[yasr_overall_rating]
Three people, three extraordinary stories. All lived out within a hundred London streets.
Despite a powerful cast in the British film “100 Streets,” this drama leaves much to be desired. With Idris Elba, Gemma Arterton, Ken Stott, and Franz Drameh, the characters are engaging and satisfying, the plot is what’s lacking. If a movie is going to offer a glimpse into the lives of other people, I would like a bit more meat, instead of this very limited view. I felt more like a neighbor snooping through the backyard fence than the immersion into the lives of three sets of strangers. The movie was about twenty minutes too short to properly display the inner workings of the multiple protagonists’ minds.
Emily is married to ex-Rugby star Max while seeing Jake on the sly. With two children to care for, the estranged couple kept close during their separation. Max used his fan base to improve his love life which caused the separation, and even though he was trying to win back his wife’s affections, he failed to quit his extracurricular activities. Emily, hurt and frustrated, turns to an old lover to cope with her shambled marriage. One night with her husband, Emily finds herself more confused about which man her heart belongs to. When Max finds a positive pregnancy test in the trash he grabs a gun and threatens to harm the man who impregnated his wife.
George and Kathy are happily married but face infertility. Seeking to adopt a baby, they walk a tightrope, hoping George’s past will not harm their chances. While driving a fare, George is involved in an accident which takes the life of a pedestrian. Now their chances of adopting sink along with George’s mood. His depression threatens to ruin his life until his wife forces him to draw back into his reality.
Kingsley is a troubled youth looking in all the wrong places to make a little money. Community service takes him to the local cemetery where he stumbles upon Terrance, an older gentlemen with knowledge to share. The two form an unlikely bond and friendship, which provides a mentor to help Kingsley back onto a path towards a decent life. Terrance manages to set an audition appointment for Kingsley with Emily, moving Kingsley out of the thug business and into the arts.
The three lives, which all take place in a matter of blocks, barely connect. The only legitimate connection is the audition Kingsley has with Emily. Everything about this film is mediocre and overused. While the plot lines kept my attention, it was only in hopes of depth which never entered the picture. The Kingsley story was the most enjoyable part because of the unlikely friendship chemistry between the two actors. Beyond this plot line, the stories needed more time to develop the characters and plot to create a movie worth watching. The potential is there, but apparently, the writers ran out of ambition, or time, and decided to stick with a two-dimensional plot. The ending leaves even more to be desired as the cast just kind of drifts back into life without resolving or sharing the solutions to their life’s problems. I suggest this barely intersecting drama go back to the writing room before going to DVD, but alas that is not an option. Leave this movie on the shelf and find a more dimensional ensemble movie for entertainment, preferably one which does not follow a standard template.
Available on Blu-ray & DVD Tuesday, March 7th
