Review of "Tony", (Gerald Johnson, 2009).

I think this film can be viewed in various ways, depending on the viewers state of mind as they go into it. It can be seen as a sad look at a pathetic failure's downward spiral in to a situation that i think everybody secretly dreads, even if they don't know it. Or it can be seen as a comical, sadistic character study - a close look at the life of a serial killer. Or it can be seen as an interesting look at an East End concrete jungle, and the colourful characters that combine to make it what it is, although it can be argued that there's not enough of a spectrum represented for this to be 100% accurate.

I watched it without expectation though. Somebody at work told me that they didn't think it was very good, but i bought it anyway and stuck it on at 2am with an open mind.

"Tony" is the story of a serial killer who isn't exactly a terrible person, but someone who has been on the dole for twenty years, never really had any friends, and has zero communication or social skills. People openly mock him and make him feel like a mug, (which he is). We don't really know if he is genuinely a kind person, or if that's just a ploy to lure victims into his home. I like to believe he's genuinely kind, as we see he invited the downstairs neighbour in for a drink, and she manages to leave. She's nice to him, so he doesn't kill her. He likes her.

The story isn't exactly high concept, but the lead actor, Peter Ferdinando, is fascinating to watch, and masters the role, making it a very interesting 72 minutes of film. Many of the other characters were a bit too obvious east end stereotype, and reminded me of a Lee Mack bit that i once saw, "So cockney it hurts".

I wasn't at all dissapointed with "Tony", in fact I found myself wishing it was a bit longer. Luckily the DVD included two short movies from the director, to keep me watching for a while longer. So i recommend this little gem to everybody. There were some gruesome moments (foot in the sink, cutting meat in the sink), if you're squeamish i recommend you don't watch this alone. It's a shame this film wasn't recieved more positively, it doesn't seem to have gotten the recognition i feel it deserved. I personally, hope to see more from Gerald Johnson in the future.

Story - 4/5
Characters - 4/5
Dialogue - 3/5
Duration - 3/5
Extras - 5/5
Overall - 4/5