Riot on Redchurch Street — Director’s Cut, written and directed by Trevor Miller, is an interesting rock ‘n’ roll love triangle drama that moves past you as fast as you try to understand it’s a story ensconced in the underground music scene in East London. It’s gritty and sordid, and everyone has some type of anger boiling up. There’s the French love interest, Astrid (Alysson Paradis), the no-bullshit band manager, Ray (Sam Hazeldine), the drugged out-drinking skinny British rock star Ben (Rhys James), and his band, who aren’t half bad punk rockers, and the grimy but well-dressed drug lord, who has no sympathy, John (Jesse Birdsall).
The film feels more like a theater production than a movie, as nobody lives in such squalor or in the small, tight, dirty spaces that pervade throughout the film. It’s dark, dirty, and feels full of hype. Within this setting, Riot on Redchurch Street — Director’s Cut includes lots of titles between scenes and action (sometimes too long to read). The many film effects feel like they are ripping up the story, and the fast acting with all the stereotypical characters who have little to say or delayed emotional responses fall flat.
“…the French love interest, Astrid the no-bullshit band manager, Ray (Sam Hazeldine), the drugged out-drinking skinny British rock star Ben”
Set in Shoreditch, London, a rough and racially challenged area, it harkens to the 2011 street riots that left East London on fire. Although inspired by a modern retelling of Cabaret and Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin, Riot on Redchurch Street—Director’s Cut has too many bells and whistles in its attempt to be artistic and interesting, and the relationships are not all that engaging as the world within everyone is trying to succeed is not that impressive except for a final rock showcase that ends up being tumultuous, which is of no surprise—it was building.
The soundtrack contains four original songs composed and produced for the movie by Siobhan Fahey, best known as the multi-platinum-selling singer/songwriter from Bananarama and Shakespear’s Sister. Fahey appears as a backup vocalist in some of the film’s live musical numbers. Other soundtrack elements include an original trip-hop rendition of “Danny Boy” by the late Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown, several tracks by French art-rock combo Cristine, and a cameo appearance by Johnny Borrell, lead singer of the recently reunited British pop-rockers Razorlight.
As rock drama films go, it feels like a lost soul, but perhaps that is the point for the area of London in which it takes place. People are broke and desperate but tough because they are trying to survive. However, the racial tension and the drama are not all that far from reality, only Riot on Redchurch Street — Director’s Cut does not go deep enough.
"…the racial tension and the drama are not all that far from reality..."
