By Jade Clark

PRODUCTION A Room for Romeo Brass is a 1999 film directed and written by Shane Meadows. It was co-written by frequent Meadows collaborator Paul Fraser. Production Companies- Alliance Atlantis and BBC Films present in association with the Arts Council of England a Company Pictures/ Big Arty production Supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England.

Shane Meadows Shane Meadows (born 26 December 1972) is a film director and screenwriter, from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. He is regarded as one of the rising stars of British cinema. Much of the content of his films are autobiographical and based on his experiences in Uttoxeter. Twenty Four Seven was inspired by his youth, both at a boxing club, and also playing in a local football club. Despite some huge losses, the club's coach never lost faith in them. A Room for Romeo Brass was also inspired by his youth. After his best friend and neighbour (and later writing partner) Paul Fraser had a very bad accident and was bound to his bed for 2 years, Meadows instead hung around with some of the town's more undesirable characters. Dead Man's Shoes is based on the more unpleasant side of his youth in Uttoxeter. It was inspired by a close friend who had been bullied, developed a drug problem and then committed suicide. He said "I couldn't believe that, going back ten years later, he had been totally forgotten in the town - it was as if he had never existed. I was filled with anger against the people who had bullied and pushed the drugs on him, and with despair at what drugs had done to that small community".

The Cast Main Characters: - Andrew Shim as Romeo Brass - Ben Marshall as Gavin "Knocks" Woolley - Paddy Considine as Morell. It marked the screen debut of Considine, who went on to star in Meadows' 2004 film, Dead Man's Shoes. Other CAST: - Vicky McClure as Ladine Brass - Ladene Hall as Carol Brass - Frank Harper as Joe Brass - Julia Ford as Sandra Woolley - James Higgins as Bill Woolley - Bob Hoskins as Steven Laws Producers- Andras Hamori, David Thompson, George Faber, Charles Pattinson Writer- Shane Meadows, Paul Fraser, Robyn Slovo

Awards 1999 British Independent Film Awards (Nominated) Best British Film Best Director (Shane Meadow) Best Original Screenplay (Shane Meadows & Paul Fraser)

DISTRIBUTION Distributor- Alliance Releasing (UK) Who would go to see it?- Youths would go to see it both male and female as it represents friendship and relationships. Genre- comedy drama.

How the film got sold? Posters- bright red with blue pants on front, looks quite childish so you can see the target audience it is aimed at. Very appealing as you may get drawn to it. Another poster- shows friendship so lets you know who the characters and what the main theme is about. Trailer- sets the story, which made people want to come and see the movie.

Reviews “Whatever else it may seem to be, A Room for Romeo Brass is first and foremost a love story, played out between a succession of odd couples: two young boys, an estranged husband and wife, a misfit and his unattainable siren. Indeed, during one musical interlude, Meadows even plays Sunhouse's 'If This Is Love' against a montage of the lost souls, at odds with their partners, to drive the point home. In other hands it could be monstrously corny, but somehow the earthiness of the characters, the believable quirkiness of their relationships and the unsentimental eye through which Meadows spies them all (accompanied by an edgily endearing soundtrack of Beck, Ian Brown, Billy Bragg and others) prevent the project from sliding into mere pop-video clichés.” - sight and sound The result is a subtle, touching and – at times – unnerving account of a believably imperfect friendship and the impact an outsider has upon it. In fact, for most of the narrative, Romeo and Knocks aren’t even friends, with interloper Morell driving a wedge between them. While Knocks is bedridden, recovering from an operation on his back (to his credit, Meadows never makes an issue of it), Romeo happily abandons his old playmate, spending more time with Morell and helping him find his way into Ladine’s heart – or, at least, her knickers.- total films

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