Wild Bill (2012)

Wild Bill was not what I was expecting, and I mean this in the best possible way. The trailer kind of made it look like a Lock Stock East End Gangster thing with some kids involved too. It could work, but it would be much more likely to be shit. Thankfully then Wild Bill is actually a story about redemption, about a father learning to be a good man and a good father, and of his kids learning to trust him once again.

Wild Bill is released from prison after serving 8 years for an array of crimes from assaulting a police officer to attempted murder, but as he tells his parole officer: It's not as bad as it sounds. He first of all heads back to his home, where he assumes he'll find his ex-wife and kids; with no reply at the door and after being told the room was empty by a neighbour he goes down to the pub where he meets some of his old criminal buddies. Meanwhile, his kids have been living alone for the last 9 months as their mother has gone to Spain with her new boyfriend, probably never to return. They've been avoiding the authorities, but after Bill is brought to their home after getting very drunk, and then mentions that the boys have been living alone for 9 months to his parole officer, they get involved. At first Bill is blackmailed into staying by his older son, who steals some of his drugs, but as the film progresses he learns genuine affection for the boys and takes an active interest in their lives and tries to help them sort out both their flat, and their lives.

Bill is constantly being threatened with a return to the criminal world, but is genuine about never wanting to return to prison, but this just makes his old friends angry and turn on him, seeing him as a threat. The main basis of the film is about the struggle Bill undergoes in not simply returning to his old ways, and his children are a real help in this. The film is filled with really positive examples of human spirit, and not in a cheesy way. I suspect that many will come see this film thinking it is something else, indeed during the screening I was in a few people actually left half way through not to return. But hopefully those that stayed will feel like I did about this film.

The acting is all top notch, not just Charlie Creed-Miles as Bill (who is superb), but also Liz White as his prostitute girlfriend (she really shines), and the kids, Will Poulter and Sammy Williams do a real good job as well. The script feels really natural, and even the slightly OTT criminal element works well in context, something which has to be down to Dexter Fletcher's really nice script and direction.

This is a gangster film, but it's far removed from the Guy Ritchie school of thought. For too long London Gangster films have been dominated by dull lazy screen writing and clichés, hopefully Wild Bill marks the beginning of a new era, where the 'hard man' gets his punishment, and start to break away from convention and bring British cinema back to where it should be. This is a really strong effort.