 102 Minutes (1 Hour 42 Minutes)

★★★★✩ 

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After some directing some TV shows, Idris Elba is stepping onto the big screen and bringing to life Victor Headley’s 1992 novel, Yardie.

Set in 70s Kingston and 80s Hackney, Yardie tells the story of a young Jamaican man D (Ameen), who never fully recovered from the murder of his older brother Jerry Dread (Creary) when still only a child. D grows up to work under King Fox (Shepherd) and is tasked to go to London to deliver drugs to London gangster Rico (Graham).

Going into I thought this was going to be a typical British gangster film with lots of violence, action and blood everywhere. Turns out I was completely and happily wrong, yes, it’s still a British gangster flick but it’s much more a personal story about wanting revenge for the past but the past still haunting.

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For a lot of the cast, this will be their breakthrough role and for some of them, big things are just around the corner. Naomi Ackie is one of them, already starred in Lady Macbeth she’s been cast in Star Wars: Episode IX, Calvin Demba is someone to look out along with Shantol Jackson.

However, all eyes deservedly are on Ameen who carries the film as you connect with him and you see his pain throughout as his life has no meaning until he kills his brother killer. However, this is where Jackson comes in as Yvonne as you see the seeds planted as what D’s life could be.

I liked the fact his woman took no shit to the point where she’s the hero of the story.

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Elsewhere, Elba did a fantastic job for his directorial debut, especially the use of colours, and loved some of the simple shorts he added like the vibrations when knocking on the door and opening a car door and watching D walk away as if you were the door mirror.

He also made it feel like Britain in the 80s and the multiculturalism of London during those times.

You can tell he learned as much as possible when starring in these big budget films and smaller films with acclaimed directors and I’m sure learning from his day on The Wire and Luther.

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I fully expect we’ll be seeing more films and TV shows during his youth and Black British stories in general. I could easily see Elba following in the footsteps of Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn, make a British crime movie and a few other indie UK films before getting his big-budget break.

The only negative I have was I’m not a massive fan of reggae/ Jamaican dance music. The music used at the beginning of the film was much better than stuff played during the club scenes in London.

Verdict

A great job from Elba and his leading man Ameen turning this book into a great film. If you love British gangster films then I fully recommend you check it out.