Yardie, or Tardy?
Title – Yardie
Certificate – 15
Director – Idris Elba
Writers – Victor Headley (Novel), Brock Norman Brock, Martin Stellman
Cast – Aml Ameen (D/Dennis Campbell), Shantol Jackson (Yvonne), Sheldon Shepherd (King Fox), Stephen Graham (Rico), Everaldo Creary (Jerry Dread)
Plot – Set in 70’s Jamaica and 80’s London, Dennis Campbell, following a family tragedy, struggles to come to terms over the years with the loss. Can he remain on the Righteous Path, or will his pain lead to a darker turn.
Go see this film!
Idris Elba’s directorial debut is almost perfect.
Straight off the bat, I am giving this a 4.5/5.
Such a great film.
Most of it is spoken in strong Jamaican twang, so you have to really concentrate on the words that are being spoken, but you soon get used to it, and by having the characters speak that strongly, Elba has helped the authenticity of the whole piece come together.
Everything is helped along by a phenomenal soundtrack and top drawer acting.
As we follow D’s plight from a young age, seeing the tragedy, before growing up and falling into one of the gangs he had been helping attempt to unite as a child. He ends up in London, reuniting with his love and their daughter. He creates tensions between all the different players in the games at hand and gets deeper and deeper into trouble.
I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this film. It’s got heart and tension, there’s a spatter of comedy, but more trauma and distress.
I am going to go away and read the novel now!
Idris…you nailed it!
