Adulthood (2008)

Director:

Noel Clarke

Writer:

Noel Clarke (writer)

Release Date:

20 June 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

After 'Kidulthood' comes 'Adulthood' ...

Plot:

Six years after Sam Peel is released from jail for killing Trife, he realizes that life is no easier...

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title

Cast

Noel Clarke	...	Sam
Adam Deacon	...	Jay
Scarlett Alice Johnson	...	Lexi
Jacob Anderson	...	Omen
Ben Drew	...	Dabs
Danny Dyer	...	Hayden
Femi Oyeniran	...	Moony
Shanika Warren-Markland	...	Kayla
Red Madrell	...	Alisa
Nathan Constance	...	Ike
Cornell John	...	Uncle Curtis
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Ajala	...	Desmond
Fraser Ayres	...	D Dee
Nicholas Briggs	...	Max
Robert Dearle	...	Prison Redband
Davie Fairbanks	...	Terry
Madeleine Fairley	...	Claire
Rosanna Hoult	...	Polly
Rowley Irlam	...	Vern
Forbes KB	...	Canon
Don Klass	...	Blammy
Pierre Mascolo	...	Andreas
Rhoda Montemayor	...	Kim
Nick Nevern	...	Police Officer
Arnold Oceng	...	Henry
Shystie	...	Lisa
Adjoa Andoh	...	Mrs. Peel (uncredited)
Troy Glasgow	...	Jahvon (uncredited)
Robert Karn	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Kevin Proctor	...	Prison Inmate (uncredited)

Directed by
Noel Clarke

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Noel Clarke		writer

Produced by
James Biddle	....	line producer
George Isaac	....	producer
Damian Jones	....	producer

Original Music by
Chad Hobson

Cinematography by
Brian Tufano

Film Editing by
Tom Hemmings

Casting by
Tamara Notcutt

Production Design by
Murray McKeown

Art Direction by
Paul Harvey

Costume Design by
Andy Blake

Makeup Department
Shefali Choudhury	....	special effects makeup designer
Marlene Farrell	....	hair designer
Marlene Farrell	....	makeup designer
Nicki Pope	....	assistant makeup artist
Anna Wilson-Soppitt	....	makeup dailies

Production Management
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Barlow	....	additional third assistant director
Matt Carver	....	first assistant director
Lucy Egerton	....	second assistant director
Beatrice Manning	....	third assistant director
Kevin Marshall	....	extras co-ordinator
Cedric St. Clair	....	trainee assistant director
Vaughn Stein	....	crowd assistant director

Art Department
Nina Aufderheide	....	stand-by art director
Bart Tuft	....	prop hand

Sound Department
Adam Davidson	....	adr recordist
Tawa K. Durowoju	....	boom operator
Jack Gillies	....	supervising sound editor
James Hamilton	....	foley editor
Mathew Knights	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Kondal	....	dialogue editor
Mitch Low	....	production sound mixer
Peter Shaw	....	assistant sound editor

Visual Effects by
Timothy P. Jones	....	visual effects: digital film bureau
John Palmer	....	digital film bureau manager: Scanning and Laser record
Rob Pizzey	....	digital colourist

Stunts
James Grogan	....	stunt performer
Rowley Irlam	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jason Coop	....	first assistant camera
Alex Crowe	....	grip
Cuong Dang	....	still photographer
Brian Fawcett	....	lighting technician
James Foster	....	second assistant camera
Christian Hayes	....	electrician
Fredericka Lathbridge	....	camera trainee
James Perry	....	additional clapper loader
Rob Pye	....	gaffer
Duncan Riedl	....	electrician
Roger Tooley	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Victor Jenkins	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fatima Ibrahim	....	costume assistant
Jenny Jarvis	....	trainee costume
Brooke Neilson	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Rob Gordon	....	digital film editor
Yoko Lytle	....	post-production coordinator
Erin McGookin	....	digital intermediate producer
Carolyn O'Reilly	....	post-production assistant
Laurent Treherne	....	digital intermediate technical director
Maria T. Valente	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ilan Eshkeri	....	music producer
Elisa Kustow	....	music production coordinator
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor
Ashley Bashy Thomas	....	composer: theme music

Other crew
David Blank	....	production accountant
Neil Calder	....	completion guarantor: Film Finances Inc.
Catherine Chew	....	location assistant
James Crestani	....	production assistant
Giancarlo Dellapina	....	epk sound
Bianca Gavin	....	production coordinator
Stuart Hall	....	epk interviewer
Vinnie Jassal	....	location manager
Julia Jones	....	unit publicist
Kelly Mauchlen	....	location assistant
Helene Oosthuizen	....	script supervisor
Iain Ovenden	....	epk cameraman
Nick Pearce	....	epk producer
Kevin Proctor	....	assistant production coordinator
Albert Sharpe	....	epk producer
Ben Vokes	....	floor runner
Claire Warnes	....	senior business affairs executive

Thanks
Tom Butterfield	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Cipher Films
• Limelight

Distributors

• Independent (2008) (worldwide) (all media)
• Pathé Pictures International (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Capelight Pictures (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Movie Bank (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Pathé Distribution (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• Pathé Distribution (2009) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• ARRI Media  camera equipment provided by
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• HireWorks  Avid equipment rental
• Media Services  stationery supplier
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Ireland:18 | UK:15 | Ireland:15 (video rating) | Australia:MA (2008) | New Zealand:R18 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18

Company:

Cipher Films

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Sam fights with a person in the cemetery. The fight scene shows sunlight and shadows in one shot and missing in another. This is repeated while they are wrestling each other on the ground.

Movie Connections:

Follows Kidulthood (2006)

Similar to Kidulthood in that it is effective in its breadth but doesn't have the substance or complexity that one might hope for

I wasn't all that taken by Kidulthood when I watched it a few years back but it was solid enough and professionally made so I thought I'd follow it with the sequel. Set six years after the original film, we join the majority of the original cast on the day that Sam comes out of prison after doing his time for the killing of Trife. Some of those involved have moved on, some are still in the same situation they were then while others have nothing but that night on their minds and are seeking revenge on Sam for what he did – either by their own hands or by any one of countless up and coming boys looking to have a name made for them.

In picking this plot in particular the film sets out its stall very much to be about these events rather than the characters – again this is the same as the first film, which didn't do a great job in creating people so much as it did in creating a reasonably good narrative flow. For many this will be enough and the film does have enough of a "world" to it that it is easy to watch it. The problem comes when you want to be convinced by it, because the story isn't really strong enough (or logical enough) to really engage. It is not that it doesn't have stuff going in in sufficient quantities (it does) it is just that they offer nothing beyond this. Don't get me wrong, I found it easy to watch and get into but it felt like little had been done on the actual characters themselves. Physically it has been worked out where they are and attitude-wise they all have a broad sketch to them but this doesn't get translated well into words in the actors' mouths and as a result the film does feel superficial. The additional downside to this is that, although the film doesn't glamorise these lives, by not being more honest and complex it does feel like there is a certain amount of validation within it.

Clarke has done pretty well as writer/director/star though and he has produced a solid film where others may have only made a mess. OK it is not perfect but it is a good stab. His Sam sums up the strengths and weakness – he is supposed to be tired of violence but yet doesn't show that in his actions while any hurt in him is shown in simple ways. He holds the attention well but not below the surface. The supporting cast do pretty well but all have the same "lack of complexity" issue to deal with in their performances. Johnson, Deacon, Drew and others are all pretty good while Madrell returns for a few scenes and continues to be cute.

Overall Adulthood is a good companion piece to Kidulthood because they both carry the same strengths and weaknesses. The setting and events engage on the surface and have a good pace to them but the lack of anything decent below this is a problem that affects how much one gets into it but also how well the cast can do with their thinly developed characters. Worth seeing even if it could have been better.