Watch The Rise For Free

Pretty Good

Overrated and overhyped

Memorable, crazy movie

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This film had been sat in my Netflix queue for ages and I kept putting off watching it and almost didn't watch it. I'm not really sure why, but I just had a feeling that the 4 leads would be unlikeable one dimensional chavs - I'll admit that I was being a bit presumptuous. All I can say is that I'm so glad that I was wrong.I'll admit that the first 15-20 minutes of the film did play out as I thought; the characters were annoying at first, the dialogue was a bit shaky, but once the plot kicks in the film seems to find a new gear and I found that the more I watched it, the more enjoyment I got from it.One thing I did like about this film is the depth and complexities of its characters - we have Dodd (Matthew Lewis) who seems very much grounded and fears change (not wanting to venture outside of his own town, never mind leave the country). We have Charlie (Gerard Kearns) who is an out of work welder with an alcoholic mother who I felt was more a victim of circumstance than anything else. Then we have the mastermind behind the 'revenge' plot Harvey (Treadaway) who finds himself in a difficult place when he has to try to balance his desire to get his vengeance against Roper (Neil Maskell) and his need to try and appease his old flame Nicola (Vanessa Kirby). Each character had their own identity and all the characters felt real and believable -they'll argue, they'll laugh and they ultimately show that can also work well as a team. I really felt when watching this that the 4 leads had been friends for a long time and you could also tell that they all really cared for each other (this in spite of some of the petty squabbles that they all had throughout the film).One other thing I thought about this film was how clever it was; the film starts out as a standard tale of revenge, but part of the group's revenge is to carry out a heist - I won't say anymore than that, but let's just say that this made the film both exciting and fun to watch. This is where the film really comes into its own as there are various twists and turns throughout the film that will keep you guessing right up till the end. As well as strong characterisation and a good script, The Rise also benefits from strong and believable performances. For me, Maskell gave the best performance as psychotic drug pusher Steven Roper. Maskell has a naturally menacing look and coupled with his solid acting this made him a particularly effective villain. All the other performances were fine, but Maskell was the one that stood out for me.The Rise is a really good film and I wish that I hadn't left it in my Netflix queue for so long. The characters are believable, the acting was good, the script was excellent and very clever. If you're a fan of revenge films or heist films then you'll like this film. If revenge and heist films are your 2 favourite genres, then you may just have found your perfect film.

Certainly reminiscent of Lock Stock, with the neat dialogue, polished even, well acted and directed. I was happy with all the performances, and it is largely a young cast. It's not lighthearted, with some excursions into working class (ie unemployed class) despair and poverty, thus Wasteland I suppose, and it might be this that led to the hiccups in its release, not quite knowing where to pitch it. If that's the reason, well that's just another illustration of the institutional uselessness of the management in the film business (nobody knows nothing), because the movie is self evidently a pearl. Never quite seen anything like it before is a recommendation, not a problem. Some pretty graphic violence (realistic, not overblown, and it injures the victims), lots of swearing. Finally it's a caper, The Sting comes to mind.

This film is every thing you could want: from a comedy or revenge thriller to a road or buddy flick with a good old heist movie thrown in for good measure too. 1 hour and 45ish minutes of your life well spent.It's British movie making at it's best and the first time writer/director has done a stellar job. Top class acting from a first class line up of outstanding British talent, that most of you around the world won't have heard of (except for Timothy Spall probably.) The pace is fast and the dialogue witty with many a twist to keep you enthralled throughout.I could babble on for hours about how much me and my better half enjoyed it and why you should watch it but just go rent it and see for yourself, then make up your own minds. I for one look forward to this directors' next piece and hope he is not a one hit wonder.

Just caught Wasteland this past weekend at TIFF and was pleasantly surprised by a solid production from a first time writer/director. As a heist film aficionado I approached the film warily but my friends and I were pleased to find our fears were unwarranted. At first I was a bit non-plussed by the slower pace of the plot. But then I realized that director Rowan Athale was taking the time to tuck wayward threads back into his tapestry before they got unruly and it really paid off.The casting was well done, Luke Treadaway and Vanessa Kirby had excellent chemistry together. Charlie and Dodds' camaraderie was excellent. It was very clear what the motivations were for the crew as well as the antagonists.In the QnA after the show, Rowan explained that Wasteland was chosen as the title because of the hopeless locale the characters were situated in. No one can expect to have anything, to make anything of themselves. Even the character who was learning a welding trade was mocked for clinging to false hopes. Perhaps it also explains D.I. West's wry smile as he makes a decision hidden from the audience.At any rate I am sure that Rowan Athale will use this title to leverage himself out the wasteland of indy film making. This production will turn some heads and this director/writer is one to watch.