Phantom Halo

The true mark out of 10 will be apparent when some more votes come in rather than those from the friends and family of the production team...This film had several stories which were poorly explained and never developed. It could've been an excellent film if it weren't trying so hard to be something more than it's substance permitted whilst ending up just a contrived piece of nonsense. Just pretty boring and predictable all round. The acting was pretty poor from some characters too with one memorable horrendous attempt at an English accent from Roman (Gbenga Akinnagbe). All in all the whole experience left me a little underwhelmed and with the overall feelings..."What was that?" and "Is that it?"

Warren (Sebastian Roché) likes to drink and gamble. Unfortunately he can't stop doing either one and owes loan shark Roman (Gbenga Akinnagbe) a tidy sum. Warren has taught his two sons to perform Shakespeare and steal. Samuel (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) the younger son recites Shakespeare etc. as a street performer, while his older brother Beckett (Luke Kleintank) lifts wallets. When it becomes crunch time, Beckett hooks up with Little Larry (Jordan Dunn) on a money making scheme and also hooks up with his mom (Rebecca Romijn) to give the film eye candy and attempt to fill it out to 90 minutes. Samuel escapes reality by reading the comic book "Phantom Halo" to the dismay of his father. The film held my interest, although there were a few slow parts. It has some dark comedy elements. I had to scratch my head at the ending. I didn't think the writer brought it home properly. Guide: F-bomb, sex, no nudity.

The true mark out of 10 will be apparent when some more votes come in rather than those from the friends and family of the production team...This film had several stories which were poorly explained and never developed. It could've been an excellent film if it weren't trying so hard to be something more than it's substance permitted whilst ending up just a contrived piece of nonsense. Just pretty boring and predictable all round. The acting was pretty poor from some characters too with one memorable horrendous attempt at an English accent from Roman (Gbenga Akinnagbe). All in all the whole experience left me a little underwhelmed and with the overall feelings..."What was that?" and "Is that it?"

Too many ideas and stories happening in this movie. First story - there are the two brothers - street performers - one recites Shakespere while the other is picking the pockets of the pedestrians listening to the recitation. All their efforts to steal money is absorbed and spent by the wicked alcoholic gambling addicted father. His sons want to help him but the father wants to control them for his own purposes. Second story - there is the father full of false ideals for his children. But his gambling/alcoholic addiction has and is destroying his two sons. The father has borrowed so much money the mob wants payment. All three think the mother (who left years ago) will come back. Never happens! Third story - one son has allied himself with a friend who has designed the perfect counterfeit money! They go on a spending and gambling spree and this alerts the mob and they want revenge. Unknown to the counterfeit whiz kid, his friend is in an affair with the whiz kid's mother! All three of these ideas are mixed into this movie and you never feel the characters & plot reach their full potential. As soon as you get into one element of this plot another plot jumps in. I hope this review makes sense because the movie had a hard time sticking to one plot! As I'm having a hard time writing this review.

It's a very good film, better than many films "Sam" is growing up The story is about brothers Samuel and Beckett Emerson long ago found a way to keep their family afloat despite their drunken father's nasty gambling habit: While Samuel distracts crowds of passerby with his Shakespearian monologues, Beckett, a master pickpocket, makes his way through the unsuspecting crowd. And then their small, impoverished world crumbles when their father gets in over his head with a dangerous loan shark. Shakespeare and petty thievery are abandoned for Samuel's belief in the super powers of his comic book hero, Phantom Halo, and Beckett's friend's ability to counterfeit the perfect $100 note. Suddenly, the small- time world as the Emerson family knew it is turned upside down as the brothers do all they can to break free from the mud that traps them.

Trailer—Phantom Halo