Somers Town 2008

John Hartl, Seattle Times: Turgoose continues to convince as a kid whose personality wavers daily if not hourly, while Jagiello playfully suggests that Marek is becoming the perfect straight man. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: Shane Meadows has a rare ability to convey the drama and humor of everyday life in well-observed, well-acted scenes that rarely drag on interminably or try too hard to dazzle. Read more

Boston Globe: Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: Somers Town is a funny and endearing character comedy whose extra-brief, 70-minute running time proves perfectly adequate for its slender, episodic story. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It is proof that there are all sorts of teenage lives going on in Britain, and sometimes, their most magical moments take place on dead-end streets. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: A small but important film about small but important lives, the latest drama from Shane Meadows further confirms that more people should know about this gifted director. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Like its star, the movie is too short and a little thin but just about perfect. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: However thin, the story of these rootless youths, estranged from mothers and native cities, has a certain universality and appeal. Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: Somers Town is a small-scale jewel that will surprise you with its buoyant look at blighted lives. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: There are some laughs - but the jokes don't come thick and fast. The film's portrayal of friendship is always warm and sensitive. Read more

Leslie Felperin, Variety: Basically a comedy but with typically Meadowsian dark edges, it forms an affectionate tribute to cross-cultural friendship and the rapidly changing landscape known as Somers Town. Read more

Aaron Hillis, Village Voice: Thomas Turgoose reunites with writer-director Shane Meadows in this shaggy, endlessly charming dramedy set in working-class London, wistfully shot in black-and-white... Witty and warmhearted, it's a feel-good movie that never seems forced. Read more

Scott Foundas, Village Voice: Meadows has made a lovely film about the ability of the imagination to offset the harshness of reality. Read more