Absolutely Brilliant!

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A gripping if rather implausible story about a group of gay-bashing youths, this sustains interest until the ridiculous ending, when the director gathers up all the plot threads and, instead of weaving them together, ties them into a hopeless snarl. Not only does the last-minute plot revelation make no sense, it "explains" the characters in a very facile, film-school manner, when what makes the film frightening is the fact that we really CAN'T tell what motivates the young characters, and neither can they. They succumb to their worst violent/sexual urges without a second thought, because stopping to think would make their lives completely unbearable. This ending forces "meaning" on us in the way that second-rate well-made plays in the nineteenth century used to.I'm growing very tired of gay movies that feature their young heroes being raped and/or killed by straight oppressors (who rape them to prove they themselves aren't gay?) It's a cheap way for an artistically impoverished movie to be considered "daring" and "honest", when it really reveals very little. I've always been suspicious of the argument that gay-bashers are all closeted homosexuals striking out at what they fear in themselves (this view also weakened the ending of the otherwise excellent "Milk.")

This may have some disturbing but real content, but is definitely the freshest gay themed movie to come around in a few years. Brilliantly written, directed, and acted. The actors were really brilliant in their parts and they really fit the parts.As an avid gay themed movie buff, this one is a 10 out of 10. I can't believe the score is 5.8 and should win numerous awards in my opinion. The whole story evolves around a gang member whose gay but doesn't share this with his gang. When they find out they lash out at him most gruesomely. However, two gay and unlikely people he's encountered one way or another, help him through.I actually didn't think this movie would account for too much, but I was deceived by it's title and cover photo. It's a brilliant, fresh story line, that would have me standing in line to see it at the theater.I must say kudos to the director, photographer, writer and cast for bringing this story to life. Excellent job, keep up the good work.

This takes place in Bristol in the UK. Cal (Wayne Virgo) is part of a gang who go out and casually beat up people for no reason. Cal is also gay. He can't tell his gang and has anonymous degrading sex and tries to hide his feelings in drugs. Then one day his gang attack an innocent French student named Olivier (Marc Laurent). Cal intervenes and saves Olivier because he falls in love with him at first sight. They become lovers and the members of Cal's gang swear they will get back at him.SPOILERS! OK--there are plenty of problems here. Laurent is a dreadful actor and has NO chemistry with Virgo at all. Their relationship never rings true. The HEAVY British accents make most of the dialogue unintelligible. The rap music is very annoying. There's a twist near the climax involving Nessa (Alice Payne) that I didn't believe for a minute. And the rape scene at the end was too graphic and far too disturbing. However the plot is good and interesting. Virgo has a difficult role but pulls it off. Also he's a very handsome man and there's plenty of nude shots of him (front and back). The sex scene between Cal and Olivier is explicit but very erotic and hot! There's also plenty of simulated gay sex scenes and frequent male nudity. Also Tom Bott is excellent as Cal's best friend Junno. The sexual tension between those two was incredible. I wish the movie had been about them being lovers! Also their acting during the rape scene at the end was just superb.All in all its not without its faults but it does work. Graphic and powerful. I give it a 7.

While Independent films are not my usual cup of tea, I have enjoyed many through the years ("Sex, lies, and videotape" etc). I do not expect high production values or good cutting. I try to keep an open mind and look for break out performances or decent writing. The plot of "Shank" is fair and has potential. The execution by Simon Pearce is less than desirable. His overuse of symbolism and rough cut edits between subplots is so erratic that it makes the film difficult to follow at times. One way to smudge a scene, if you haven't got a shot in editing, is to add a blurry, out of focus shot as filler. I found too many of those to stay in my comfort zone.What did I find good about "Shank"? The dilemma of the gang person who is trying to find his own identity a good plot device. The subplot with the school teacher played a necessary role in the morality part of the story. However, when one actor carries such a heavy load as Wayne Virgo did for the part of Cal, then I believe you need to cast for more than just type. You must cast for talent. Marc Laurent did a good job as the French student and had a great sense of mise en scene. Another cast member that stood out was Tom Bott as Jonno. While his final scene was a bit much (director is responsible here), I thought he has great potential past this film.Today, thanks to advances in technology, young gay people have a choice of film subjects and styles geared toward their orientation and subculture. "Shank" tries to be honest and address the concerns of many young gay men, although the execution needs a leg up... to use the vernacular.