Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

In Our Name (2010)

Director: Brian Welsh

Time Out rating

Average user rating

6 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

This is a promising second film by National Film and Television School graduate Brian Welsh, who directs his own script about Suzy (Joanne Froggatt, recently in ‘Downton Abbey’), a private in the British Army who returns to a rundown estate in Newcastle after a stint in Iraq and finds it tough to reconnect with her daughter (Chloe Jayne Wilkinson) and squaddie husband. It doesn’t help that the husband, Mark (Mel Raido), is a hot-head with his own battle scars who believes his wife is unfaithful. As each tries to pretend all is well in their heads, their nerves become so frayed that even the smallest crisis threatens their sanity and the safety of those around them.

The unfussy shooting style, the casting of actors both familiar from television and unknown and, of course, the dramatisation of a hot-button social issue all recall the films of Ken Loach. (Coincidentally, Loach’s ‘Route Irish’, opening in March, also deals with post-combat stress and rams home the legacy of war.) Raido is a little too shouty and demonstrative at times, but his character’s confused anger and jealousy are real enough, while Froggatt is the star, powerfully burying her pain and releasing it in short, strange bursts. Welsh offers a series of tense scenes – a classroom showdown between Suzy and kids who want to hear war stories; a cab ride with a British Pakistani driver; a tense chat between Mark and Suzy’s colleague Paul (Andrew Knott) – and proves himself a name to watch.

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 2103: 8 – 14 December, 2010

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

Phil Ince said...

Posted on Dec 12 2010 21:47 Well-intended but flat.

Report as inappropriate
Simon said...

Posted on Oct 21 2010 18:15 I also came across this film as part of the LFF showings at the Curzon Mayfair. While the focus is on post-traumatic stress, the story masterfully weaves in issues such as multicultural tensions and domestic abuse. I was thoroughly impressed and the fact that it's a debut only added to that. I look forward to the next feature from this team of emerging British talent.

Report as inappropriate
Una said...

Posted on Oct 19 2010 15:42 Great drama, raw, honest, stripped of artifices, mature and complex. The director managed to skillfully tackle several other issues that come along with the PTSD without indulging into melodrama or sentimentalism. Amazing performances. Could recommend more.

Report as inappropriate
Helen P said...

Posted on Oct 18 2010 21:40 Fanatic film and a fantastic cast, brilliantly observed by a first time directer. I was totally blown away by this feature and was transfixed during the final scene. I particularly enjoyed seeing this story from a female soldiers perspective. A must see for all!

Report as inappropriate
Edmund Coogan said...

Posted on Oct 18 2010 20:32 Amazing film, one of the best I've seen in a long while. Gripping, pacey, character rich and an important story to tell!!! It's good to see there's strong and masterful up and coming British talent!!

Report as inappropriate
Tobias Simpson said...

Posted on Oct 18 2010 20:26 I watched In Our Name at the BFI London Film festival last Friday and I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout. The film combines a compelling and pacy plot with raw, authentic lead performances. It also raised the complex and little explored issue of PTSD among female soldiers, giving a fresh, touching and unpretentious perspective on the aftereffects of major trauma. In particular the film opens up the impact of trauma on sexuality, as well as to the underside of violence and paranoia within dysfunctional relationships. Joanne Froggatt is utterly convincing as Suzy, whose character is the heart of the film, but the supporting actors are all strong and the young girl who plays her daugher is a revelation. All in all the film is dripping with new talent, not to mention its unexpected finesse and maturity, which is all the more remarkable considering that it was made on a shoestring budget by first time filmmakers.

Report as inappropriate