Credit: Nick Wall/ Paramount
Blue Story DVD review: From Andrew Onwubolu, better known as Rapman, comes his impressive feature directorial debut. Unique in its approach, Blue Story is the tale of two young men, best friends who cross swords over territory and mixed loyalties in a gritty, well-told film with a message that cannot be ignored.
Set entirely in south London, though shot in Enfield, Blue Story revolves around two individuals, Marco (Micheal Ward) and Timmy (Stephen Odubola), school friends who share a close bond. Timmy lives in Deptford and Marco in neighbouring Peckham but both attend the same school. They both share a love of music, girls and more, and are inseparable both during and after school hours. As adulthood approaches, local rivalries between the two boroughs start to rear their head and Marco is violently beaten by one of Timmy’s primary school friends forcing friction between the pair. The sudden rift escalates into a massive postcode rivalry with each of them on opposite sides and it is clear that there is to be no winner in this devastating, jaw-dropping insight into a very real, dreadful disease running through the streets of the capital.
Related: Blue Story – the full home release details of Rapman’s feature directorial debut
It’s safe to say that Rapman’s debut blew me away on the first watch. Gritty, very unique and brutally honest, Blue Story feels more like a documentary than a dramatic feature. Brilliantly told, the film has also the feel of a musical, the musician himself popping up as a harmonious narrator to move the story at various points throughout.
The film came under fire, wrongly so in my opinion, at the end of 2019 with various cinema chains temporarily banning the movie after riots broke out at various screenings. True, this is a violent tale, but see it through to the very end and there is a very clear message, one that absolutely must be told and, more importantly, seen. Hopefully, as this has the studio backing of one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, Paramount, for worldwide distribution, ensures that this will be the case.
Rapman is clearly a gifted filmmaker, and his YouTube shorts, particularly the Shiro’s Story trilogy are magnificent. Blue Story is based on the short of the same name from 2014, expanding the story to feature-length with authentic aplomb. This is not exploitation propaganda, but an alarming peek into a dangerous world that is more relevant and urgent today than ever before. Violent the film is, but it is also heartfelt, deeply moving in places and incredibly acted. The two stand-outs are clearly Odubola as Timmy and particularly Ward as Marco, a role which no doubt contributed to his BAFTA Rising Star award earlier this year. The two are magnificent throughout and deserved of all of the plaudits they receive. They are supported by many other outstanding performers, far too many to name here, but all equally an important puzzle in this brilliantly vertiable warning cry of a film.
Bonus Materials:
There are a few bonus materials on the release, including eight extended and deleted scenes. There is also a four-part behind the scenes featurette series, but the footage is duplicated through them and only run to a couple of minutes each. There is also another short featurette on Rapman himself. Very limited.
Blue Story is available on digital from 13th April and DVD from 20th April.
