Twenty8K Review

While we were all glued to our screens watching Bolt take gold, we sometimes forget that the world still went on around us, hence the setting for Shameless director Paul Abbott latest film Twenty8k, a story of Crime, Gangs, Prostitution and Corruption. (Your standard Saturday night in Stratford)

Based in the heart of East London it begins at an underground grime club with a shooting taking place, the murderer Vip played by Sebastian Nanena (what a cool name to have) caught red handed on CCTV running away from the crime, gun in hand.

Is the case that clear cut though you ask? Cut to a swanky office based in Paris and Vips’ successful sister Deeva (Parminder ‘Bend it like Beckham’ Nagra) getting the news her brother has been arrested.

Cue her jumping into a plane to London then into a very flash car which for the best part of the film remains with the top down when parked in very questionable parts of East London. (Easily the most unbelievable part of the movie especially as she returns to find it where she leaves it every time!)

Once arriving Deeva finds parts of the story not fitting together and believes her brother is being set up by his own Twenty8k gang, the more she investigates the more she realises there is a much bigger picture than anyone has realised with people going to great lengths to avoid rocking the boat before the Olympics.

 

Unfortunately the film never seems to find its footing with the criminal underworld not portrayed gritty enough to be convincing and the acting from some of the younger cast members not good enough to get completely sold into the story. Naturally it’s never going to be a Lock Stock or Snatch but as a movie night, its worth getting the ice cream and family size Doritos and settling down to watch.

Being a resident of East London there is lost potential to see the hidden side of East London (and who was doing the hiding) when the whole world was focused on the good of the Olympics, but that said there are some good twists and turns to keep you wondering until the very end.

Twenty8k is out on Blu-Ray and DVD now

Author: CTC’s latest addtion Ipek