After reading about this oddity, looked forward to it being a thoughtful character study with heart and a message - a message it has but perhaps little heart. It's a low budget indie production that features a surprisingly stylised look. This comes via the talents of short and TV director of photography Eben Bolter's professional work ethic. He, along with some committed work by first-time director Joe Stephenson, give it a better than average look. Performances are mostly border line with Morgan Watkins perhaps faring best as the brutish, utterly despicable older 'brother'. He's given some OK backup from Scott Chambers in the difficult role of Richard the younger 'brother'.
It's difficult to call this entertainment and fits better into the modern social expose' of all that's despicable about heavily failed family relationships - and the grotty characters who prey on the vulnerable. Lovely country locations are about the only pleasing aspects on display here with maybe a little help from a cute chicken. Tom Linden supplies a thoughtful music score - adding what little warmth can be taken from a heavy study of all that's wrong within an immoral society.
Interesting but grueling and depressing with limited sustaining relief, that might perhaps leave some wondering if the makers may have been enjoying the negativity a little too much (?)
Plot summary
Richard, a 15-year-old with learning disabilities, longs to put down roots, but his restless, destructive brother Polly needs to keep moving. When the land they live on is bought by a new landowner and the electricity supply to their caravan is cut, their already-precarious living conditions get even worse. Then a chance meeting with the new landowner's daughter, 17-year-old Annabel (Yasmin Paige),leaves Richard besotted, while Polly befriends the guys who run a seedy traveling fair. Richard's optimistic view on life becomes increasingly difficult to maintain as Polly's abusive behavior worsens and family secrets are revealed. His first true friend is Annabel. For better or worse, Richard's life is about to change forever.
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Chicken - A Heavy Run
British drama at its best
Chicken. A low budget British drama about a guy with learning difficulties and his relationship with his apparently brutish brother. The first half was slow but beautifully shot. The second half was devastating. Not going to give anything away but watch if you can. 8 out of ten
Poison
This was the most disgusting and depressing film I've ever seen. You have a mentally disabled teen Richard with a speech impediment who is constantly being physically abused,mentally abused, neglected and disrespected by his older brother Polly who actually turns out to be his father (that's the spoiler). The boy just takes the abuse and doesn't fight back and continues to give this evil freak love and respect while getting nothing but abuse in return. The pair live in squalor. The evil freak of a brother eventually leaves him and we watch the disabled boy whaling in sadness. The only supposed good thing about the film is the friendship Richard has with a girl who appears to feel sorry for him, but I didn't find this redeeming at all. When I was through watching I felt tearful and depressed at such evil in the world.