Our newest film writer, Sami El-hadi, reviews Hackney-based feature My Brother The Devil written and directed by Sally El Hosaini. Fresh from winning numerous awards and acolades on the film festival circuit (including Best British Newcomer at the London Film Festival) it opens in cinemas this Friday 9th November.

Finally arriving in UK cinemas after a hugely successful festival run, My Brother the Devil tells the story of brothers Rash and Mo, second generation Egyptians living on a Hackney Estate. Teenage Mo is a bright and promising student, growing up in the shadow of his tough and fiercely protective brother Rash, a respected member of a local gang. This may all sound very familiar but rest-assured, as rather than another generic entry to a sub-genre which has quickly become trite and clichéd, My Brother the Devil uses this recognisable formula to tell a powerful and compelling human story. Since the emergence of the British Urban Drama with Kidulthood in 2006 we’ve been waiting for a UK film worthy of the many fine foreign counterparts such as La Haine and City of God. And while this film isn’t without flaws, it may go some way to closing this gulf in quality.

Aside from the presence of Saïd Taghmaoui, however, direct comparisons with La Haine run dry quickly. This is not a film about politics; in fact it bares more resemblance to American History X, with its depiction of two brothers whose respective existences are threatened by negative forces in their environment. The urban setting remains just that and the film doesn’t simply set out to depict this world – this is first and foremost a story about family, identity and betrayal.

We start off in familiar territory, but even in a largely predictable first act, the drama is approached in a refreshingly humane way. When Mo is sent on his first job by Rash, to pick up some ‘food’ from a supplier, he ends up getting mugged for the stash and more humiliatingly (and ultimately more significantly) his trainers. This sequence is mostly concerned with Mo’s trauma and disappointment in himself for letting his brother down, culminating with him crying under the covers of his bed, than the inevitable macho posturing and plans for revenge which follow. That isn’t to say that the film doesn’t provide some tense moments and visceral thrills. The mugging sequence itself, sticking brutally to Mo’s POV, is intense and violent - as is a taut sequence in a tattoo parlour, which ends in an equally unexpected manner.

The film holds a real sense of threat and menace when it needs to and the action always feels authentic and down-to-earth. However, it is in the quiet moments that My Brother the Devil really shines, with writer/director Sally El Hosaini displaying a keen eye for small details. For example Rash covertly sticking a twenty pound note in his mums purse, a seemingly innocuous arm round a shoulder foreshadowing a shocking plot development and Mo laughing at a badly synced Arabic film with his mum. It’s also in these moments that we’re made to care about these characters and invest in the drama; as the paths of the two brothers hurtle in opposing directions a sense of inevitability and tragedy builds with every beat of the story. Crucially, the drama rarely feels contrived or emotionally manipulative where perhaps it did in previous entries to this canon.   

This is a technically astute and impressively assured debut, the emotional weight of the story underlined by frequent use of tight, intimately framed shots and a beautifully warm colour palette. El Hosaini coaxes fine performances from a cast predominantly made up of newcomers with special mention going to Fady Elsayed’s portrayal of Mo, whose mix of naïve self-assuredness and tender vulnerability is the pivot for the entire story.  

The only real shortcoming is a climax that doesn’t quite live up to what precedes it; the resolution feels a bit too easy, with a few too many plot threads left dangling. But these flaws are forgivable for the sheer heart with which the story is handled, and while these are themes and ideas we’ve seen before, the script has a genuine ace up its sleeve with the plot taking a wildly unexpected turn in the second act. More than just providing a satisfying and unforeseen twist, this element represents what is really worthwhile and interesting about this piece of work, bravely entering unchartered territory for a film about London gang culture and gently broaching interesting and thus far untouched issues about prejudice within a culture which is, itself, the subject of much discrimination.

A truly exciting debut from one of the UK’s most interesting emerging talents, My Brother the Devil more than lives up to the festival hype.

Watch the trailer here

Find out more on facebook/mybrotherthedevil

Follow the film on twitter @MBTDFilm

My Brother The Devil is on general release in the UK from Friday 9th November 2012