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LONDON TO BRIGHTON
Directed & Written by Paul Andrew Williams
Produced by Alastair Clark, Rachel Robey, Ken Marshall & Williams
Director of Photography, Christopher Ross
Edited by Tom Hemmings
Music by Laura Rossi
Distributed by Outsider Pictures
UK. 83 min. Not Rated
With Lorraine Stanley, Johnny Harris, Sam Spruell, Nathan Constance, Alexander Morton & Georgia Groome

If you flip back through the notepad I used to jot notes on during London to Brighton, you'll notice that not only do I have a very difficult time writing in the dark but the words jotted throughout, describing what I was feeling at a specific moment, read like a checklist for a good drama: fear…intensity…emotion…heartbreak…intensity (again, with an exclamation point). This 2006 gritty Brit film showcases a uniquely memorable alliance of writing, directing, and acting that will undoubtedly make a few careers and possibly serve as a vehicle to bring further social awareness to the horrors and realities of child prostitution.

Kelly (Lorraine Stanley), a seasoned prostitute, and Joanne (Georgia Groome), a pre-teen runaway starving in the streets, flee London on the run from their sinister pimp, Derrick (Johnny Harris), after an off-screen incident that puts both their lives at risk. With murderous consequences for all involved, London to Brighton takes the audience on the hide-and-seek journey to the eponymous seaside town.

It's a complete understatement to say that Paul Andrew Williams makes an impressive directorial debut. The story, also penned by Williams, is totally and positively economic. There is not a scene in the entire film that doesn't need to be there, and it's truly amazing what Williams emotionally accomplishes, given the film’s short running time. With no set up and revealing only little character background, the story relies heavily on the acting, and the virtually unknowns (even to British audiences) give us characters we immediately invest our emotions in. Not even feeling like fiction, this melodramatic thriller is one of the best films under 90 minutes that you will ever see.

In what can be tricky for filmmakers and audiences alike, the story is told in a non-linear format, flipping from past to present and ultimately beginning with its end. Simply put, you will want to know what lead to the ending. This considered, the film never comes close to confusing, and Williams uses an easy and creative solution to differentiate past from present – Kelly's swollen eye.

The cast is tremendous, and their true acting colors show in the climax, one of the most dramatic in recent memory. Shining brightest are Groome and Harris, allegories of purity and innocence versus moral deviance and greed, respectively. Apart for most of the film, each serves as the definitive presence in their respective scenes. Kudos also goes to Lorraine Stanley who holds her own, but Groome’s role of Joanne is the film’s most vital.

On a deeper and much more important level, London to Brighton has the chops to make some noise and bring awareness to the ever-present but taboo (in both society and fictional filmmaking) issue of child prostitution that still has a too profitable place in the Western world. At times, I wondered how on earth Williams would handle the inevitable horrific scenes with artistic tastefulness without losing dramatic appeal, but he succeeds in going just far enough into the deep end and staying out of murky waters – whether through inference, insinuation, or quick cutting. Overall, it's that rare kind of film that will linger in your mind for days to come. Matt Alesevich
February 8, 2008