Very Cool!!!

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I have very mixed feelings about this film. Admittedly I was expecting a lot as it's a Peter Mullen film and he deals very well with the dirtier side of British social history. A majority of his work is heavy going and usually leaves me with lots to think about, having first had a good cry! This certainly is not for the faint hearted.The violence I found incredibly difficult to watch. I am sure that is a nod to its realism but it wasn't easy viewing by any means. It wasn't gratuitous but as advertised, it was brutal. I didn't feel resolve or any sense of justice or come away feeling like things have much improved or changed over time. It has been compared a lot to 'The is England' but in truth it doesn't have a patch on it. The characters just aren't as well developed and I didn't particularly like or feel compassion to many of them, apart from the fact that this is the sad reality for many children, even now. I also can't recall many moments of light relief in this, which This is England managed frequently with its emphasis on comradery and friendship. I feel ultimately it is an unfair comparison though so don't watch it on that basis.You can make all sorts of excuses or explanations as to why disillusioned young men become gang members or vandals/ criminals but in this case I didn't feel as though the main character made this transition in a subtle or realistic fashion. It was closer to a personality transplant than the slowly trodden down morale of gentile lad with a potentially bright future. Okay so it makes the valid point that we as a society have to nurture our young, protect them, educate them, communicate with them, lead by example, give them the opportunities that they need to grow. But I felt like this was more about poor management of a possible mental health issue rather than just the story of an average boy with a troubled background. (I know the two often go hand in hand) I just didn't feel like the character development justified the direction that the plot went in.So plot was so-so, performance wise it was pretty solid, particularly for young, amateur, Scottish kids. The camera work was pretty good and the retro 70's feel was definitely apparent. I can't pin point the moment at which it started to lag but it did, it lost my attention and I lost hope of it ever reaching a conclusion that would satisfy and I was right. Ultimately I found myself wanting to enjoy the film more than I actually did.Sidenote: I grew up in Scotland, not too far from Glasgow and for a long time 'Neds' didn't necessarily know they were 'Neds'. Ned was always an insult, it is a a discriminatory, class issue and although they may now have embraced the word, reclaimed it, like the use of the 'N' word amongst the Black community, it certainly was not something that people used to refer to themselves as, or be proud of. I was interested to see the character in this refer to himself as a Ned. I know that the word itself goes way back and I am sure it is accurate in the film makers experience, but interesting how that differs from people who live just a few miles away (admittedly that was 80s/90s/early 2000s) I also appreciate that Glasgow gang culture has a long and complex history where as I lived in a more rural area where groups were mainly interchangeable (apart from the great Neds Vs Goths War of '97!)

Neds tells the story of John, a Catholic teenager growing up in 1970s Glasgow. The story line follows John's involvement with his city's Ned culture and the consequences of it on his teenage years. The movie won Best Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival in January 2011.Good points: The characters were well portrayed and gave a good performance, making it realistic and a good representation of how life would have been like as a young Scottish boy. Also, the music that is played in the movie is well suited to it and is the correct year when released.Bad points: The accents were very strong, at some points I couldn't understand what they were saying. The ending, might have had a good meaning to it, but was a disappointment as I was expecting something that was exciting. Also the film is over two hours long, which was too long.Overall: I would give the film 6.5/10, because the acting was good, along with the representation of teenagers in1970's Scotland, but the film was very long and the overall story line could have been better scripted.

i was looking forward to watching this film as the age group of the main characters where about the same age as myself(age 12 in 1974).i am also from glasgow. there are so many things that peter mullan has got wrong from this period, the use of words like bawbag and quality are patter from a latter era, i never seen a teacher smoke in class or address pupils with a fag in their mouth, one man operated buses where not in use at this time and the smoking of joints on the playground just did not exist. i don't know if peter mullan was trying to bring modern street slang and current drug use to cater for the modern viewer but it just came across as lazy research for that time and was very offputting. i am a big fan of mullan but there was no character in the film you could care for,from the start i was trying to work out what relation the girl who went to America? was (checked credits, it was his aunty)the brother went to spain?and in the space of 6 weeks he went from swot to thug. so much of the story line tried to be profound but was just messy and nonsense. i paid £3 in the supermarket for this, watched the film, then put it in the bin.

Not an original film in many ways, and not the most uplifting movie either, "Neds" is one film that will not appeal to everyone.For those not au fait with Glasgow patter, a ned is basically a social delinquent or casual. Clichés of shell-suits, drink bottles, smoking and loitering in parks and you get the idea of what a "ned" is meant to be.Peter Mullan makes this partially biographical film about the slide of a precocious teenage boy from star pupil to the dregs (in the 70s). Filmed without taking any shortcuts, the crew all speak undiluted Glaswegian (with no vulgarities cut) and use cutting humour. The film show physical abuse as it was, first in the classroom, then at home and finally in the streets (gang fights and the like). It doesn't dwell or linger on the violence which is thankful (avoiding pandering to some) but it is strong when it comes.Acting is exceptionally good and the story is intriguing, plus there is a good soundtrack that captures the period very well. In some ways, it's a film that follows in the same sphere as "This is England", but it follows its own path nevertheless.If you want social realism, then I'd say this is a good film to watch. Won't appeal to everyone, but most people will find it of interest. A good watch.