Wild Bill
If you don’t love Will Poulter than I have every right to assume that there is something insanely wrong with you. You can leave now. Will Poulter is the cherub EE Rising star that first came to prominence in movies such as Narnia: Voyage of the Dawntreader and Son of Rambo. Despite having a long career in acting already, the only twenty one year old has fame bustling all around him. And he is so entirely lovely and humble about it which is surprising for an actor of his age and calibre. Though he may have excelled in comedies, particularly the recent We’re The Millers, he also has an superb flare for drama.
This is ridiculously apparent in Dexter Fletcher’s 2011 drama Wild Bill. As gritty as British tales get, it is set in the shadow of the London Olympic Stadium. The titular character Bill is just getting out of a stint in prison after eight years inside. When he gets to his home, a beaten up flat, he finds his sons Dean (Poulter) and Jimmy have been ruthlessly abandoned by their mother, having the fend for themselves. While Dean is working hard to keep them alive, becoming a father figure to Jimmy, he is less than please to see his father return.
Dexter Fletchers drama holds a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and it’s not hard to see while. This impressive film not only manages to interject some humour into a wrought situation but it is full of heart. Bill, played incredibly by Charlie Creed-Miles may have fucked up royally as a father. His earnest attempts however, to get his family back and support them, are genuine and it pulls the movie along. Though there are people around trying to drag him back into the pits again, Bill really wants to make it up to his family. Though he lacks stability and his good intention falter, there is much love coming from him that makes him entirely compelling to watch. Though he is a criminal, he is able to stand up for his family.
Really though, this is Poulter’s film and you can’t help but relate more to Dean and care for him a little more. Poulter has an endearing quality about him that is able to balance the struggles of his character but still not making him too preachy. Dean has been through a lot and had to grow up quickly. What happens in Wild Bill is there are still able to strip back to the fundaments of childhood, such as first loves. Poulter creates layers for Dean that are protected at first and come bubbling to the surface. It is a joy to watch this talented actor work so well.
What Fletcher has done is great a humanistic and real film. It is British in every sense of the world and while the criminal underbelly is at play, toying with every level of the patriarchal dynamics, it is the relationship between Bill and his sons that takes centre stage. Fletcher is sensitive enough to make his story flare with the usual dramas and entwine it with affectionate comedy. It is magnificent to watch and compelling, putting Wild Bill ahead of the usual crime dramas we are so used to.