4.3.2.1 [DVD]

Noel Clarke stars and directs 4321, another film of intertwining stories to all link up at the end. If you're not a fan, or get easily confused, don't bother, but if you are, buy it. No more can be said, other than that it's packed full of brilliant young actors and actresses, very funny, fast paced and well written. Ben Drew, aka Plan B, plays a cameo role and Emma Roberts is in a new film, The Art of Getting By, with Freddie Highmore, out in cinemas September 2011.

Fans of Kidulthood and Adulthood hold your breath, this is something that is equally sharp and darkly humorous as Noel Clarke's previous dramatic hits.

With a quartet of promising British teenagers this has more than just eye candy as the recruitment of the actresses has strong sustenance in Tamsin Egerton's forever developing persona and Emma Roberts plugging into more popular roles, and is due to appear in Scream 4.

The casting is pretty much perfect but with the four leads it delivers on all levels, comedy and drama with strong anxiety and energy. The stars of tomorrow? Perhaps but with a film as indie as this and without a strong American distributor it will not reach as many as it should. My friend and I were the only two in the screen last week.

With Clarke's previous hits you were always guaranteed strong real life issues and the script does not disappoint. There are your usual family rivalries, bitter ex's and sharp antagonism for friendships. Where the film hits its stronger points are when the issues build higher on themselves, such as when Egerton's character is in America and things go from bad to worse. The moment with the piano is sensational, where the moment with Eve is stereotyping on a ridiculous nature.

The film itself is shot on location in London and New York, diversifying touristy with curious drama that adds an edge. The nature of Adulthood's sharp turning camera happy twisting presentation is manifested here to amazing levels. Sharp twists, vibrant lighting, various angles that can occasionally stray from the plot's moment but adds a bit of unique viewing.

One great device used is the storyline. The opening late night by Big Ben reverts back to a cafe meeting with the four girls all getting off to the wrong doings and on separation the plot follows the girl's individually on their personal journeys. Once each story climaxes there are glorious revert flashbacks and then another girl takes over, an interesting turn that is surreal in a dramatic world that should not work but is effective in recalling certain moments of the respective stories.

Like Kidulthood this is sharp and dynamic, concentrating on real life issues and whilst it can be blown out of proportion on various turns, not to mention Michelle Ryan and Kevin Smith are rather awfully wrong in their roles, this is good fast energetic picture which Noel Clarke fans should certainly see.

8/10

This is a fantastic British film. Well Directed and Acted. It does not try to do anything other than entertain and take you on a journey of 3 days of these 4 girls lives.