The representation of British culture in UK cinema is a hot topic at the moment. The audience and the industry are both crying out for greater diversity, better exploration of the community and particularly youth culture and female representation. Films that explore that ‘urban’ (for want of a better word) environment are constantly met with snobbery. This snobbery is often misplaced. Kidulthood, Adulthood and films of that ilk often have a lot to offer in terms of insight and entertainment, if only people would take the time to look. To approach a film that fits that genre with an open heart, is something that this particular reviewer does with great enthusiasm, which is important to keep in mind when reading the rest of this review.
Whilst it is not traditional when reviewing a film to reference its star rating, it is imperative in this instance to make crystal clear that each of the two stars that this film has been awarded in this case are whole heartedly dedicated to lead actress Amy Tyger and lead actor Franz Drameh, the stars of Legacy, directed by Davie Fairbanks. Both of them deserve every bit of praise for the fact that presumably, they have not been put off acting for their rest of their young lives, tarnished by the knowledge that their obvious talent was wasted on such a soul-destroying, offensive piece of cinema.
It’s hard to know where to begin. The basic premise of the film is simple. There is a gang of undesirable characters who host one of the most famous, popular parties in London. Everyone who is anyone has to be there. It’s so popular in fact, that in the first six minutes of the film, two girls, presumably under 18 because they don’t have ID, willingly strip down to their thongs and perform oral sex to gain entry. Now, these nameless characters don’t really have a part in the rest of the film, and it’s hard to know if their efforts were worth it, given that we don’t actually get to see the party. The reason for this is because our main characters and their friends aren’t allowed to come the party, due to some trouble that Sean’s (Drameh) brother has with the gang who organise them. Sean, Dani (Tyger) and their friends decide that instead, they are going to throw an even bigger, better party.
A simple premise that should make for a fun teen comedy. But it doesn’t. In fact, the main message that can be garnered from the film is ‘all boys are interested in is tits’ and ‘all girls are good for is tits’. And, as if the blowjob scene in the first six minutes wasn’t weird enough, Dani lives with her sister, who is a stripper, who just loves to walk around naked. Totally naked. For no reason. Several times. Even a teenage lad watching it would find it pointless. There’s a scene with a white guy talking in a Jamaican accent to his black girlfriend, asking her to ‘give me the coco.’ There’s another guy who dresses up as an Arab to try and get a bank loan. This may seem like all this information is scattered and unstructured, but it really is the general theme that runs throughout. Using pointless nudity and cheap jokes to gain laughs. Having absolutely zero faith in the characters or in the story.
The last thing the industry needs, when there is already such an aversion to these stories, is this tacky, repulsive feature that reads like the collective jokes of that drunk guy in a pub that everyone really, really hates.
